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CREATING A LEGACY

ConnectED changed its name from The Raechel & Jackie Foundation (RJF) in 2019. RJF was founded in 2013 in memory of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, two young sisters who passed on but remain the inspiration for our work.​

Thanks to its co-founders (Sooni Gillett and Cally Houck), early community partners and dedicated local staff, RJF developed its unique strategy and approach to address the root causes of education challenges.

Guided by the lessons of the past to embrace a new chapter of growth, ConnectED utilizes principles of human-centered design. We work in partnership with people, organizations, and communities in rural areas of Central America to discover local solutions to education challenges.

In each of the communities where ConnectED works, we want to see all youth developing competencies to reach their full potential and create better futures for their families and communities.

Our Timeline

2004
A Tragic Accident
Sadly, a tragic car accident takes the lives of Raechel and Jackie, which marks the beginning of the Houck family’s advocacy to change the law to prohibit car rental companies from renting unsafe recalled vehicles to the public.
2004
2013
RJF is Born
To keep the sisters’ legacy alive, The Raechel & Jackie Foundation (RJF) is co-founded by Cally Houck and Sooni Gillett. RJF embarks on program research in Nicaragua and Guatemala to gain insights into the development of a community-driven education solution that will support community leaders and have sustained impact.
2013
2014
Nicaragua on the Map
Guided by insights from local communities, RJF initiates the Fellows Model with the goal to bring relevant and locally-based solutions addressing educational challenges to Nicaragua.
2014
2015–2017
Meet the Fellows
RJF welcomes its first group of Fellows who engage their communities to implement projects that create new schools, improve computer literacy, train local teachers, and more.
2015–2017
2018
Pushing Forward
Ours is also a story of resilience as we navigate our operations and continued support for our Fellows amidst political unrest and economic instability within the region. During this period RJF also invests in a vigorous strategic planning effort to evaluate its impact to-date and refine its Fellows Model for scale and replication throughout Central America, with a focus on the Northern Triangle.
2018
2019
RJF is ConnectED
RJF is rebranding as ConnectED to focus on bridging education leaders and communities to resources that will improve learning in Central America. ConnectED embarks on the first phase of its strategic plan, developing long-term partnerships with organizations and communities in Guatemala, to implement its refined Fellows Model there and beyond.
2019
2020-2021
Fellows in Guatemala
Working with key local partners, ConnectED identifies and supports its first group of Fellows in Guatemala who, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, engage their communities to implement projects that create digital libraries with open education resources, school nutrition feeding programs, safe learning spaces, and more. In 2021, to support local in-country leadership of the organization and in line with our values, ConnectED transitioned its primary CEO role to be based in Central America.
2020-2021
2022-2025
Our Vision for 2025
ConnectED is working to further prove and scale its Fellows Model throughout Guatemala and beyond. By 2025 we aim to improve education outcomes for more than 20,000 rural youth in more than 50 communities throughout Guatemala by building the capacity of local education leaders. During this time we are also focused on building partnerships and resources to scale the Fellows Model to other countries within the Northern Triangle.
2022-2025
The ConnectED Team
We are fortunate to have a dedicated and experienced team with diverse expertise in education, conservation, advocacy, nonprofit administration and community development.
MEET THE TEAM
Get Involved

How can you make a difference?

Give.

You can make the transformative power of education possible through a simple donation.

Volunteer.

Your talents and skills can help support our organization and the work of our Fellows.

Collaborate.

You can join us in improving education outcomes in Central America.