Projects in Education

Adopt a School Program

The Adopt a School Program was initiated in 2001 by CISA Exportadora to improve the quality and access to education of children in the coffee growing communities of Nueva Segovia, Madriz, Matagalpa and Jinotega. These rural communities are amongst the poorest in the country and lack the infrastructure and funds necessary to provide quality education to their residents. There are currently 16 schools that provide education to over 6,000 students that are part of this program.

EDUCATION: THE ADOPT A SCHOOL PROJECT

Adopt a School Project: Started in 2001 with one school of 920 Students as an effort to improve access and quality of education in rural communities of Nicaragua. There are currently 16 schools that enroll over 6,000 students.

Our program consists on a multifaceted approach to education which consists on the following components:

Donations:

School supplies such as pencils and notebooks
Books to promote reading, enhance students learning process and expand their creativity, concentration and investigation skills.
Furniture such as chairs, desks, file cabinets and bookshelves in order to provide a comfortable learning environment for both the students and the teachers

Nutrition

Donation of milk and in some instances food to increase the retention rate and improve students’ physical conditions and academic performance.

Educational Campaigns

We provide information to students and parents relevant to their communities and the common Nicaraguan illnesses through educational campaigns such as Clean Hands (which can prevent 80% of illnesses), and Malaria and Dengue Prevention. Additionally, we have an educational campaign geared towards Environmental Protection and Preservation.

Recreation

Donation of sport equipment and building of recreational facilities.

Teacher Workshops

Train teachers with better methodologies and provide better quality of education. In addition, due to teachers´ low salaries these workshops serve as an incentive for teachers to improve their teaching methods.

Support by facilitators:

Weekly visits by facilitators with significant experience in education to provide counseling to the teachers of the schools and help organize different school activities.
Follow up on program and school activities to ensure that these are being carried out properly and that the school has the necessary resources.

Infrastructure

Improvement and expansion of schools´ infrastructure dependent on the schools´ needs and increase in student enrollment

To date, we have adopted 16 schools which provide education to over 6,000 students. These schools have changed the lives of the residents of these communities by providing a safe environment for their children to grow and learn.

Partners & Alliances

Starbucks Coffee Company
F. Gaviña & Sons
Société Générale
Prosol
Millstone
ANF
MINED

The Schools

School	Location
Santa Rita	Cerro Partido, Jinotega
Buenos Aires	La Virgen #1, Jinotega
Las Marias	La Reforma Arriba, Jinotega
Nicarao	Aranjuez, Matagalpa
Rosa Montoya	El Cuá, Jinotega
Abisnia	Abisinia, Jinotega
Las Colinas. Gabriela Mistral	Yalí, Jinotega
Rubén Dario	Yalí, Jinotega
Ena Sánchez	Quilalí, Nueva Segovia
San José de la Luz	Quilalí, Nueva Segovia
José Dolores Estrada	Dipilto, Nueva Segovia
Modesto Armijo	San Juan Río Coco, Madriz
Modesto Armijo. Preescolar Sonrisa Infantil	San Juan Río Coco, Madriz
San Martín	San Fernando, Nueva Segovia
Instituto Nacional de Quilalí	Quilalí, Nueva Segovia
Aguas Amarillas	Guapotal, La Dalia, Matagalpa

Investments and Costs

US$ 40,000.00 - Infrastructure per School Project
US$12 Child Per Year

Impact

16 Schools Adopted
More than 6000 Students Benefited
3,000 Families Benefited
200 Teachers

Academic Indicators

84% Academic Performance vs. 77.7% National
92% Retention Rate vs. 85.5% National
5% Increment in number of Students Enrolled75% Parent participation in School Activities

Scholarship Program

The Scholarship Program started in 2007 to benefit students from Las Marias School that have completed Elementary School. The Program covers room and board plus expenses for five years of Technical School at the Juan Pablo II School, located in Jinotega. Here students receive their High School Diploma combined with three different Technical Careers. The main objective of this Program is to improve the qualifications of the beneficiaries in order to provide them with better opportunities in their communities as professionals, stop migration to the urban areas and help improve the living conditions in their communities.

EDUCATION: THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Scholarship Program: started in 2007 benefits students from Las Marias School who have completed Elementary School. The Program covers expenses for five years of Technical School at the Juan Pablo II School, located in Llano de la Cruz, Jinotega. Here students receive their High School Diploma combined with three different Technical Careers. In addition to tuition, the Program covers room and board expenses for the scholarship recipients as well as their school supplies, textbooks and school uniforms. The main objective of this Program is to improve the qualifications of the beneficiaries in order to provide them with better opportunities in their communities as professionals, stop migration to the urban areas and help improve the living conditions in their communities. This program is possible thanks to the support of Lacewing Foundation, which has supported the program since 2007.

The Scholarship Recipients

The program started in 2007 with two students and is now benefiting a total of 6 students of Las Marias. Students have had outstanding results in the schools and are under the supervision of a tutor.

Parent’s Commitment

A commitment letter is signed by the parents of the scholarship beneficiaries in order to ensure the parents participation and commitment to the students´ education. In this letter parents commit themselves to follow up on the students’ education and to ensure their stability and assistance during the school year.

Adopt a Child - Change a Life

Even though students receive some benefits from the Adopt a School Program, there are still many needs that are not fulfilled. For this reason Cisa Exportadora is promoting a new initiative called Adopt a Child-Change a Life, to link the needs of a child in the coffee regions to a person in a consuming country to pay for the education of a student for a year and change a life. Read more.

Alphabetization in Buying Mills

The Alphabetization Program is designed for adults that work permanently or temporarily in the buying mills, teaching them to read and write. This way we contribute to the personal development of our personnel and at the same time provide access to education in the communities where we have a presence.

Investment per year: U$2,000 tuition, room and board