Windows
Windows
All month long, Windows has been celebrating , a partner in that believes education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. Together, we’re spreading the word of PoP’s work far and wide, and supporting the creation of 10 new schools in parts of the world where access to quality education is scarce.
Students from Sieta Vueltas
I am proud to be part of this project, working for a company whose mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. In pursuit of this mission Microsoft contributes over $1 billion a year in cash, software and services to more than 100,000 nonprofits around the world each year.
But numbers alone don’t tell the story of impact.
Fortunately, working on the Microsoft Philanthropies team, I also get to hear examples daily – of nonprofits transformed by the cloud, of young people learning new skills and accessing new opportunities, and of organizations raising more funds with support from our employees.
Hearing these stories can tell you only so much.
PoP school dedicated by Windows in Nahualate
There is nothing more powerful than being in the field with an organization to truly understand the impact they are making on the ground. That is why I was thrilled to join Pencils of Promise in Guatemala, where they are working in 155 partner communities to bring quality education to Guatemalan children, who typically only attend school for four short years.
As a partner, we invested $500,000 in PoP’s work to increase educational opportunities in the developing world. This included support for the construction of 10 new PoP schools.
While in Guatemala, we traveled to five rural communities to unveil and dedicate some of these schools. We met with students, teachers, principals, and community members. There was music and dancing, flowers and fresh coconuts. And, in more than one community, fireworks. Mostly, there were smiles – hundreds of warm, appreciative smiles.
The rock-star greetings we received were moving on several levels.
Students in Siete Vueltas join Pencils of Promise volunteers for a game of soccer.
First, these communities knew and LOVED Pencils of Promise. This was evident in every interaction I experienced. They valued not only the promise of an education for their children, but the people who work alongside them as community partners to make it possible.
Second, there was so much hope for the future. While only 3 out of 10 Guatemalan children currently finish 6th grade, that is changing. The kids I met had big hopes and dreams and plans for their future, enabled and inspired by their access to quality education. With programs like Pencils of Promise, they are on the path to make those dreams a reality.
Jorge Bolom, PoP Guatemala Country Director, and Elisa Willman, Microsoft Philanthropies, dedicate a school in Nahualate.
Finally, there is potential to achieve even more. As part of our support, the local team is using Surface Pros with Windows 10 to monitor and evaluate their programming. Technology helps them track literacy and learning results for each child to ensure PoP can optimize their approach and make a real difference for even more kids.
I returned from Guatemala with real world proof of impact; proof that goes beyond what anyone can imagine by just looking at numbers or hearing stories. The organization that started in 2008 with a gift of one pencil from founder Adam Braun to a young boy in India has grown to over 344 schools around the word, changing the lives of nearly 34,000 students. Including the lives of many of my new friends below.
Students in Nahualate prepare for a dedication performance for PoP supporters.
As we continue to work at Microsoft Philanthropies to empower a more inclusive world, I reflect often on my trip to Guatemala and the real people behind this work. Thanks to a handmade weaving and handwritten note from a grandmother I met in Barrios I on my desk, I’m reminded each and every day that our mission is being achieved one person, and sometimes one pencil, at a time.
Students from Sieta Vueltas
I am proud to be part of this project, working for a company whose mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. In pursuit of this mission Microsoft contributes over $1 billion a year in cash, software and services to more than 100,000 nonprofits around the world each year.
But numbers alone don’t tell the story of impact.
Fortunately, working on the Microsoft Philanthropies team, I also get to hear examples daily – of nonprofits transformed by the cloud, of young people learning new skills and accessing new opportunities, and of organizations raising more funds with support from our employees.
Hearing these stories can tell you only so much.
PoP school dedicated by Windows in Nahualate
There is nothing more powerful than being in the field with an organization to truly understand the impact they are making on the ground. That is why I was thrilled to join Pencils of Promise in Guatemala, where they are working in 155 partner communities to bring quality education to Guatemalan children, who typically only attend school for four short years.
As a partner, we invested $500,000 in PoP’s work to increase educational opportunities in the developing world. This included support for the construction of 10 new PoP schools.
While in Guatemala, we traveled to five rural communities to unveil and dedicate some of these schools. We met with students, teachers, principals, and community members. There was music and dancing, flowers and fresh coconuts. And, in more than one community, fireworks. Mostly, there were smiles – hundreds of warm, appreciative smiles.
The rock-star greetings we received were moving on several levels.
Students in Siete Vueltas join Pencils of Promise volunteers for a game of soccer.
First, these communities knew and LOVED Pencils of Promise. This was evident in every interaction I experienced. They valued not only the promise of an education for their children, but the people who work alongside them as community partners to make it possible.
Second, there was so much hope for the future. While only 3 out of 10 Guatemalan children currently finish 6th grade, that is changing. The kids I met had big hopes and dreams and plans for their future, enabled and inspired by their access to quality education. With programs like Pencils of Promise, they are on the path to make those dreams a reality.
Jorge Bolom, PoP Guatemala Country Director, and Elisa Willman, Microsoft Philanthropies, dedicate a school in Nahualate.
Finally, there is potential to achieve even more. As part of our support, the local team is using Surface Pros with Windows 10 to monitor and evaluate their programming. Technology helps them track literacy and learning results for each child to ensure PoP can optimize their approach and make a real difference for even more kids.
I returned from Guatemala with real world proof of impact; proof that goes beyond what anyone can imagine by just looking at numbers or hearing stories. The organization that started in 2008 with a gift of one pencil from founder Adam Braun to a young boy in India has grown to over 344 schools around the word, changing the lives of nearly 34,000 students. Including the lives of many of my new friends below.
Students in Nahualate prepare for a dedication performance for PoP supporters.
As we continue to work at Microsoft Philanthropies to empower a more inclusive world, I reflect often on my trip to Guatemala and the real people behind this work. Thanks to a handmade weaving and handwritten note from a grandmother I met in Barrios I on my desk, I’m reminded each and every day that our mission is being achieved one person, and sometimes one pencil, at a time.