How Do We Fund Casa Bernabé Christian School?
This week we want to share some information about how our school is run and funded, and we have a big need we would love to ask for your help with. Throughout this update, please enjoy photos of the recent art show the kids put on in the school. Before coming to Guatemala, Peyton Tolley, our Onsite Missions Coordinator, studied Art Education. Each year she spends a week in the school teaching each grade level a specific artistic concept, and the kids use those lessons to create works of art for the annual show.
At Casa Bernabé we believe in doing more than simply caring for kids until a safe family member is found for them to go live with. Whether a child is with us for a month or for years, we do the best we can to care for them holistically–physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We also want to help break the cycles of poverty and abuse that have brought most of our kids to us.
One of the main ways we do this is through education. Education in Guatemala is unfortunately something not everyone has access to. Many of our kids have come to Casa Bernabé as a result of a systemic lack of education that has turned into generational poverty, malnutrition, and other challenges. Our school serves over 300 children–all the children who live at Casa Bernabé, as well as many local families in our surrounding community who would otherwise not be able to afford a high quality Christian education for their kids. Often when one of our kids is reunited with their biological family, they return home as the most educated person in their family, able to help provide for their family and ensure a more secure future for them.
Casa Bernabé Christian School is unique among the private schools in our area because we provide a completely free education for the kids who live on campus and we subsidize the tuition for families from our local community to make a quality education affordable to everyone who needs one. Because of this, we aren’t bringing in tuition money like most private schools. We also don't receive any government funding for the school, and we must cover the bulk of our costs through donations and fundraising. We believe it's worth it to do it this way because we want to serve the children and families who need it most, not just those who can afford it.
Additionally, as the city has continued expanding outward, the area where Casa Bernabé is located has become very expensive to live in, which affects our staff who live nearby off campus. We are near all the foreign embassies, many large businesses, and much of the expat community in Guatemala, and the cost of living continues to rise. Because of our location and our mission as a non-profit school offering affordable education, we struggle to offer compensation that is competitive with other nearby private schools. Working at Casa Bernabé is truly a calling and often involves sacrifice, and it takes a special person to be able to commit to this work. Each of our teachers is such an answered prayer, but each year we struggle more and more to find the staff we need and keep the staff we have because of these challenges.
At Casa Bernabé, we believe in the power of education and the incredible impact a teacher can have on their students' futures. We are committed to fully funding Casa Bernabé Christian school so we can support the incredible, sacrificial work our staff and teachers do everyday. That's why we're excited to offer a unique opportunity for individuals and organizations to support educators directly through our Teacher Sponsorship Program.
Your dollars go far in Guatemala, so for $500 a month, you can sponsor a teacher, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to thrive in their classroom. This contribution not only covers the teacher's entire salary, but also makes a tangible difference in the lives of their students.
Your $500 monthly contribution is more than just a donation—it’s a commitment to education and a better future. When running at full capacity, our school has 22 full time teachers. Your sponsorship ensures that one teacher's position is fully funded, helping to keep classrooms staffed and students engaged in learning. Together, we can strengthen education and empower communities by investing in those who dedicate their lives to shaping the next generation.
As a teacher sponsor you will receive exclusive updates at least biannually which will include:
Updates on school activities, specific prayer requests, and school-wide needs
Personal stories from teachers and students about their experiences, challenges, and successes in shaping young lives at Casa Bernabé
This is a big need, but we believe God will meet it through many people working together. If you, a group of your friends, or your business or organization are interested in partnering with us through a Teacher Sponsorship, you can give through the link HERE or through the Donate button below. We will track the sponsorships as they come in HERE so we can celebrate together as we get closer to our goal.
If $500 a month is more than you're able to contribute but you want to help support Casa Bernabé Christian School, we also have Education Sponsorships for $60/month that you can set up through the link HERE.
Thank you so much for continuing to support this ministry through prayer and financially! We really could not do this work without each of you as part of our Casa Bernabé family.