Our Mission

“Helping Families, One Child at a Time”

Our mission is to increase access and inclusion for underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), through supplemental education that supports communities in need.  Ventaja is a faith based organization committed to spreading the love of God through service.

“Make sure and tell them when you return to the States that you took poor children from the city of Panama and taught them all week and then took them to the museo (Smithsonian Institutes’ Punta Culebra) and they could answer all the questions and were excited to learn….they wanted to tell what they learned.”

— Zaida, local volunteer teacher

Ventaja Programs

The goal of the programs designed through Ventaja Educational Services is increase access to higher education for students from underrepresented groups, and families of first generation college students. 

Programs include one-week intensive summer camps (ages 5-18) in designated communities.  Instruction include: remediation and instruction in all academic subjects with specific emphasis on science and math; preparing each student for their local regional science fair and other local or international science/math competitions. This will be done through culturally relevant and authentic instruction. The final focus is the development and support of a teacher training network for local schools.

These programs will take a holistic community-based outreach approach, utilizing faith-based organizations, local schools, libraries and other community oriented resources for student referrals.

PROGRAM GOALS: 80% program attendees accepted to college; 30% college-bound students enrolled in STEM majors.