Kayley Laureano is a Guadalupe School alumna who attended early learning classes, then continued on to charter school. In the video above, she recounts how much Guadalupe School influenced her life for the better. As many of our alumni would relate, she expresses how she began to develop a love for reading and writing through her experiences with Guadalupe teachers and programs. She was exposed to community partnerships that allowed her to aspire to goals she may not have imagined before, like when she watched University of Utah gymnasts perform. Most importantly, her developing affinity for education was also intuitively linked to a desire to go to college, thanks to how her mentors at Guadalupe talked about it as the logical and achievable next step for a successful and fulfilling life. Kayley now attends the University of Utah as an English major. Watch the video above to get inspired by Kayley's amazing story! 

Have you ever wondered what's the best way to give back to your community? Turns out, there's not just one way, which is a good thing, because we all have different resources and talents. At Guadalupe School, we've made it easy for you to support our important mission of "transforming lives through education" in whatever ways most resonate with you. If you are wondering how to continue your support, or start supporting for the first time, here are some tips of the best ways to contribute to Guadalupe School:

1. Make a monetary donation, so that we can direct funds to the programs where they are needed most. Guadalupe School consists of five educational programs: Adult Education, Charter School, Preschool, Toddler Beginnings, and In-Home. In addition to some government funding and grants, our organization is made possible through private donations. 

2. Fundraise for Guadalupe, by reaching out to your own circle. Visit this link and click "fundraise for this charity" in order to start your very own fundraising campaign at any time. Such fundraises are especially effective if you hold an event to accompany them, which is why we encourage you to pledge your birthday to Guadalupe School. On your birthday, throw a party and ask for donations instead of gifts, and you can celebrate another year of life while giving back! 

3. Volunteer at Guadalupe School as a children's reading tutor or as an Adult Education English tutor. Our volunteers can attest that the Guadalupe volunteer activities are extremely fulfilling, and offer the chance to teach and be taught. Our programs would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers that fill in year round to help kids and adults learn to understand, read, and write in English. 

4. Attend Guadalupe School fundraising events, where you will have a ton of fun while supporting a great cause! Check out our latest one, the UNITE Benefit Concert, and buy tickets for yourself and your family. 

5. You can provide in-kind donations privately, or through your employment. Guadalupe School has benefited from the in-kind donations of old librarians and school teachers, graphic designers, and restaurants, just to give a few examples, If you would like to know if your services or products could be used to benefit Guadalupe School, give us a call at 801-531-6130. 

We cannot express enough gratitude to those who have supported Guadalupe School throughout the years. Your contributions of money, time, and talent are the backbone of our organization. You allow us to truly transform lives through education. Thank you! 

Guadalupe School third graders have been working hard and playing hard while learning fun and expressive choreography from a dance instructor provided by the University of Utah's Tanner Dance Side-by-Side (SBS) Dance Residency Program. This program offers weekly dance classes led by an instructor who collaborates with teachers to plan dance training that integrates classroom curriculum. Students have had the opportunity to participate in the arts and learn in a new, fun, and healthy way. 

Last year two of our 3rd grade student participants received scholarships to continue their dance education at the Tanner Dance studio at the University of Utah. Those students have continued their dance education this year by attending classes and participating in performances on campus. Additionally, last month, third graders showcased what they have learned to their parents at a Guadalupe School dance recital!  We are truly grateful to Tanner Dance and other donors for bringing this amazing dance program to our students. ​

Guadalupe School has been around for more than 50 years, making it one of the most well-established nonprofit organizations in the Salt Lake City community! As you can imagine, a lot of good has been done in the last half-century by Guadalupe School employees, volunteers, families, and donors. We thought it would be fun to take a look at Guadalupe's continual community support, and how although we always look to innovate and improve, our core values and services have remained the same! 

Guadalupe School started as a small English instruction group that taught out of La Morena Cafe. Today, Guadalupe School is headquartered at a beautiful campus fundraised through a community capital campaign in 2014. All five programs are housed in this brand new building, and nearly 1,000 community members are enrolled in the various services. 

Guadalupe School's Adult Education program has continued strong for a solid 50 years and counting! Its enduring success is attributed to the work of tireless certified directors and instructors who have developed an effective curriculum that can be taught in small group settings. Hundreds of community volunteers have dedicated time to helping give individualized tutoring to adults hoping to learn English and gain access to better opportunities over the last five decades. 

Guadalupe School aims to provide educational resources to a community of students who may not have as much access compared to their more affluent peers. This has included providing technological aids such as computer programs to allow for well-rounded preparedness as students move into upper grades. 

Central to the Guadalupe model of learning are volunteer reading tutors, who over the years have provided one-on-one instruction to students who are often learning to read and write in an entirely new language. This makes it possible for Guadalupe students to receive the individual attention needed to bring them up to speed with their peers who are not facing a language barrier. 

Over the years, Guadalupe School has provided free meals to its students, because we know that full bellies equal open minds for learning! 


We could not be more proud of the legacy Guadalupe School has produced after more than 50 years, and we look to the future with excited anticipation for all the good it holds! Thank you to the volunteers, staff, donors, and students who make our work and mission possible! 

To help make another 50 years possible, consider attending our UNITE Benefit Concert, which you can learn about here. 

By Cassie Bingham, Communications Specialist

At Guadalupe School the gift of a quality education continues to give through students who are happy to pass down their knowledge and help the next generation succeed. Our school has traditions that allow for educational interaction between younger and older students, emphasizing the importance of learning and teaching in an effort to expand the minds of our students. One of these traditions is the team of amazing sixth grade students who are chosen each year as "Peer Leaders." They meet to put together skits and videos based on character traits the school is learning about, in order to present them to younger students at school assemblies.

Recently a new, similar activity was established. Last month, fourth grade students visited their younger counterparts in preschool. They were able to pick a preschool "friend" with whom they sat down to read a book. Some of the partnerships were even real-life siblings! The older kids gained experience being teachers, and felt the happiness that comes from sharing knowledge with others; meanwhile, the younger kids received attention from peers they look up to, and were able to see their role models as youth who value reading and education.

​Teachers and students enjoyed the activity so much that they have decided to do it again, and hopefully make it a regularly repeating event.  Although Guadalupe School greatly appreciates its talented teachers and paraprofessionals, we also understand the need to find innovative ways of teaching concepts like literacy to young students. Children become more engaged and receptive when they learn in unique ways, and they are able to move forward developing a passion for reading and education. 

By Cassie Bingham, Communications Specialist
Last week students from Toddler Beginnings and Preschool got to enjoy a real treat! Scales and Tails Utah visited Guadalupe School to introduce some reptilian friends and share facts about their traits and habitats. Scales and Tails provides a hands-on, educational experience to small children, where a trained professional presents a lizard, snake, and tortoise to be pet and observed, before revealing a 6-foot boa constrictor! 

By Cassie Bingham, Communications Specialist

​Last week Guadalupe School was fortunate to welcome nine volunteers from across the state border. Seven students and two employees from the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) visited to lend a hand for two and half days. CSI is just one of a growing number of colleges and universities that are helping facilitate "alternative spring breaks," where instead of traveling to Hawaii or the Bahamas for some relaxing time in the sun, students step out of their bubbles and contribute volunteer time to various charitable organizations. 

The student volunteers are studying a variety of majors, including elementary education, digital media, and outdoor recreation. They applied their studies well to the large array of tasks they were assigned during their time with Guadalupe students. Each volunteer had one-on-one time with students, helping with math problems, reading comprehension, and art projects. They also shared team building games and exercises with students at recess, organized bookshelves in the library, and helped sixth grade peer leaders develop an educational safety video to be shown at the next assembly. 

Students and volunteers alike enjoyed their experiences together, and were able to learn from each other. The CSI volunteers lamented that they would not be staying even longer, and expressed interest in stopping by just to visit if they ever pass through Salt Lake City again. Frankly, we are not surprised to hear it, as Guadalupe students and staff seem to have that effect on volunteers and visitors! Guadalupe School is very lucky to have the frequent opportunity of providing uplifting volunteer experiences to high school students, college students, corporate groups, and senior citizens. We feel even luckier to be the recipient of so much dedicated time and talent. Thank you volunteers! 

At Guadalupe School students and teachers love to learn through hands-on experiences. That’s why our organization is so grateful for Tesoro Corporation. Through a STEM education grant, they have made it possible for Guadalupe kids to go on multiple fieldtrips this school year in order to learn more about the world around them. In the month of February, Guadalupe fourth and fifth graders were especially fortunate to visit incredible exhibits at both the Thanksgiving Point Museum of Ancient Life and The Leonardo Museum.

At the Museum of Ancient Life students were fascinated by the chance to “roam among the dinosaurs, explore a Carboniferous Forest, and dive deep into a Cretaceous Ocean.” The exhibit featured life size dinosaur skeletons, and over 50 hands-on activities, including an erosion table and a quarry dig where students could look for fossils. The museum even included a paleontology lab where real scientists are working to unearth a 150-million-year-old Barosaurus!

A few weeks ago Guadalupe School hosted several professionals who were willing to share their stories and experiences about how they had entered and developed their careers. Guadalupe students were privileged to hear and learn from individuals representing a large spectrum of jobs. The principal and staff believe it is very important that students become exposed to successful adults who have gained education and training, and then applied what they have learned in order to fulfill a real career. This type of exposure can help inspire children to anticipate the diligence a successful future requires, and look forward to the fulfillment it will provide. Students are reminded of future goals each time they attend classes, as forward progress is an integral part of Guadalupe School culture. Even the kindergarten classes are referred to as "Kinder College," calling to mind the fact that these little ones are being prepared for great things. 

The students were all smiles as they sorted ingredients with a chef, learned about bones from a scientist, and did jumping jacks with a medical professional. They also got to design planes with a military serviceman and hear a beatboxer! It was an exciting day for students who are just bursting with big hopes and dreams! Fortunately, thanks to the amazing teachers and volunteers of Guadalupe School, they are being equipped with the tools to make their dreams a future reality. 

​Last week Guadalupe School celebrated Valentine's Day a little early by throwing a movie night celebration! The event was held at Brewvies Cinema Pub, where guests enjoyed snacks and a movie in a private theater room. Attendees helped Guadalupe staff express love for our organization's life changing programs, and the students and families who are its driving force. The event was generously sponsored by UBS Bank and Ivory Homes, therefore all other proceeds were used 100% as funds raised for the school's programs.
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Guadalupe School fundraisers support things such as the Adult Education program where non English speakers learn the language through small group sizes and personal tutors. They also sustain our Early Learning programs that provide educational and literacy resources to families with small babies and toddlers. Even the bus system at Guadalupe School, which allows our preschool and charter students to maintain a 95% attendance rate, is supported through fundraising. 

​That being said, one can imagine how excited Guadalupe staff felt when community members bought over $2,000 worth of movie tickets, and then DOUBLED that amount through donations made throughout the night. Our programs were bolstered by over $4,000 in just one night of Valentine's movie fun. 

Guadalupe School says THANK YOU to all of those who supported our mission of "transforming lives through education" that night, and invites all to continue helping us with this cause. We invite you to learn more about our programs, and if our approach resonates with you, consider giving your support! ​