Providing University Scholarships for talented marginalized youth in Ecuador - Batch 1 SUMMARY 
The project aims to contribute to the successful integration of 25 vulnerable youth, with a focus on young women, into the labour market in Ecuador by giving them the opportunity to access university education and become professionals in the area of Santa Elena or nearby provinces. In particular for youth from ethnic minorities including young women it is very difficult to access and complete tertiary education due to their social, cultural and economic backgrounds. Selected youth will be provided with scholarships and act as role models for their communities. They will be coached and mentored while studying and will receive additional life skills training on topics such as presentation and leadership, financial literacy, gender roles, sexual reproductive health and rights, career guidance. The project is implemented by Plan International Ecuador in collaboration with various respected universities in Ecuador. It started in March 2015 and will run for 5 years. Poverty levels in Ecuador remain high with a percentage of 37,1% and extreme poverty of 14.11%; and raises at alarming levels in remote provinces like Santa Elena, where 61.9% of the population live in poverty  (INEC- Censo 2010), and 29.9% in extreme poverty.
In this province, out of 100 children attending primary school, 50.4% are boys and 49.6% are girls. However, when looking at the numbers for secondary education, this gender gap deepens bringing it up to 54% of teenage boys and 46% of teenage girls having enrolled. At university level, despite the fact that there are no official numbers, this tendency worsens due to youth pregnancy and limited family income. 
Additionally, the low quality of secondary education in Santa Elena doesn’t allow students to succeed at the national university entry exam. Therefore, most of the local university students come from other provinces, and the curriculum options offered by these universities do not match local market needs.  
Santa Elena needs to prepare professionals for jobs related to its geographical reality and the local industry. Youngsters with no studies have more difficulties finding decent jobs, giving back to their communities, breaking the cycle of poverty and climbing the socio-economic ladder, and helping to build a healthy and strong country. Most of the economically active population in Santa Elena is underemployed, with rates reaching up to 73.3% for women and 63.6% for men, and unemployment rates of 11% for women and 8.3% for men. Based upon pre set selection criteria appropiate students will be selected by Plan Ecuador. Students will then be supported to take the required entry test to enter university. If they pass they will start with their chosen study, which should qualify as labour market relevant as assessed through a market assessement exercise done by Plan. Students will then be mentored, guided and supported while going through their academic year, both in financial terms as in life skills training. Upon graduation students will be supported to the world of work. Upon signing a employee contract at least 50% of the students will start contributing to the revolving fund as agreed beforehand to ensure new students can enter the program. Universities, employers and alumni will be actively involved in the program to strengthen it and ensure sustainability. Since 2015, Plan Ecuador has been developing scholarship programs aimed to support students to complete high school, but, even though they are intelligent and motivated, they have not been able to access to higher education due to the lack of economic resources. Research on what careers students can pursue if they get a scholarship to cover their expenses (transportation, food, internet, study materials) has been carried out as they live in communities far away from universities and come from low-income families that are not able to pay those indirect fees. Students usually come from single-teacher schools, therefore, their levels of knowledge about basic sciences (maths, physics, geometry and chemistry) are low so it is necessary to establish partnerships with universities to provide students with extra tutoring in order for them to acquire all the required knowledge. Strengthen the family is necessary in order for them to support students. Parents usually only finished elementary school, however, they value education and want their sons and daughters to go to university. The process of change done by this project is very important as it allows students from low-income families to change their family history by being the first ones to access to higher education and they will likely generate greater income. 25 Mixed-race youngsters from poor households who are living in the Province of Santa Elena (in an area where Plan is working) and are between 17 and 25 years old and are not benefiting from another educational grant. Delivering monthly scholarships to 23 students. Carrying out family visits to address situations such as: low academic performance, indiscipline, low motivation, death of relatives. Monthly meetings with the Student Scholarship Network in order to exchange ideas on how to improve interaction between Plan scholarship holders and the community in general, to disseminate the scholarships project, and to motivate other young people to pursue university studies. Monthly meetings with teachers to monitor attendance and academic performance.  Facilitating "Dialogue First” workshops aimed at strengthening assertive communication.  Facilitating theater-improvisation workshops aimed to develop authenticity and overcome fear.  Organizing workshops on interviews with the objective of increasing the chances of success of jobseekers, in situations of job interviews, providing theoretical and practical knowledge. Havnig a debate on self-esteem and gender equality.  	Organizing youth entrepreneurship fairs where 10 productive undertakings developed by participants of the university scholarships project will be exhibited. Partnerships with the Santa Elena University and the Private Technical University of Loja have been established in order for them to provide students from low-income families who are participating in our projects with scholarships. Also an strategy to seek funds through private corporations is being designed.