The nonprofit Uncle Grumps Education Initiative is dedicated to providing improved educational opportunities in places of entrenched poverty. Even at modest levels, we believe that such help can have a meaningful and far-reaching effect. With improved education, we believe that children anywhere have a better chance of growing up able to meet their needs. It is also our sense that when people have achieved a certain level of education, they try to pass on that same level of education (or better) to their children. Our hope is that our assistance might have a positive ripple effect from one generation to the next.

In 2008, we were able to help launch an education fund for the children at the Bethel Orphanage in San Luis, Mexico. (You can get a glimpse of San Luis by viewing our slide show here.)

The money was put to good use. A great deal was struck between a nearby private school and the orphanage. The agreement is the result of two children from the orphanage being ineligible for public education. (The children do not have birth certificates.) They had to arrange for other schooling and chose the private school. The children at the private school progressed much more quickly than those at the public school. Among other factors, the class size is approximately half the size of public school classrooms. When the education fund was launched, the private school expressed an interest in expanding its facilities to include junior high grades. In exchange for the orphanage providing funds for the project, the private school has agreed to teach all of the children at the orphanage for free for five years. It's great for the orphanage, great for the school, and great for other children in the community, who will now be able to attend the new junior high school program.

Thank you for the support that made this possible.