Linda, a young woman from Aguacatán, Huehuetenango, represents this demographic. She dreamed of becoming a nurse, but getting married at the age of 16 and having children cut this short. Now 21, with two children under five, she is looking for a path to achieve her goal and create opportunities for her own children.

The program is designed for students like Linda. It provides flexible schedules for those who have responsibilities outside of school, so they can complete their primary studies, secondary studies, and develop practical job skills on their own schedules. For Linda, this means attending the Human and Technological Development Center in her town for 10 hours a week. The center gives Linda access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) like computers, online classes, as well as one on one tutoring.

Linda is just one of the 1,900 young people participating in USAID’s Puentes Project. They are earning their high school degrees as the foundation to achieve their professional goals. The program provides classes on positive youth development, citizen participation, healthy life choices, as well as personal finance management. There is also an emphasis on learning how to use ICT in the workplace. These students are motivated by the dedicated staff and take advantage of the ICT resources available to them at the center, resources that are hard to come by in rural Guatemala.