DEMAIN FOUNDATION’S PURPOSE
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR COSTA RICAN YOUTH
We are helping to close the gap between private and public education by briging to young people – regardless of socioeconomic or geographic barriers – opportunities to participate in world-class educational programs. We are convinced that education is one of the most powerful tools for improving quality of life and for helping individuals realize their full potential. It is also a key driver of social and economic development of any country.
WHY IS IT NEEDED?
Costa Rica has been widely recognized for providing quality, free and mandatory primary and secondary education for all children and young people.
But these achievements have deteriorated in the past few years. The Sixth State of Education Report (2017) shows a growing gap in the accomplishments of the students based on their socioeconomic status and found that only 5% of students enrolled in elementary public school receive the complete curriculum.
Secondary school attendance has increased by almost 10% since 2010, but half of high school students never graduate. Only 50.4% of youths between the ages of 18 and 22 had a high school diploma in 2016.
As far as quality, the report showed that 62.6% of fifteen-year-old students from public schools are situated in the lower two levels of testing for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), associated with skills and basic abilities in science, reading and math. This means, for example, that they cannot use basic mathematic formulas, procedures or rules to solve problems, or identify the main idea of a text.
WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED
In 2008, the Chairman of the Demain Foundation, Steve Aronson, cofounded the Association of International Baccalaureate Schools in Costa Rica (ASOBITICO) to bring the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Program to public high schools all over the country. The Demain Foundation provided financial support and strategy to ASOBITICO for almost ten years, and together with other allies they accomplished:
20
Public Schools
from the seven provinces of Costa Rica, have been sponsored in obtaining the authorization to implement the IB program.
1500
Scholarship Students
supported to study through the IB program in public schools.
1000
Trained Teachers
prepared in the best educational practices at an international level for the IB program.
RECOGNITION TO A WORK OF EXCELLENCE
Steve Aronson served as president of ASOBITICO’s Board of Directors for nine years. His work was recognized in 2013 when he received the “Regional Directors Award”, given by the International Baccalaureate (IB) to leaders around the world that promote access to quality education.