Spotlight on Cooperative for Education

Precious Blood Peace and Justice Grant winner provides textbooks to Guatemalan classrooms 

In the mid-1990s, Jeff Berninger was looking for a way to make a difference for youth in the world, and Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., guided him to the mission in rural Guatemala, where Jeff volunteered to teach middle school. Jeff’s eyes were opened to the many barriers to education that his students faced, including systemic poverty and a high rate of adult illiteracy. Among the most glaring barriers was a lack of textbooks in classrooms.    

Jeff and his brother Joe founded Cooperative for Education in 1996 to provide books for Guatemalan schoolchildren. The organization has a self-sustaining model: families rent the textbooks provided for a small, affordable fee each month. When it’s time for the books to be replaced, the rental fee covers the purchase and the cycle restarts, ensuring textbooks are always up to date and always paid for.   

The program has expanded beyond textbooks to include computer labs, a reading program, and a youth development program. Regional teacher training is included, sparking a love for learning that spreads beyond the program. Lisa Groh, senior grants and strategy manager, says, “We regularly have teachers who bring in their peers in the school from subjects that don’t even have textbooks because they want to come in and experience the training and learn about making school fun for their students. During the pandemic, we had them over Zoom, and we maxed out a call with 800 participants.”  

Progress toward educational goals has been steady, due in part to Cooperative for Education’s efforts. Lisa says, “When we first started doing this work in the rural regions of Guatemala, the illiteracy rate was two out of three adults. And now that illiteracy rate is down to one out of three.”  

“The Missionaries of the Precious Blood have been instrumental in our mission since before the first CoEd textbooks were ever delivered,” Lisa says. “Over the years, more than 168,000 students throughout Guatemala have studied with CoEd textbooks, thanks to the longtime partnership between CoEd and C.PP.S. to expand the program’s reach each year. This project is a testament to C.PP.S.’s commitment to improving education and empowering disadvantaged communities.” 

Learn more about Cooperative for Education.