Help Nicaragua's Poor Climb out of Poverty

The 2018 academic year at Emprendadora Technical School kicked off in January with full-capacity enrollment of just over 300 students. Additionally:

• The new library and multi-media center were completed. The IT team is finalizing the project to provide internet connectivity across the entire campus.
• The well continues to perform well, pumping water at desired levels. The well is expected to earn nearly $200,000 in revenue in 2018, pushing the school toward sustainability.
• Staff remained heavily focused on post-graduation activities, including job placement and university application assistance.

Chicken and Organic Farming Businesses. With your support, we doubled yucca production compared to the previous year. The harvest will be sold to a processing plant, and proceeds will contribute toward school sustainability. This season, the school planted beans as well as yucca. We also: 

• Purchased 800 chicks, doubling the inventory of 630 in the prior year.
• Increased inventory of fumigation pumps, grass reapers, tools, and protective equipment.
• Delivered experiential learning to students who farmed the micro-tunnel, maintained temperature and humidity logs, and learned trellising and mulching techniques.

Goals for 2018 include the purchase of a pickup truck to deliver the school’s produce to buyers, and improvement to one of the macro tunnels to increase air circulation.

Teacher Capacity-building amps up education quality. Because of your investment, 18 teachers participated in training to build their capacity and competency to better serve their students. Teacher training curriculum included:  

• Active teaching techniques that support multiple student learning styles 
• Work-plan development for maximum classroom outcomes and results  
• Effective and open communication among teachers and students 
• Incorporating the environment and natural resources in learning objectives 

The goal for 2018 is to continue to build up teachers’ capacities and enable them to achieve greater results in the classroom. We will define a more robust training plan to address specific areas identified by the teachers. 

Links:

• Visit our Website
• Where We Work: Nicaragua