In Peru, access to higher education remains both limited and unequal. Over the last decade, the share of young people in poverty entering higher education increased from 7.8% to 9.6%. While financial aid programs such as Beca 18 have expanded access, more than 70% of high school graduates do not access higher education, increasing the likelihood of informal employment and, for girls, early unions and motherhood. These outcomes are shaped not only by financial constraints but also by weak academic foundations, limited access to information about post-secondary options, and gendered expectations that influence adolescents’ educational decisions.
Tambogrande, a district in northern Peru where this pilot is implemented, reflects these challenges. There, 59% of the population lives in rural areas under poverty conditions. School completion remains fragile, with only 75% of adolescents finishing secondary school. Learning outcomes are also low: only 10% of students reach expected levels in reading and 14% in mathematics.
In this context, many adolescents express aspirations to continue their education or enter the labor market; however, they often lack access to clear information, support networks, and structured guidance to translate these aspirations into concrete and viable post-secondary plans. This situation underscores the need to strengthen students’ readiness for the transition from secondary school by providing academic, socio-emotional, and vocational guidance.
The Youth Academy is implemented in public secondary schools during the final 2 years of secondary education. Students voluntarily participate in after-school sessions that combine 3 integrated components: academic remedial education in communication and mathematics, socio-emotional skill development, and vocational guidance.
Academic sessions strengthen foundational learning through regular tutoring delivered by specialist teachers. Socio-emotional workshops, facilitated by a psychologist, focus on skills such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, collaboration, persistence, and effective communication.
The program also provides vocational exposure through mentoring, workplace visits, and guided exploration of post-secondary options, including universities, technical institutes, and career pathways. Families and schools are engaged through regular coordination and information sessions to support students’ educational decisions.
Together, these components create a structured support system that helps students strengthen their academic foundations, build socio-emotional skills, and gain clarity about their post-secondary trajectories.
The Youth Academy draws on earlier implementation experience by Enseña Perú working with secondary students in Áncash. These experiences generated practical learning about how to support adolescents as they consider their post-secondary pathways and highlighted the importance of combining academic support, socio-emotional development, and exposure to future opportunities.
Building on these insights, the model is now being piloted in Tambogrande, Piura. The pilot is implemented in coordination with local secondary schools and the Local Education Authority (UGEL), which have shown strong interest in participating and supporting the initiative. This phase focuses on testing a more structured design and generating evidence about its feasibility and early outcomes.
To implement the Youth Academy, schools or education partners would work with secondary schools to offer structured support during the final years of secondary education. The program is delivered through after-school sessions that combine academic reinforcement in communication and mathematics, socio-emotional skill development, and vocational guidance.
Implementation requires coordination with school leaders, teachers, and local education authorities to adapt the schedule to the school context and students’ availability. A small team typically includes specialist teachers to provide academic support, a facilitator or psychologist to lead socio-emotional workshops, and coordination with local partners to organize mentoring and exposure to post-secondary opportunities.
The model is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to rural and urban contexts. Close engagement with families and schools helps ensure that students can participate consistently and receive the guidance needed to explore their post-secondary pathways.
