Blog
A Global Classroom
at NorthPointe Christian
Guatemala is no longer just a distant place on a map for our students. It now has a face.
Actually, it has six of them.
This fall NPC welcomed six Guatemalan middle and high schoolers into our student body. The students lived with NPC families, went to classes, and did extracurriculars for the last two months.
The program, a partnership with an organization called Faces and Our Culture, encourages Guatemalan and American students to be ambassadors of their country by experiencing another. Our six Guatemalan students, ranging in age from 6th through 11th grade, spent time in classes, and also taught a few classes of their own.
As native Spanish speakers, the Guatemalan students led a 7th grade Spanish class, teaching common words in clear and practical ways. They also taught about Guatemalan food and culture to 9th graders..
Host families also enjoyed a chance to learn about Guatemalan life as each student prepared a special Guatemalan meal at home and had a chance to share about their own culture. Then, of course, our visiting students got to learn about Michigan, see snow, and enjoy many things about American life and culture for the first time.
One host mom included some highlights of their family’s time with their host daughter, “We loved watching her enjoy snow! It was also fun going to a Guatemalan bakery, showing her Lake Michigan, MSU basketball, and watching the Guatemalan soccer team.”
Students and staff bid our Guatemalan friends good-bye last week. However, we look forward to another two month adventure of learning and growth in the fall of 2026.
Interested in hosting in the future? Contact our International Program Director, Susanne DeJong.
