Did you know many youth in Honduras struggle to complete high school and attend college? Those who do often find it challenging to obtain gainful employment due to the gap between skills that are valued in the workplace, and what the public school system teaches, such as English language proficiency, driving, basic computer literacy and higher math skills. Asociación Colaboración y Esfuerzo (ACOES) is a non-profit organization in Honduras that works to help young people overcome these challenges. ACOES supports young people through high school and university, to help them to finish their degrees, and supplement their education with valuable life skills.
PriceSmart Foundation is excited to partner with ACOES to expand the services they offer to young people. Through this partnership, ACOES now offers courses in English, Driving, Digital Literacy, and math tutoring. More than 80 students are enrolled in immersive English courses and 20 students study computer skills. Driving is another crucial skill for young people entering the workforce, but without access to vehicles and instruction, many young people, especially women do not learn. Currently more than 20 students are enrolled in driving lessons with ACOES and getting crucial practice in order to get their licenses. Nearly 70 students pursuing university STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees receive math tutoring to help ensure their academic success. PriceSmart Foundation’s grant also supports university entrance exam preparation. This program will last for two years and ultimately benefit 500 young people. In the process, ACOES will build internal capacity to continue to support these courses into the future.
PriceSmart, Inc. is also supporting ACOES through a “B2B” relationship, in which the company leverages its sourcing and negotiating capacity with suppliers to provide ACOES with quality goods at better prices than they can find elsewhere. This allows ACOES to stretch their food budget further and improve the nutrition of the children and youth who participate in the variety of educational support services they offer throughout Honduras.
PriceSmart Foundation is proud to support the work ACOES does for children and youth in Honduras!
