Educate First-Generation Students in Honduras

Hello again,

As you know, education is at the heart of OYE's comprehensive youth empowerment model. Through our signature scholarship program, we've supported nearly 500 promising disadvantaged young people with multiyear scholarships to graduate from high school and pursue higher education. This program has evolved over the years to address the most pressing needs of young people in our community, most notably the need for employment or a way to generate income for themselves and their families.

Since before the pandemic, OYE recognized technical education as an opportunity to put young people on a pathway towards well-paid jobs in a shorter timeframe than traditional four or five-year degrees. In Honduras, technical degree programs are predominately offered at private universities, making them largely unavailable to the young people who need them most.

To date, OYE has provided 40 young people with full-tuition scholarships and support to pursue two-year technical university degrees, with the majority enrolling in creative fields such as graphic design or health-related fields such as clinical laboratory science. The first cohort of 20 students has successfully completed their degree programs, with an impressive 85% of them either employed, self-employed, or engaged in both. Meanwhile, the second and third cohorts—consisting of 10 students each—are currently enrolled in their respective programs.

Junior—pictured above—is among the first cohort of students. Interested in art from a young age, he discovered a passion and talent for graphic design as a participant in OYE's youth-led design program. With the support of OYE, he graduated from high school in 2016. He enrolled in IT administration classes the following year, as graphic design was not available at the public university. After just one academic term, Junior was awarded one of OYE's new technical education scholarships and transferred to a private university to pursue a two-year degree in graphic design. Upon completing his first year, Junior assumed leadership of OYE's youth-led design program, a role he held until the end of last year. These days, he is one of two graphic designers employed at CLIC, OYE's creative social enterprise. Take a look at the image below to learn from Junior what being a part of OYE has meant to him.

OYE has been able to offer these life-changing opportunities to promising students like Junior thanks to the support of two key institutional partners. In order to continue providing this opportunity to future students, your ongoing support is essential. If you have already contributed this year, thank you! If you haven't, now is a great time to make a one-time gift or start a monthly gift.

In appreciation,
Amanda

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about the impact of our scholarship program and broader youth empowerment model, we invite you to check out the executive summary of our recent impact study.

Links:

• OYE Scholarship Program Impact Study - Executive Summary