Bridge partnered with the Asociación de Exportadores de Guatemala

In 2020, Bridge partnered with the Asociación de Exportadores de Guatemala (AGEXPORT), or the Association of Guatemalan Exporters, to support public school teachers with high-quality TEFL training. Through discounted TEFL courses, AGEXPORT and Bridge hope to increase the level and importance of English throughout the Central American country to improve teachers’ and students’ employability and career prospects.

Challenge

A Countrywide Effort

AGEXPORT collaborated with the Guatemala Ministry of Education, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) sponsored the initiative to deliver select Bridge courses to Guatemalan teachers. The three institutions agreed that a partnership with Bridge was an efficient way to provide teachers with professional development.

“The English level in the public schools is very low, so the Ministry of Education wanted to do something to train teachers and create better opportunities for students,” explained Jacqueline Pérez, Program Manager at AGEXPORT

Upon successful completion of the course components, graduates are issued their corresponding accredited, internationally recognized TEFL/TESOL certificate. To date, 723 teachers in Guatemala have enrolled in a Bridge course. Of these, 613 opted for Specialized Certification in Teaching English in English and 110 for Specialized Certification in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teenagers.

quote paola barrios

“The English level in the public schools is very low...”

- Jacqueline Pérez, Program Manager at AGEXPORT

Solution

A Partnership with a Vision

quote paola barrios

“The only way to attract foreign investment is to invest in English,”

- Jacqueline Pérez, Program Manager at AGEXPORT

Currently, English sits behind the Spanish and Mayan languages in Guatemala, which is holding back its younger population from finding good jobs after completing their education.

AGEXPORT saw the need for more English in the country in order to have more foreign investment and, consequently, more employment opportunities. The best avenue to achieve this is through better-qualified teachers in the public sector.

“The only way to attract foreign investment is to invest in English,” said Jacqueline.

What makes this partnership unique is that AGEXPORT won the Request for Proposal (RFP) submitted to the Guatemalan government for this specific project. Both AGEXPORT and Bridge understand that teacher training can have a ripple effect in several different aspects of societies and hope that this partnership is only the start of more teachers enrolling in courses to better their level of English.

Results

Challenges and Results

Every new undertaking has its initial challenges. In the case of Guatemalan school teachers, many struggled with the online aspect of their Bridge course. They weren’t familiar with using a laptop or a phone for their lessons.

“Students have the technology, but we have old teachers who are stuck in their ways,” said Paola Barrios, English Specialist at AGEXPORT.

While Bridge does offer a Micro-credential course in Teaching English with Low Resources, the partnership is more focused on equipping school teachers with the right tools for their young learners and teenage students. This approach has proven successful, with a Bridge course satisfaction rate of 100% out of the current 177 reviews. 

“There are real examples and situations that we go through as teachers. The techniques are useful and we can apply them immediately,” said one of the graduates. 

Paola adds that results are largely measured by the enthusiastic emails they get from teachers upon course completion.

723 teachers in Guatemala have enrolled in a Bridge course
613 enrolled in the Specialized Certification in Teaching English in English
110 also took the Specialized Certification in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teenager
99% of the participants were very satisfied with their Bridge course.
quote paola barrios

“They show appreciation and are happy. There were two teachers who finished the course in under a month. They were eager to get that knowledge,”

- Paola Barrios, English Specialist at AGEXPORT

Impact

Planting a Seed in Guatemala

quote paola barrios

"If we really want to transform our country, we need education"

- Jacqueline Pérez, Program Manager at AGEXPORT

AGEXPORT hopes to continue this partnership with Bridge to provide more teachers with opportunities for professional development and increase the overall level of English in Guatemala.

“We hope this program has left a seed for the government to continue partnering with Bridge,” said Jacqueline.

While English is not prioritized right now, this partnership hopes to have a wide enough impact for that to change. The better the level of English, the better the employment prospects.

“If we really want to transform our country, we need education,” concluded Jacqueline.

arrow

See more models of success!

Explore all of our Partner Success Stories

Partner With Bridge!

Partner with Bridge

Expand your current course offerings, become a Bridge Authorized Training Center, or set up an affiliate site to grow your business and make a positive impact on teachers around the globe.

Learn more about becoming a partner here.

Bridge Partnership Models

icon
Explore All Partnership Options

Would you like to explore all Bridge Partnership Models?

Learn more about becoming an Authorized Training Center, Affiliate, University Partner and other options.

Learn More
icon
Teacher Recruitment

Are you looking to recruit qualified teaching staff for your school?

We can help! Bridge offers a number of teacher recruitment options.

Learn More
icon
Sponsorship & Advertising

Interested in reaching our database of 80,000+ teachers located in over 140 countries worldwide?

Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities with BridgeUniverse.

Learn More
icon
Train your Teachers

Do you want to upskill your current teaching team?

Learn how offering professional development can not only increase your teacher satisfaction, but drive better results in the classroom.

Learn More
advisor

Ready to take the first step?


Tell us more about your organization and become a partner.
Loading…