The Superate Program was founded by the Sagrera Palomo Foundation  in El Salvador in 2004.  With private sector funding, Superate serves underprivileged students from public schools, ages 13 through18, who have demonstrated high academic performance and who have a high desire and potential for self-improvement.

The three-year program complements the public school curriculum with English, computer and values courses. Students attend classes for a period of four hours a day, six days a week, either before or after the regular school day.  Through the English and computer curriculum, Superate provides students with the critical skill-sets needed to help them make a successful transition to higher education or promising job opportunities after high school.  The course on values addresses the growing concern for youth-at-risk in the country, given that students come from areas affected by crime and violence.  Students learn leadership skills, problem solving techniques and conflict resolution alternatives.

Through an alliance with the Sagrera Palomo Foundation and Microsoft, USAID provides $3 million in matching funds to expand the program with three additional centers in El Salvador.  Both USAID and Microsoft will continue to support the program under this agreement through 2018.

The Supérate program works in coordination with the Ministry of Education, recruiting students from public schools to complete the three-year program, parallel to their public school curricula.  Ninety-eight percent of the students participating in the program either continue with superior education or are employed at the time of graduation.

Given its success, other private companies in El Salvador established centers and the model has been replicated in Panama and Nicaragua.  As of this year the program has more than 1,200 active students and 10 Centers (seven in El Salvador, supported by USAID, two in Panama and one in Nicaragua). There are currently more than 1,200 graduates.  The majority have successfully obtained university scholarships and/or employment