Dear BECA Amigo,

Here comes March and with it some good news from BECA.org Nicaragua.

We had a successful marketing campaign in February to attract new program applicants. Our target market is serious-minded high school graduates.

We received a total of 146 applications. After a house visit to confirm eligibility, the classification process begins with 3 months of daily computer training beginning on March 11.

Our pilot project "REY13" is now underway. REY13 is BECA's first attempt to carry out the classification process in the applicant's high school. Our goal is to see if the program can be replicated in other high schools in Nicaragua.

The project is being carried out in a rural community of Masaya called Las Flores, where 11 high school seniors began their journey at the end of February.

First they will be supporting first and second-grade teachers in their local primary school everyday for a period of four months. Following that will be three months of computer training.

On another front, school is now in for most of our becados studying their technical careers in Masaya and in northern Nicaragua (Estelí and Matagalpa).

Three accounting graduates in Matagalpa are beginning their internships -  Jhelem Larios, Lisllem Montoya, and Igdania Lopez. We wish them well.

This is what is happening here in BECA.org in March. Stay tuned for more news next month.