Transforming Rural
Costa Rican Schools
See the Impact of Engaged Teachers
The first step towards high-quality education for students begins with teachers. However, schools in rural communities have reduced access to the one tool that reliably improves student outcomes: high-quality teacher training. COVID has only exacerbated these inequities. As a result, rural schools worldwide are facing a crisis, with lower primary and secondary completion rates and university attendance rates than other regions. This trend hinders students’ future opportunities.
TeachUNITED aims to bridge this resource divide and build teacher capacity for sustainable, school-wide transformation.
TeachUNITED conducted this Education Impact Study to get a systemic view of the impact their work has had in Sarapiquí, Heredia Province, Costa Rica. This case study analyzes data and shares impacts and outcomes in:
- student learning
- student and teacher engagement
- teacher leadership development
“TeachUNITED is implementing something very good, and we are on the right track. I would like it to be possible to work in all regions of this country. And well, obviously, we have to continue working in my region because this all comes down to the productivity of the teacher in the classroom. And in the end, what is the most important thing to me? It’s that students have a quality and cutting-edge education, and that is what we are seeing today.”
Other Resources
Video: Costa Rica Impact Story
While facing significant challenges in public education, students, teachers, and school leaders in Sarapiquí have committed themselves to the betterment of education within their schools and to the positive growth of their community. The impact felt by the program mirror what research tells us: both teacher and student engagement is key to success in academic outcomes and personal well-being.
Roundup: School Spotlights
Highlighting impacts and outcomes from schools and teachers, these changes at a local level are indicative of the potential for sustainable, systemic change. By enhancing the abilities of local educators, TeachUNITED schools thrive long after the program has ended, as a result of shifting pedagogical practices over time.
Brief: Impact Study Highlights
Focus on the key findings from our Education Impact Study. This abbreviated version includes:
- Learning challenges
- Program implementation
- Program goals
- Impacts and outcomes
- Research Methodology
About TeachUNITED
TeachUNITED is a global nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of education in rural and historically underserved communities. TeachUNITED combines community-based teacher coaching with evidence-based pedagogical training in a philanthropically-supported, scalable package that allows local education leaders to own, co-design, and adapt context-specific strategies to increase academic achievement.
Aligned with SDG4, TeachUNITED is ensuring that underserved educators are empowered with high-impact strategies to increase academic achievement, develop each student’s full potential, and break cycles of poverty. Since 2016, TeachUNITED has been mobilizing local teacher leaders to build capacity, not dependency, in underserved rural communities.
Supported By
Thank you to Schooner Foundation for the funding to complete these studies. Many thanks also go to our individual donors and foundation partners for making this work in Sarapiquí, and many other regions within Latin America, possible.
