Lauren and kevin sanchez

SANCHEZ PROJECT | GUATEMALA

Lauren and Kevin are serving in Parramos, Guatemala. They run an English and soccer school called Academy of Future Leaders. The school’s mission is to offer English, a much sought-after skill, to an impoverished rural community. Tourism in Guatemala is prevalent, making English a requirement for most stable work. Parramos is a town of 30,000 people where the largest form of employment within the city limits is agriculture. There is no access to higher education in the area, and unemployment is higher than the national average.

Lauren and Kevin started the Academy of Future Leaders back in 2020, and developed their courses from scratch, making it so much more than an average curriculum. Not only do the students learn and practice their English, but they also discuss important topics: how to do an interview, chosen religious beliefs and why, how to break bad habits and create good ones, the benefits and drawbacks of different types of cultures, healthy relationships, how to improve our communities, etc.

Lauren and Kevin are also involved with many youth. They have fostered four sisters, since their mother’s death in 2017. All four girls are enrolled in school and extracurricular activities. They also mentor, advise, and train others in their formative years by helping them apply for jobs, talking through trauma, giving advice, and getting them around other like-minded people their age. One of Lauren and Kevin’s proudest accomplishments is creating a strong community full of friendships which pushes these teens and young adults to healthy, fulfilling lives. For many of the youth Lauren and Kevin work with, single or no-parent homes are common and abuse and neglect are prevalent. Lauren and Kevin’s long term vision is to train local people to be leaders in the community and to see Parramos thrive in every sense of the word.

They are currently creating their own non-profit in Guatemala and plan to expand and add new programs in the near future.