Being aware of the need to contribute to quality education through access to technology, different organizations and companies have come together to inaugurate the first community innovation center in Costa Rica: Hub EduTech El Faro This project was created through the vision of the Times of Hope Foundation and the educational program of the Zamora Terán Foundation. Together, they made a digital citizenship center a reality to enhance opportunities in rural communities in the country, through the training of digital and soft skills for girls, boys, youngsters, and adults.
Hub EduTech is located in Llanito, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, in the dining room facilities of the Alimentando Corazones Association. It is equipped with Chromebook laptops and has a comprehensive implementation ecosystem that includes training of trainers (volunteers), educational remediation, coding clubs and book clubs for primary school girls and boys, digital literacy and soft skills for youth and adults.
Tiempos de Esperanza Foundation has been the donor of the funds for this initiative to be carried out. Meanwhile, Liberty has expanded its fixed internet network in the community and has permanently donated the Hub’s connectivity to 200 Mbps.
Likewise, Fundación Saprissa joined the initiative through its program to promote sports and recreation to promote the physical and mental health of the girls and boys who are beneficiaries of the Alimentando Corazones Association; while Rex Cargo made the transportation donation of the computers. “For us it is of vital importance to reinforce educational issues, mainly in areas where access is more limited, it is a commitment that we have with each boy or girl, providing them with tools to grow in an integral way. In addition, the alliance that we have made between foundations confirms once again that unity is strength and that together we can achieve more and better results for Costa Rican children”, said Mónica Espinoza, executive director of the Tiempos de Esperanza Foundation.
With the Edutech Hub, the beneficiary girls, boys, youth and adults will start 2023 with a new tool that will allow them to access more and better educational content, while developing 21st century skills. The parties involved have agreed to continue exploring ways of collaboration to extend similar initiatives in other areas of the country.
