Celebrate success with us this holiday season!

The Limitless Horizons Ixil community is celebrating another successful and eventful year! A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed this year to our efforts to address limited opportunities in Chajul and create real change for ambitious youth.

• We hosted our first Limitless Horizons Ixil alumni reunion in January.
• Our alumni formed a group called Triunfadores Sin Límites (Limitless Achievers) and is creating their own executive board to plan events, help find scholarship and job opportunities, and maintain a group network.
• Our piloted Internship and Training Initiative offered professional training, wages, and mentoring to 4 of our graduates. It was a successful pilot and will be continued in 2016!
• One intern got a full-time job with a local women’s cooperative, thanks in part to her success in our program!
• 70% of high school graduates from last year are working, studying, or both.

• We had 10 high school graduates this year.
• 2 graduates earned university scholarships for 2016 and we’re supporting many others as they apply!

• All 8 female scholars in their final year of middle school graduated!
• Our scholars scored higher grade point averages than their peers who are not part of our program.
• Youth benefitted from 14 workshops, 80 hours of computer classes, 60 hours of tutoring, and 80 hours of intensive Spanish language classes. Intensive Spanish participants demonstrated increased language skills based on results from pre- and post-course exams.
• We began distributing feminine hygiene products, ensuring that girls have what’s needed to be confident and comfortable attending their classes.
• We selected 15 indigenous youth to enter our program in 2016 — 11 girls and 4 boys!

• We issued 467 new library cards over the year.
• We launched a new lending program which allows Youth Development Program scholars to borrow books. We hope to expand this program to all library members over time.
• Our librarians initiated stimulating new library activities including gardening, music classes, and LEGO building!
• With the generosity of Librarians Without Borders, we now have a scanner system and coding process for library cards. This gives our librarians more time to devote to educational support and popular literacy programming!

• 33 mothers are weaving this year, earning fair wages and creating beautiful, high-quality products.
• 5 Limitless Horizons Ixil graduates are creating necklaces and earrings, learning design skills and earning wages to support their families.
• We began a new partnership with export association AGEXPORT, which has connected us with buyers and hosted workshops for our staff.