Realizing Equitable Access, Retention and Completion in Higher Education USAID/REACH Quarterly Report, Q1 FY24, October – December 2023

Operating in Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay from October 2022 to September 2027, REACH aims to strengthen local Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to design inclusive solutions addressing students' needs in prioritized specific geographical clusters. Collaborating with strategic partners and local HEIs, including Centro Universitario Tecnológico de Honduras of the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (CEUTEC/UNITEC), Universidad Mesoamericana (UMES), Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras (UTH), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), Fundación Paraguaya (FP), and Inclusive Development Partners (IDP), REACH aims to bring about equitable and inclusive access to higher education aligned with market demands. The progress this quarter showcases the Activity's commitment to student-centered intervention planning, stakeholder engagement, and establishing robust foundations for scholarship implementation. Ongoing efforts in subawards implementation, recruitment, and selection of participants set the stage for a dynamic trajectory that begins in fiscal year 2024. The first quarter (Q1) saw the approval and initiation of grant agreements with HEIs in Guatemala and Honduras, targeting 580 vulnerable youth. Pre-scholarship activities have been the work focus, including planning, partnerships, and student recruitment, emphasizing coaching and capacity-building activities. HEIs are actively engaged in refining work plans and operationalizing proposals. In Paraguay, FP has identified potential partners, initiated institutional visits and interviews, and worked on aligning educational offerings with labor market demands. By the end of the quarter, UMES and UTH successfully closed their call periods, witnessing substantial interest from over 1,300 young individuals, with a 59.3% representation of women. Approximately 30% reported disabilities or family responsibilities, while 40% identified as residents of rural areas, belonging to ethnic minorities, or victims of violence and conflict, or environmental crises. The proactive strategies employed by HEIs, such as targeted outreach, communication with community actors, and automation for data collection, have resulted in engagement and diverse applications. REACH also laid the groundwork by preparing for HEIs' capacity assessment and identifying student support services, contributing to future retention and completion efforts. REACH developed a Participatory Higher Education Assessment (PHA) tool, aligning with student-centered best practices, the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) framework, and input from HEIs. REACH's Activity Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP) was updated, incorporating cost indicators and utilizing the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Development Information Solution (DIS) for indicator registration. The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team continues to develop a robust system for timely data collection and analysis, incorporating cloud services, a Scholarship Module, and other modules for comprehensive monitoring. The MEL team also played a crucial role in the recruitment and selection process, contributing to vulnerability variable definition, institutional form reviews, and creating a poverty index. REACH prioritized inclusivity, designing evaluation instruments and support resources focusing on equity indicators. REACH engaged youth focus groups to validate the communication strategy and selected REACH's Spanish name, "ALCANZA," meaning “to pursue, or to reach something.” The Communication Strategy was completed during this quarter, and aligns audiences' needs with project objectives. Objectives include generating informative approaches, raising awareness about higher education opportunities (particularly technical education programs), influencing institutional policies, building relationships with a higher education key stakeholder network, and empowering youth. Tactics involve information management, a social change mechanism, and communication spaces for empowerment. The activity also successfully launched social media accounts (@alcanzajoven) on Instagram and Facebook, marking its public debut and gathering positive engagement. REACH aims to enhance access to higher education opportunities aligned to local labor market demands. REACH seeks to support vulnerable youth (17 to 29 years old) with limited socioeconomic resources, family responsibilities, belonging to ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ communities, victims of conflict or environmental crises, residents of rural areas, returned migrants, or those with disabilities. By strengthening the local capacities of HEIs, REACH intends to design solutions that improve access opportunities, quality, and relevance of Higher Education (HE) for these groups. Rather than just covering academic expenses, scholarships will facilitate students' participation in relevant programs that address their basic needs throughout their academic journey. This support encompasses food, housing, transportation, healthcare, technology, educational materials, and other essential resources crucial for their success. These programs will also prioritize enhancing students' overall well-being, integrated with early risk detection systems and support services. The implementation period for REACH is from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2027. Operations are underway in Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay. To effectively target