What is the Culture Chalk Old School program?

Three Towns. One Extraordinary Classroom.

We've turned three Guatemalan towns into a classroom, and our local neighbours have become the teachers.

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Over the past few years, Christina and I have worked alongside our friends, neighbours, and local families in San Juan La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna to build Culture Chalk Old School, a community-based homeschooling experience on the shores of Lake Atitlán.

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Our children learn mathematics through carpentry, Spanish through reading, writing, and conversations with their neighbours, and Mayan history from families who have carried their stories through generations. They learn to make shoes from local shoemakers, weave alongside artisans, prepare traditional foods, play soccer, hike mountains, and explore the villages surrounding the lake.

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But what we've created together goes beyond the activities. It's the friendships between children, the shared meals, the birthday celebrations, the boat rides, and the relationships that develop when families become part of a community rather than simply visitors passing through.

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So far, 38 families have joined us for Culture Chalk Old School. Each has brought something different to the experience, and each has become part of a story that keeps growing.

These photographs, taken by participants, are a look inside our Old School community. They're the workshops, adventures, friendships, and ordinary moments that make this experience what it is.

Welcome to our little corner of Guatemala.

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