Media Center“Food for Education” Educational Program Expects Successful Second Phase with Funding from USDA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Suyapa Maradiaga
Catholic Relief Services (CRS Honduras)
[email protected]
00 (504) 99-33-55-16 

En español

First stage increased by 22 percent the comprehensive
reading skill level of students benefiting from Food for Education  

JESÚS DE OTORO, INTIBUCÁ, HONDURAS, April 8, 2016 – Government officials, representatives of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Cáritas Santa Rosa de Copan and the Central Committee for Water and Integral Development of Intibucá (COCEPRADDI), will come together today at the John F. Kennedy Education Center to launch the second phase of the Food for Education (FFE) program. With $33.7 million provided by USDA, the FFE program will continue utilizing for the next five years an educational model that has already increased the reading skills of participating children by 22 percent.  

During its first stage, which began in 2013, the FFE program benefited more than 54,000 children in 17 municipalities in the department of Intibucá through educational incentives such as food, transportation, backpacks and other school supplies and infrastructure.  

In coordination with the Ministry of Education, the principals of 970 schools were trained in key areas including management, administration and assessment, as well as in the operation and administration of school transportation. More than 316 classrooms and bathrooms and hand washing stations were constructed or rehabilitated with the help of parents and community leaders so that students have a safe, pleasant and hygienic environment in which to study.

In the second stage, 75 percent of children in the department of Intibucá will benefit by developing skills in comprehensive reading, and teacher attendance will be improved. It is also expected that more than 1,000 schools will be equipped with supplies and educational materials.

Similarly, more than 500 parent associations and other community groups will be trained in the legal framework of education in Honduras. Some 2,000 teachers will be trained in different participatory methodologies for teaching and learning in the classroom.

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, please visit crs.org or crsespanol.org and follow CRS on social media: Facebook, @CatholicRelief, @CRSnews, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.