How will the intervention help?
- Prior to our Program start the vast majority of children in the San Jose area never have the chance to attend school beyond the government-mandated 6th grade. Initially only five out of over 100 6th grade graduates attended 7th grade. The cost of going to middle school is prohibitive for almost every family.
- Without an advanced education (beyond 6th grade), the people of San Jose will be unable to get jobs that pay and will stay poor for the foreseeable future.
What is involved with the project?
- Identify graduating students who have the best chance for academic success and are financially unable to attend middle school. This is a lengthy process whereby input is gathered from area teachers, home surveys, and completion of application materials. Most parents cannot read so completion of the application material is a test of the student’s ability to read and write.
- A selection committee chooses the top 12 students (number limited by finances and to a lesser extent the number of qualified applicants)
- Housing needs to be found for some students who live more than a three hour walk away from the school.
- Interval reports from the students, parents and middle school teachers.
Required Materials
- Money for books, uniforms and supplies
- Time and energy to complete the application and follow up process
Total monetary cost
About $400 per student per year. Additional funds are needed for students who must live away from home.
Benefits
Investing in education is a long-term gamble for future improvements in health, and stability for both individuals and populations. Many scholarship students do not graduate, but for those that do the help offered is transformational. Antonia is a great example. She was one of our first scholarship students. She has gone about as far as she can go in terms of her education. Antonia is now a teacher in the San Jose area. In addition to making a living wage, she is a leader in her community. Even for those students who cannot complete their education it has been shown that the more education people have, the better their life decisions and the quality of life they enjoy. Money spent on education is a long-term transformative process for the population.
House of a scholarship recipient 
Antonia, graduate from the first class of scholars, now a teacher herself. Professor Roney has supported her development 
First scholar applicants and their parents from el Salitre, 2022