Bank of Guatemala Announces Winners of Its 10th Student Research Competition

The Bank of Guatemala recognized students from four educational institutions for their participation in the final stage of the 10th edition of its Student Research Competition on Economic and Financial Topics, focused this year on “The Economic and Social Impact of Family Remittances in Guatemala.”

During the final, participating students presented and defended their research proposals before the judging panel, addressing the role of remittances and their impact on the country's economy and society.

Students present proposals on family remittances

The competition sought to understand how young people view the effective management of family remittances and their impact on areas such as banking, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, family well-being, and Guatemala's economic and social development.

For Santiago Prera Silva, one of the students participating in the competition, the research process offered a new perspective on the importance of remittances for Guatemalan families.

“I was unaware of the importance of remittances for the country, and through the research we were able to visualize with data the number of Guatemalan families that depend on this resource to survive.”

The students' proposals were evaluated based on their theoretical foundation, creativity and originality of the solutions presented, argumentation and presentation of the work, as well as their use of official sources and relevant data.

Four educational institutions receive awards

Four schools reached the final stage of the competition and received awards based on their final ranking:

• First place – Q8,000: Colegio Internacional Montessori
• Second place – Q6,000: Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA)
• Third place – Q4,000: Colegio Agustiano
• Fourth place – Q2,000: Colegio Guatemalteco Bilingüe

The results recognized the students' work in researching one of the economic topics addressed by the competition and presenting their proposals before the judging panel.

🏆 Después de las presentaciones, el jurado calificador determinó a los ganadores del 10.° Concurso Estudiantil de Investigación sobre Temas Económico-Financieros del #Banguat. El Colegio Internacional Montessori obtuvo el primer lugar; el Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA),… pic.twitter.com/RLLnlLK4Hx

— Banco de Guatemala (@Banguat) August 21, 2026

Banco de Guatemala promotes economic research among young people

The final event was attended by Alvaro González Ricci, president of the Monetary Board and the Banco de Guatemala, who highlighted the importance of creating spaces where young people can deepen their knowledge of the national economy and, from their perspective, propose solutions to the country's challenges.

“Promoting research on relevant issues for our country allows us to bring young people closer to Guatemala's economic reality while also encouraging critical thinking.”

Through the 10th edition of the competition, students were encouraged to investigate the role of family remittances and their relationship with financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, banking, family well-being, and the country's economic and social development.