41% of Nicaraguans live in rural communities. For these rural students, access to secondary education is extremely limited. Of the 1.4 million school-aged youth (10-19 years old), UNICEF estimates that 50% are not matriculated in secondary education, and that only a third of the population graduates high school.The Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) is an innovative rural secondary education program, which provides targeted quality and relevant educational opportunities to rural youth.
Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and has one of the lowest levels of education investment per student in Latin America. Access to quality and relevant secondary education in rural areas is extremely limited. Additionally, rural populations bear the brunt of the nation's poverty, housing 63% of the poor and 78% of the extreme poor. Since rural students are left with few options for advancement, they often move to larger cities or migrate to find work.
The education issues addressed are: irrelevant rural secondary curriculum, lack of access to secondary education in isolated rural communities,& curriculum that blends theory and practice to enhance rural community development and livelihoods. The Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial is an innovative rural education program, with a strong agricultural and rural development emphasis. SAT utilizes a "learn by doing" methodology to promote rural education, entrepreneurship, and community development.
In 2007, Fabretto introduced SAT to 25 remote Nicaraguan communities. Today this effort has expanded to over 40 communities and has effectively brought high school instruction to young people who otherwise had little chance to attend secondary school. 742 students will directly benefit from receiving high school instruction that augments their abilities. Fabretto aims to propel students to higher learning and/or technical training that will turn them into highly productive members of society.
