air plant supply co pencils of promise education guatemala

Air Plant Supply Co. x Pencils of Promise School Impact Timeline

“La educación no cambia el mundo, cambia a las personas que van a cambiar el mundo”

"Education does not change the world, it changes the people who are going to change the world."

– Paulo Freire 

July 2022: PoP Third School Inauguration Ceremony - Linea B-6 Satelite

Our third and biggest school build to date is complete - check out our photo story of the festivities! 

children enjoying inauguration festivities


March 2022: PoP Third School Construction Update - Línea B-6 Satelite

Construction is well on its way at the Línea B-6 community – check out our photo story of the update!

air plant supply co pencils of promise education guatemala


March 2022: More Photos from Cantón San José

PoP team members visited the Canton San Jose school during the same afternoon they were monitoring the construction process in the Línea B-6 community. Enjoy the photo story of the visit!
air plant supply co pencils of promise education guatemala

November 2021: PoP Third School Breaking Ground - Línea B-6 Satelite

Air Plant Supply Co. has committed to build seven classrooms, a hand washing station, four new bathrooms, a well and septic tank to expand the school at the Línea B-6 community. See the breaking ground ceremony a this blog post.


November 2021: PoP Third School Location Announced - Línea B-6 Satelite

Air Plant Supply Co. will be funding the largest project we've ever undertaken with PoP thus far in the rural community of Línea B-6 near La Maquina, Guatemala. The school will have seven classrooms, six restrooms and a hand washing station! Learn why we chose this community!

air plant supply co pencils of promise education guatemala

September 2021: Scouting Locations for Our Third School 

We have continuously raised money this year and we are now working with PoP, again in the Boca Costa region, to find a community to construct the third Air Plant Supply Co.'s school.


July 2021: PoP Second School Inauguration - Cantón San José

The additional classrooms in the Cantón San José community are now complete. See the inauguration photos on this blog post.

inauguration pencils of promise air plant supply co tillandsia

May 2021: PoP Second School Almost Complete - Cantón San José

We are well on the way to complete the two-unit classroom block in the coming weeks! Read more about the progress and photos on our recent blog post.

construction pencils of promise guatemala air plant supply co

Update March 2021: PoP Second School Breaking Ground

We are finally breaking ground on our second school. We are excited that there is movement in the school building process after a year of delays, restrictions and shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 


Update July 2020: Location Announced for Our Second School

Air Plant Supply Co. is pleased to announce the location of our second school project in Guatemala. We will be providing two additional classrooms to the community of Cantón San José in Suchitepéquez Department. Find pre-build photos and more information about Cantón San José on our full blog post.

air plant supply co pencils of promise education guatemala

Update March 2020: Scouting Locations for Our Second School

After reaching the threshold to build our second school in mid 2019, Pencils of Promise (PoP) has been visiting rural communities in Guatemala to assess local need for improving education. The PoP team has narrowed it down to the Department of Suchitepéquez in the Boca Costa region of the country, which is a relatively short drive to Quetzaltenango, Pencils of Promise's Guatemalan headquarters. It is there hope that their close proximity of their main operations will facilitate efficiencies in school planning and administration in the region. We hope that we can announce our official ground-breaking soon! We hope you are as excited as we are. Thank you for helping us change lives!


Update August 2018: Visiting Our School

Three months after the official inauguration of the school, we sent Christian as Air Plant Supply Co.'s representative to make the long journey to the Quiché department with the Pencils of Promise team. Christian was met with a joyful ceremony commemorating the construction of the building including dancing, sack races and beautiful marimba music. We made goody bags for every student. More than 300 pupils received a bag with a notebook, pencils, pencil sharpener, crayons and candies. In addition we donated a couple of soccer balls. Everyone loved it! Find more photos on our Gallery Page


Update June 2018

The four-classroom school has officially been completed! These additional classrooms will help with overcrowding in the community and serve pre-primary, first, second and fifth grade students. The children are so happy to have new, clean environment conducive to learning. Thank you to all of our customers who have helped make this happen. 

The four-classroom school

The Quiché region of Guatemala is primarily made up of indigenous Maya communities. Below, children celebrate the dedication of the new school with a traditional ceremony. 

children celebrate the dedication of the new school with a traditional ceremony

During the dedication, a boy leads in singing the national anthem of Guatemala.

A boy leads in singing the national anthem of Guatemala

Students happily washing their hands at the new lavamanos (hand washing area). Air Plant Supply proudly supports the Pencils of Promise WASH program which educates youngsters about health and sanitation.

Students happily washing their hands at the new lavamanos


Update April 2018

Construction continues on the school in Aldea Rosario Monte Maria, Quiche, Guatemala. 

Air Plant Shop School in Quiche, Guatemala

Air Plant Shop School in Quiche, Guatemala

Air Plant Shop School in Quiche, Guatemala


Update January 2018

We have been officially paired with the rural community of Aldea Rosario Monte Maria in the Quiché region in Northwestern Guatemala for ourfirst school build. Currently, the community has a school with six formal classrooms and four provisional classrooms made out of wood and dirt floors. Because of the large number of students, these classrooms are experiencing overcrowding, as well additional structural safety hazards. These conditions pose a hazard to student safety and well being as well as engagement and learning.

The additional classrooms will help with overcrowding and will serve pre-primary, first, second and fifth grade students. Teachers, parents and community members are dedicated and committed to the project, and will contribute up to 20 percent of resources and labor necessary to complete the build. The project should be completed by the fall of 2018. Additional donations are going towards our second school build.

Today, many students in Aldea Rosario Monte Maria attend classes in poorly-constructed provisional buildings, however, their eagerness to learn is unwavering.


Update August 2017

We've met our goal! Air Plant Supply Co. is going to build a school in Guatemala completely funded by your air plant orders. During the next several months, Pencils of Promise will pair us with a rural community in Guatemala. Once the they choose the site, the school will be completed in 3-5 months. We won't stop here. We are on-track to have enough money funded for a second school build within 10 months. In addition, we are donating an additional $1,000 dollars a month to Pencil of Promise's Passport and WASH programs, which train teachers and teach young people about sanitation and nutrition. Thank you for letting us reach our goal one month earlier than anticipated.

- Scott, Christian, Jody, Patricia, Amanda & Daniel


Your Order Will Help Us Build a School in Guatemala

Throughout the developing world, disadvantaged children struggle to become educated due to lack of schools, limited community support organizations, and lack of governmental funding. To make a difference, Air Plant Supply Co. will donate a portion of every order to support Pencils of Promise, an international non-profit organization that funds schools, programs, and global communities around the common goal that everyone should have the opportunity to receive a quality education.

They say if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime. That is exactly what Pencils of Promise does in the communities they serve. Pencils of Promise build schools, pays teachers, provides private scholarships for secondary education, and support community programs covering topics like water purification, nutrition, and sanitation.

Pencils of Promise has a track record of supporting communities that require the most help and maintaining a long-lasting relationship. Yearly studies show that students of Pencils of Promise schools are more literate and educationally-focused than other children in the countries. They have a proven track record of building educational foundations in the communities that last and we are proud to support their efforts.

Help Us Reach Our Goal To Build A New School By Fall Of 2017

Your purchase will help AirPlantSupplyCo.com, in partnership with Pencils of Promise, build a school in a needy community in rural Guatemala. Stay tuned for continued updates on our fundraising progress. Help us reach our goal of funding an entire school building project by August of 2017.

Why Pencils Of Promise?

  • 100% of your donation will go directly to building a school
  • Funding for administration is raised separately
  • Proven track record of building schools and maintaining staff indefinitely after completion of the building
  • Every school built by Pencils of Promise is operational today
  • Create long-lasting relationships within the communities they serve
  • They work fast. Pencils of Promise breaks ground on a new school every 5 days

$1 from every order will be donated

Air Plant Supply Co. Air Plant Supply Co. on Etsy

Check Back for Updates on Our Progress

Follow us on Instagram – @airplantsupplyco – and Facebook – @airplantsupplyco – for updates and more information!


6 comments


  • Rosie Fong

    It is amazing what you are doing a store with a worthwhile project. From now on I will make this store my only store to purchase all my needs. Passing your site to friends and relatives. Thanks..


  • Lynn Chafai

    That was so wonderful about you building the school, amazing !! I had asked you in the previous post to you if you carried bark and bark products ? I’m so sorry, I didn’t look long enough on your website !!! My air plants that I got from you wer simply amazing and I look forward to ordering more merchandise from this wonderful company !!! Thank you so much for having prices that I can afford and everybody else can wonderful human coming up tonight his name is Jackie


  • Libby Weatherly

    As the manager and buyer for The Vineyard gift store in my church, The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Montgomery, AL, I was thrilled to know our purchases are helping build schools!


  • Vicki Jo Walsh

    Love my new plants. They are healthy and beautiful. They make a stunning display. They are plants that i have wanted for a long time. These are gorgeous and a great price. I also definitely approve of your organizations help with providing s school program for students with a need and desire to learn. Bravo


  • Michelle Watson

    I love my air plants, and I love your mission statement! Hoorah for you guys, how very special! Great job! I am impressed


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