schol being constructed in Guatemala

New Team Dayā School Underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala

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school being constructed in Guatemala
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)

Please consider supporting  Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:

  • $50,000 Fund an entire school
  • $1,250 Paint for a school
  • $625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
  • $312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school

A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April, and construction has been underway for several weeks.

As of 2022, the literacy rate in Guatemala was 84.27%, indicating that approximately 15.73% of the population aged 15 and above remains illiterate. Poverty is also a pressing issue, with 59.3% of the population living below the national poverty line. In areas such as Sector Puerto San Bartolo, illiteracy rates are higher, and educational attainment is lower, especially among marginalized Mayan ethnic groups. Many residents are subsistence farmers who cultivate crops like beans, corn, chili peppers, and cardamom, and raise livestock.

Person signing document with a thumbprint.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This community member is signing the school covenant with her thumbprint because she is illiterate. The school will give a new opportunity to children to learn to read and write.)
schol being constructed in Guatemala
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)

The School

Sector Puerto San Bartolo’s primary school currently operates out of four provisional classrooms constructed by the community, where walls made of metal sheets and earth flooring (aka no floors!) create a difficult learning environment for students. During the hot summer months, the classrooms become nearly unbearable, while in the rainy season, water leaks through the structures, turning the floors into unsafe and uncomfortable spaces for learning.

Despite all this, 37 students are enrolled in school, 24 of them girls. Instruction is offered through eighth grade and is conducted by two teachers. The construction of a new school block will place Sector Puerto San Bartolo on a stronger educational path, offering students a safer, more stable, and supportive environment to learn and thrive.

Students in a classroom in Guatemala.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The existing classrooms (one shown here) are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)
School glass classrooms built from sheet metal with earth floors.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The four existing classrooms shown here are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)

Your Support & The Team

Please consider supporting  Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:

  • $50,000 Fund an entire school
  • $1,250 Paint for a school
  • $625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
  • $312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school

Three Ways You Can Help

  1. Make a Donation Online
    • Example investment opportunities:
      • $50,000 Fund an entire school
      • $1,250 Paint for a school
      • $625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
      • $312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
  2. Spread the Word
    • Share our mission with your friends, your company and your industry
    • Invite us to speak about our mission to your network
    • Follow us LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
  3. Join the Team & Travel on a School Build

Team Dayā 2026 School Project Dates:

We are now actively recruiting members for our 2026 groundbreakings. If you are curious to learn more about joining a build, please reach out to our Head of Recruiting Jaryd Knutsen. Not sure? Watch the documentary Building Change, the Team Dayā Story (8 minute run time), by Kathmandu based filmmaker Shyam Karki of Samson Film Productions.

Guatemala 2026 (no longer available)

  • Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Saturday, March 28, 2026 
  • Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
  • Arrive & depart: Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA-La Aurora Intl.)

Malawi 2026 (no longer available)

  • Sunday, June 28, 2026 – Saturday, July 4, 2026
  • Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
  • Arrive & depart: Lilongwe, Malawi (LLW-Kamuzu Intl.)

Senegal 2026 (available)

  • Sunday, November 29, 2026 – Saturday, December 5, 2026
  • Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
  • Arrive & depart: Dakar, Senegal (DSS-Blaise Diagne Intl.)

Thanks again for your continued support,

All of us at Team Dayā

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