{"id":62740,"date":"2026-09-08T10:19:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/blog\/?p=62740"},"modified":"2026-09-08T10:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:33:06","slug":"progress-highlight-supporting-the-learning-journey-with-funcafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/2026\/09\/08\/progress-highlight-supporting-the-learning-journey-with-funcafe\/","title":{"rendered":"Progress Highlight: Supporting the Learning Journey with Funcaf\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s never been a better time to be learning about coffee! In the last few years, we\u2019ve seen an explosion of tools and resources to support those just getting involved, events for seasoned professionals looking to hone their craft, and media explorations that have taken us to new places and cultures that all take part in creating this community. Sharing the things that we\u2019ve learned over the years and staying perpetual students ourselves is core to the way we work. So much so that we codified it in our mission: <\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

“To spread our passion for great coffee through education and example from the farm to the roaster, retailer, and ultimately to the cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

For us that looks like creating resources and tools like our ED+U Academy<\/a>, the Coffee Rose<\/a>, and the trees or maps<\/a> you might have on your wall. But last year we started looking for other ways we could support education efforts at the places we buy coffee with an eye towards the future.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Practica-de-campo-2.jpeg” title_text=”Pra\u0301ctica de campo 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” width=”95%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||24px||false|false” custom_padding=”||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”margin:auto;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Huerto-3.jpeg” title_text=”Huerto 3″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” width=”95%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”margin:auto;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Who is Funcaf\u00e9?<\/h2>\n

For many communities in Guatemala, life revolves around harvests. Each season brings both opportunities and challenging decisions for balancing farm demands with family life.<\/p>\n

Young students have seen real progress in getting into school in recent years, but that momentum fades right around the age when they can lend an extra hand during the harvest or when they are able to travel when parents move for work. This trend continues with formal education rates dropping drastically as students get older. The 2023 Guatemala National Survey of Living Conditions<\/a> (Encuesta Nacional de Condiciones de Vida \u2013 ENCOVI2023) shows that among Guatemalans aged 15+: 20.1% have received no schooling, 39.7% completed only primary, 34.5% reached secondary, and a mere 5.7% continued to higher education.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”10px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Montserrat||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

For over thirty years, Funcaf\u00e9 has been working to make sure that children and young adults in those communities are supported and don\u2019t have to choose between education and helping to bring in the crop. Founded in 1994 by Guatemalan coffee growers as the official social arm of the country\u2019s coffee sector, operating under ANACAF\u00c9 (Guatemala\u2019s National Coffee Association), Funcaf\u00e9 (Fundaci\u00f3n de la Caficultura para el Desarrollo Rural) has grown to become a leader in providing education, community health, and nutritional security assistance to farmers and their families.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

A holistic approach to a student\u2019s journey<\/h2>\n

Funcaf\u00e9 has programs that work with students from kindergarten age through high school, as well as adults looking to complete their education. As a whole, the programs aim to provide a supported, long-term path throughout a student\u2019s journey, reducing the prevalence of child and underage labor due to the demands of the harvest.<\/p>\n

The Coffee Kindergarten and Coffee Camps provide safe, structured spaces for children to learn while their parents pick coffee, easing the pressure for children to participate in the harvest themselves. During the 2024\/25 harvest, these two programs reached more than 2,600 children across 99 centers spread across Guatemala\u2019s 12 departments, providing schooling on core subjects as well as more than 100,000 student meals.<\/p>\n

For older students wanting to focus on entering the coffee industry, the Bachillerato en Ciencias y Letras con Diplomado en Caficultura (a Baccalaureate in Sciences and Humanities with a Diploma in Coffee Farming) is a specialized high school diploma combining general academics with ANACAF\u00c9-designed agronomic training. Coursework that teaches entrepreneurship, financial-management, and technology in coffee production gives students a headstart into a career in coffee and a valuable skillset to apply to the family farm and their communities.<\/p>\n

Alongside these core programs, Funcaf\u00e9 also runs the Escuela Rural Activa (Active Rural School, ERA), a self-paced, multigrade model for rural primary schools to assist students who otherwise couldn\u2019t attend traditional schooling. For youth or adults who haven\u2019t completed formal education or are behind their peers, the Centros de Educaci\u00f3n Extraescolar (Out of School Education Centers) provide accelerated-learning programs to help them get caught up and over the finish line.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Certificado-de-beca-1-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Certificado de beca 1″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”–et_global_body_font||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Senior Green Buyer Luis Arocha (right) at the 2025 Funcaf\u00e9 scholarship presentation ceremony with recipients.<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Learning is a transformative journey that lasts beyond the classroom, shaping the way we think about the world and tackle the challenges to come. In Guatemala, rural communities that rely on agriculture often don\u2019t have consistent access to the resources needed to enable this journey, creating a gap that often leads to dwindling school attendance as students get older.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation of coffee professionals and be part of closing that gap through sponsoring the tuition for four students to complete the Bachillerato en Ciencias y Letras con Diplomado en Caficultura, in partnership with Funcaf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.funcafe.org\/ES\/memoria” button_text=”Learn more about Funcaf\u00e9” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”22b934fa-445c-451d-80b8-9cee0200425b” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/12\/progress-projects-2025\/” button_text=”Check out our 2025 Progress Projects” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”22b934fa-445c-451d-80b8-9cee0200425b” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Guatemala, each harvest season brings both opportunities and challenging decisions for balancing farm demands with family life. Funcaf\u00e9 has been working to make sure that children and young adults in those communities are supported and don\u2019t have to choose between education and helping to bring in the crop. Learn more about their work supporting the next generation of coffee producers here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":62747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,443],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-progress","category-sustainability"],"site_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62740"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62846,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740\/revisions\/62846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}