About the School

Mayatan Bilingual School provides a bilingual (Spanish and English) education for children in and around Copán Ruinas, Honduras. Copán Ruinas is situated in the Western Highlands of Honduras, near the border with Guatemala. In a country increasingly dependent on tourism and becoming more integrated into the global economy, our mission is to give local children a command of the English language as well as a generally higher standard of education than is available in the public school system. Many teachers in the public schools of Copán send their children to Mayatan; an endorsement perhaps. For many of our students this is their path out of the poverty for which Honduras is unfortunately well known. As Luis Cruz, a guide for visitors to the local ruins (of the ancient Maya civilization), says, “When you know English, doors open up for you here”.

The school was founded in 1991 by a local mother, Nora Arita de Wélchez, who wanted to be sure her children had the opportunity to learn English. She encouraged other parents in the community to participate. Two other women who also wanted an English education for their children joined her in the management of the school: Maria Eugenia Aviles de Arias and Mayra Arias de Wélchez. For the past fifteen years, these three women, and their husbands, one the current mayor of Copán Ruinas, have been directors of a legal, non-profit organisation, 'Mayatan Foundation' set up to more formally manage the responsibilities of the school.

The school is private but not-for-profit. Fees are required for registration, books and monthly tuition. The enrollment for the 2007/2008 school year was about 300. Our school year runs from August to June, similar to schools in North America. We conform to and are regulated by the laws of Honduras concerning education. The school has no religious affiliation. The student body is made up of mainly Catholics or Evangelical Christians, and all but a handful of the students are from Honduras.