HIBS-PiLA Partnership: A First Year of Real Impact in Honduras
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
After years of supporting the Honduran Independence Bilingual School (HIBS) in Quimistan, the Crystal City-Pentagon Rotary Club (CCPRC) partnered with Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) to place volunteer Fellows at the school – and the results from our first year are worth celebrating.Two Fellows arrived in 2025 to help transform English instruction at HIBS. Fellows assessed every student's English proficiency, updated instructional materials, and – perhaps most significantly – shifted the school away from grade-based teaching toward ability-based grouping. Students now work at one of three levels: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. Parents and teachers have noticed the difference. One parent described watching her son approach a group of visiting North Americans at a restaurant and striking up a conversation entirely on his own. Another shared that her previously shy daughter now eagerly seeks out every opportunity to speak English.
Looking ahead, HIBS has asked to continue this effort for 2026-2027 school year, and PiLA's supervisor of education projects visited the site and came away with a favorable impression and promising candidates in mind. CCPRC intends to continue supporting this impactful educational initiative in the next school year. This project showcases what Rotary does best – supporting community needs and building lasting connections across borders.