María Olga González Palacios is a clinical psychologist with a postgraduate degree in the study of human behavior and a master's degree in human resources. Using this background, she works in psychological support in the social and labor field. She works mostly with vulnerable populations including children, adolescents and women, around issues of empowerment, employment, education, entrepreneurship and psychosocial skills. She is the founder of Tera Group, a company she hopes to use to promote mental health and social support in Guatemala. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Weaving Healthy Futures

The Weaving Healthy Futures project raised awareness among parents about the importance of early learning in childhood development and provides them with tools like video tutorials and professional training to facilitate their knowledge in different areas of stimulation. The project created video tutorials that cover the instructions for adequate stimulation in young children with easy-to-reach tools; the tutorials were made available to parents and guardians via a QR code. The project exceeded its metrics and achieved its objectives with 536 parents viewing, reading, or downloading the material, and an estimated reach of 1,836 parents through therapists using the video tutorials in schools for 0–3-year-olds. The project has been successful inside and outside the Hospital Regional de Occidente facilities, with more people interested in replicating the project.

María Olga was also a panelist for the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Global Public Health” which you can read more about here.

IVLP Exchange Experience 

María Olga was a participant in the IVLP Project Women as Drivers of Social and Economic Change, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Cultural Vistas.

María Olga's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "During the IVLP experience in Pensacola, Florida, we were able to visit the Studer Community Institute where I was able to learn from the mental health field how the focus on early stimulation can lead a community to highly successful development."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; Milwaukee, WI

Country: Guatemala

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