About Us

It all started with a desire to see a vibrant community where young people thrive…

in a holistic way—meaning emotionally, physically, spiritually (although the spiritual really encompasses all), and academically…

We started as a team of three foreigners, focusing on the children and youth of Copán Ruinas, and we formed a comprehensive support network for them through AfterSchool programs, Summer Camps, and Youth Leadership.

The work grew in quantity and quality while also growing in our goal of equipping and raising local leadership. The vision has been alive for almost 14 years, and we have taken big steps, from an annual reach of just 30 children to now impacting over 650 children and youth annually in Copán Ruinas alone.

Our small team of 3 foreign staff has evolved into a courageous, innovative, and humble team of 32 local Latin American staff.

Amid the success we experienced in Copán with UPH, we connected with other leaders who had a similar dream

So, we started inviting leaders to visit Copán; to spend time with us, learn about the UPH model and equip themselves with practical skills to launch a non-profit. Those invitations are now formalized as a Fellowship, in which we accept a new cohort each year to experience our model.

That experience is the inspiration they need to realize their visions for vibrant communities where young people thrive.

With each cohort, leaders graduate with a dream of launching new projects, what we call Affiliate Sites. So far, we have representation in three countries with five sites. That expansion creates exponential growth in reaching more youth; and naturally, we see more vibrant communities where young people thrive.

God's love is contagious. And we have seen that the UPH model is contagious. We are waiting to see how it expands in Latin America.