School Profiles

Principal Officer Martin Healy with Director Emma M. Peña and a group of students from the Primero de Mayo Institute

 Instituto Primero de Mayo de 1954, competing for the “Honduran Dream”

Principal Officer Martin Healy and Econ Advisor Lila Roman visited the Puerto Cortes area high school Institute Primero de Mayo April 27, as part of a tour of schools involved in the Honduran Dream contest.

Institute Director Emma M. Peña, Coordinator of Distance Learning Programs Nora Recarte Ocampo, and Secretary  Karoll Zavala led a tour of school facilities and a roundtable discussion with students involved in the program.  "This program gives us an opportunity, a way to show we can develop good jobs and good products," said one student in a group of more than 15 girls that met with the U.S. delegation.

The Honduran Dream contest challenges 12 San Pedro Sula high schools to develop the best business plan with $5,000 - about the same amount it costs to go to the U.S. illegally.  The Primero de Mayo team is part of the school's Distance Learning program, since many of the students work during the day and can only attend classes at night and on weekends. 

"These young women are the future of Honduras, that much is clear," said Martin Healy.

Principal Officer Martin Healy with a student from the Instituto Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Google or Pringles? Students demonstrate new concept in effort to achieve the "Honduran Dream"

Puerto Cortes, April 27. The U.S. Embassy Principal Economic Officer Martin Healy visited Instituto Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was shown a series of concepts that may soon be used to start a small business.

A group of ten students demonstrated the business ideas for the Honduran Dream contest, a competition among 12 San Pedro Sula area high schools to find the best small business plan.  “This contest gives us the opportunity to practice what we have learned, and the possibility that our business project might become a reality,” said one of the students.  "We could end up being the next Google, or Pringles."  The school currently has over 20 small businesses underway in their Business Projects department.

The Honduran Dream contest offers the winner of the best business plan a $5,000 award - about the same amount that a migrant would need to enter the U.S. illegally from Honduras.   

“We established the Honduran Dream contest to encourage Honduran youth to develop entrepreneurial skills and, more importantly, build confidence in their future here in Honduras,” said Martin Healy. (Go to dream Center)