Latin American countries have encountered multiple challenges to implement meaningful transformations to their national educational systems (Baten, 2016). Through a mixed-methods approach (Maxwell, 1992), this chapter aims to present the significance of professional development for teachers and principals in public schools in Latin America. Specifically, the authors explore the significance of professional development that allows these educators to develop a student-centered approach (Gibbs, 1981) in their daily work. By presenting qualitative and quantitative data from three programs implemented by the non-profit organization Educando by Worldfund, this chapter seeks to showcase how the challenges that Latin America currently faces can be improved through a methodology that focuses on building capacity and that helps educators with concrete practices to foster a student-centered approach in their practice. The findings in this study showcase the significance of educational interventions that are grounded and tailored to the sociopolitical context in which they will be implemented and it will also posit that, according to the authors' findings, the students in public schools feel empowered and motivated after their teachers and principals participate in one of these three programs. The larger impact from the cases explored in this chapter will hopefully contribute to a larger conversation regarding how to implement public policies that can empower principals and teachers across Latin America. [For the complete volume, "Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2018. International Perspectives on Education and Society. Volume 37," see ED667018.]