Since 2009 when campus construction began, LWH has repurposed over 550 tons of trash into a resilient and environmentally positive 18-building school campus that inspires environmental care.
Since 2012:
- 858 certifications of completion of studies have been issued to local low-income Comalapa youth.
- 270 primary, elementary and high school local low-income students from Comalapa have enrolled at CETC and received an accredited, empowering, and democratically oriented education.
- Over 30 local low-income teachers have been trained under progressive and education for sustainable development teaching methodologies and strategies including Deweyan Democratic Education pedagogy and project-based learning, furthering their expertise, knowledge, and professional abilities.
In 2017, when the new curriculum was implemented in grades 7-11, students constructed:
- 39 smoke-efficient stoves
- 25 water tanks
- 4 compost latrines
- 2 tire retaining walls.
These projects address key local health challenges, repurpose waste, and generate student-led community development.
In addition, meaningful, full-time employment is generated for local teachers and builders. In total, 390 community members have directly benefited from the CETC student projects.
In 2019 77 K-6 students, 51 grade 7-11 students, 27 Teachers/Directors, and 9 full-time builders were direct beneficiaries of CETC employment and education.
An additional 400 family members of students and community members have been impacted through CETC’s curriculum. CETC issued 12 completion of studies to its first cohort of grade 11 graduates, allowing them to apply their Hero School skill set in whichever next path they choose. Currently, 3 graduates went directly into university, 6 graduates took 2020 to earn money in order to enter university in 2021, 1 graduate applied to the Civil National Police and is awaiting a response that was delayed due to the pandemic, and 2 students will be working in their family pupuseria business in Comalapa.
Almost 2,500 volunteers from around the world have been educated by CETC’s democratic education curriculum and green construction principles, through their involvement in school construction and support of student project construction.