Cadaniño
Inaguration of the second STEM Learning Lab in San Jose Pinula
Greetings to all who helped with this initiative,
I am happy to report on the incredible progress we've made this year through the Cadaniño STEM initiative.
In mid-February, we completed the second Cadaniño STEM Lab at the San José Pinula Community Center. After setting up the lab, we hosted an inauguration ceremony where I had the opportunity to share about the new 3D printers and cutting-edge equipment that students will now be able to use.
Since then, the teachers I've been working with have taught 276 one-hour STEM classes to 260 students, all using the new tools and technology provided. Those students have completed a total of 983 hands-on STEM projects, equipping them with valuable technical skills—at absolutely no cost to them. These are life skills that will benefit them whether they go on to study engineering, pursue tech careers, or simply gain the confidence that comes with learning something new.
But that's just the beginning.
Shortly after the inauguration, I was contacted by Prensa Libre, the largest newspaper in Guatemala. They wanted to write about our initiative, and they did. The story was featured prominently on the second page of their Sunday edition, and it was also shared widely on their website and social media. That opened doors I never expected.
One of the most exciting developments came when someone from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), the country’s top engineering university and one of the best in Latin America, reached out to us. They had heard about the initiative and wanted to explore how they could collaborate with Cadaniño to strengthen STEM education in underserved communities.
I was invited to visit their campus, where I was given a tour of their engineering classrooms and facilities. It was incredible to see the innovation and creativity happening there and to imagine the future that students in our community could have access to through partnerships like this. After the tour, I participated in a meeting with the Directors of Strategic Alliances at UVG, where we discussed how Cadaniño and the university can work together to further STEM initiatives in Guatemala.
This partnership is already creating powerful new opportunities. UVG is now exploring ways to offer full scholarships to promising students from Cadaniño, youth who come from underprivileged, low-income backgrounds but have shown passion, discipline, and a deep desire to learn. These scholarships could open the door for some of our students to receive a world-class education and pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology that were previously out of reach.
UVG is also looking at ways to involve their own university students as mentors, sending them to volunteer at Cadaniño and provide guidance and encouragement to our students as they grow in their STEM journeys. This would not only enrich our program but create a meaningful bridge between university students and the communities we serve.
Even more exciting is that other organizations around Guatemala have reached out after seeing the success of our program. They’re looking for help to either launch or strengthen their own STEM learning programs, and over the next few months, I will be exploring ways to assist them. Whether it’s through training, equipment recommendations, curriculum sharing, or mentorship, I want to help expand the reach of quality STEM education to more children across the country.
While my dad, the president of Cadaniño, is now spearheading this growing strategic partnership, it has been deeply encouraging to see how it all came about because of the work I did to set up these STEM labs. From raising the money to building furniture, installing equipment, training teachers, and then receiving national media recognition, this entire movement started with the simple idea that I could use my skills to give other kids in need access to better opportunities through technology.
And none of this would have been possible without you.
None of these children would have had the chance to discover their talents or pursue their dreams if it weren't for your support. You've helped spark something bigger than we imagined—and this is only the beginning.
Thank you for believing in this vision. Thank you for being part of it. Thank you for your kindness.
Alexander Martiny
