Educational Innovation on the 50th Anniversary of the SAT Program

BY: Fabretto

Last May, we held the first “Rural Education Summit” in Honduras with our partner Bayan. The meeting brought together various organizations and representatives from countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, and the United States to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tutorial Learning System (SAT). This educational model has been fundamental in empowering young people from rural communities, offering a hands-on education centered on the rural environment, focusing on developing the whole person and serving the community.

The Summit was made possible by the generous support from the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) and UNICEF Honduras and the ongoing support of the Secretary of Education of Honduras for the SAT program.

The event started with words from our CEO, Kevin Marinacci, and continued with presentations and discussion panels that highlighted the importance of SAT as a vehicle for social development and the impact that SAT has had in Central American countries. Without a doubt, the most moving moments of the day were the testimonials from SAT students, graduates, and tutors, who shared how the program has transformed their lives.

It also featured videos of students and tutors who could not attend the event. Watch Jorge’s story in this video.

Mary Delorey of the Inter-American Foundation stressed:
“Communities know what they need. The SAT program offers practical and relevant learning for them.”

One of the panel discussions addressed the challenges of rural education in Honduras. Edwin Moya, from RTI, reflected:
“The SAT is more than an educational program, it is a local development initiative with great potential.”

With this summit, we reaffirm the need to continue supporting our partners in the field and continue expanding the SAT model, demonstrating its effectiveness in generating opportunities from the community environment and strengthening local roots and identity. To learn more about SAT, click here.