MINEDUC, UNICEF and the Municipality of Cobán Inaugurate the First of Four Early Childhood Reference Centers in Guatemala.
The new center, located in Alta Verapaz, is the first of four facilities that will help strengthen educator training and improve the quality of care and education during the early years of life.
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COBÁN, Alta Verapaz, 23 October 2026 – The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Municipality of Cobán today inaugurated the Departmental Early Childhood Reference Center in Alta Verapaz, an innovative facility that will help strengthen the capacities of teachers, educators and other professionals responsible for supporting children’s holistic development during their early years.
The inauguration marks a milestone for early childhood education in Guatemala, as it is the first of four Reference Centers to be established in the country. The other three will be located in the departments of Chiquimula, Quiché and San Marcos, with the aim of expanding access to specialized training and promoting higher-quality early education services, particularly in areas where significant gaps in access persist.
The first six years of life are a critical period for brain development, learning, health and well-being. During this time, the foundations are laid for the cognitive, emotional, social and physical skills that will accompany children throughout their lives.
However, in Guatemala, only 9 per cent of children under the age of six have access to early childhood education, highlighting the urgent need to expand coverage and strengthen the quality of services for young children.
This gap limits opportunities for thousands of children to access early learning, play and stimulation experiences that support their holistic development. Inequalities are particularly concerning in rural, Indigenous and low-income communities, where geographical, economic and social barriers make accessing these services more difficult.
In response to this challenge, the Early Childhood Reference Centers represent a strategic investment in strengthening the education system and improving the quality of services from the earliest years of life, helping to reduce inequalities and create better opportunities for children across Guatemala.
The Alta Verapaz Reference Center will offer modern, innovative and culturally relevant spaces designed to strengthen the skills and competencies of teachers, educators, education managers and other stakeholders involved in early childhood care and education.
Through hands-on methodologies, observation opportunities, knowledge exchange and collaborative learning, participants will strengthen their capacities to implement child-centred teaching strategies that promote learning through play, exploration, interaction and the development of skills from an early age.
The Center will also support ongoing professional development, specialized training and competency certification, recognizing the essential role of professionals working with young children.
Each of the four centers is expected to benefit more than 500 educators through training and certification programmes, with an estimated reach of more than 10,000 children per center. Overall, the initiative has the potential to strengthen the capacities of more than 2,000 educators and help improve development and learning opportunities for more than 40,000 children across the four departments.
Anabella Giracca, Minister of Education, highlighted the importance of this initiative in advancing towards a more inclusive and equitable education system:
“Education begins long before a child enters primary school. Investing in early childhood means providing opportunities from the very beginning of life and building the foundations of a more equitable society. With the inauguration of this first Reference Center, we are taking an important step towards strengthening the capacities of our educators and bringing quality early childhood education closer to those who need it most. Our commitment is to ensure that where a child is born does not determine their opportunities to learn and develop to their full potential.”
Vincenzo Placco, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Guatemala, underscored the importance of prioritizing early childhood as a fundamental investment in the country’s development:
“This Center represents much more than infrastructure: it is an investment in the people who support, educate and care for children, and in the opportunities we want to create for every girl and every boy. Investing in early childhood means investing in Guatemala’s present and future.”
The construction and equipping of the Alta Verapaz Reference Center were made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Education, UNICEF and the Municipality of Cobán, under the Education Innovation and Transformation Priority Programme, managed by UNICEF with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
The investment allocated to the Centers amounts to US$661,000 and covers pre-investment studies, engineering services, technical supervision, construction and specialized equipment.
The Municipality of Cobán played an important role by providing the land and supporting the necessary arrangements to bring this project to fruition. The initiative will help strengthen local and departmental capacities in support of early childhood development.
Beyond promoting improved educational practices, the Center will foster a holistic approach to child development, recognizing the importance of health, nutrition, protection, nurturing care and early learning opportunities as essential components of children’s ability to grow and reach their full potential.
The inauguration of this first Reference Center marks the beginning of an initiative aimed at establishing a specialized training model that can be further strengthened and replicated to progressively improve the quality of early childhood education in Guatemala.
Ensuring that every girl and every boy has opportunities to learn, play and develop from the earliest years of life is a shared responsibility and an essential investment in building a more equitable, inclusive and prosperous country.
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