Celina de Sola at the White House

On March 25, 2024, Glasswing president Celina de Sola participated in a strategic discussion at the White House convened by US Vice President Kamala Harris, with special guest President Bernardo Arévalo of Guatemala. John Moore, Glasswing’s Chairman of the Board, was also in attendance.

The meeting, organized by the Partnership for Central America (PCA), was an opportunity to discuss inclusive economic growth in Guatemala. Other participants were from the US Agency for International Development (USAID); US and Guatemalan governments; PCA partners including Cargill, Microsoft, and Coursera; and civil society organizations. Talks spanned topics ranging from financial inclusion to climate adaptation to job creation for underrepresented groups.

“It’s so exciting to see how governments, private sector, and civil society are coming together to address social and economic challenges, with a mindset of hope, possibility, and the potential of young people to transform our countries,” Celina said of the event. 

The Central American Service Corps

In particular, Celina was at the White House to talk about the Central American Service Corps. CASC is a youth-service volunteer initiative dedicated to reducing vulnerability and increasing opportunities for young Central Americans. Over the course of a year, participants develop academic, technical, and soft skills training; engage in a community-service internship; and receive transitional and financial support as they advance their educational and employment opportunities. 

Throughout, they build their rootedness and resilience, while discovering their capacity to contribute to their communities.

The White House released a fact sheet about the March 25 meeting and described CASC: 

“Vice President Harris announced the creation of the Central American Service Corps (CASC) at the Summit of Americas in 2022. After a successful pilot in Guatemala, the CASC program will expand in May, during an event featuring Guatemalan First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. This expanded program, funded by USAID, and partnering with the Peace Corps, and the Inter-American Foundation, will reach 2,800 young people in the first year who are most at risk of migrating by engaging them with volunteer, training, and employment opportunities in Guatemala. CASC could reach up to 25,000 young people in Guatemala over the next five years.”

Partnerships that unlock potential 

CACS is a multi-sector initiative between partners including USAID, the Inter-American Foundation, Peace Corps, national governments, philanthropic institutions, businesses, and civil-society and local organizations. It builds on the vision and support of this work from The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which has empowered over 6,000 young people to reach 300,000+ people in their communities through Glasswing’s Jóvenes Líderes de Impacto program.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, PCA, USAID, the Inter-American Foundation, the Peace Corps, local and international companies, as well as partner community organizations and the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras,” Celina said. “Together, we can unlock the potential of tens of thousands of young women and men. After all, they are the best positioned to drive change!”