The Ministry of Education and the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (AMHON) today presented the Champions for Education awards to more than 100 municipalities for developing and implementing best practices aimed at improving educational indicators.
The initiative was led by the Ministry of Education, AMHON, and the Ministry of Governance, Justice and Decentralization, with the technical and financial support of UNICEF Honduras, UNDP, and other strategic partners.
Minister of Education, Professor Daniel Esponda, stated that this is “the healthiest competition in the country.” He added that true transformation in the education system begins at the municipal level, noting that through this joint effort with AMHON, many local realities are being transformed and school enrollment has been accelerated thanks to the Champions for Education initiative.
A total of 102 municipalities received a diploma under the slogan “Educated Municipality, Developed Municipality.”
Throughout this process, municipalities showcased good practices such as: door-to-door outreach to identify out-of-school children and respond to their needs, improvements to school infrastructure, teacher subsidies through community agreements, establishment of free school transport routes, and provision of school supplies and scholarships.
In addition, a multilevel governance mechanism was established to improve coordination between national and local authorities, with the aim of boosting school enrollment. The initiative also introduced an evaluation practice and an information system to monitor progress and results.
Educational management capacities were strengthened in 42 municipalities, and an interactive municipal education data platform was developed. More than 102 educational best practices have been systematized across Honduras.
AMHON President, Nelson Castellanos, described the day as “historic,” saying: “Today we celebrate a shared dream—seeing our children in school, learning, smiling, and believing in a better future.”
He highlighted that 102 mayors have reached their goals, earning this high distinction and proving themselves to be true Champions for Education.
“You have shown that education is not only proclaimed in speeches—it is built every day through will, credibility, and collective effort,” he emphasized.
Municipal funds made it possible to subsidize 1,031 teachers, construct over 720 schools, and implement more than 414 water and sanitation projects. This year alone, over 142,000 children received school supplies, free transport, scholarships, and medical care.
Furthermore, 231,000 students have benefited from the Educational Networks Development Project.
Castellanos affirmed that this is now a national movement for education, and called for planning to begin for the second edition of the Champions for Education awards.
Over the course of a year, municipalities actively committed to advancing local education, making significant progress in promoting resource investment, strengthening educational management, increasing school enrollment, improving student retention, and implementing effective practices.
Under the motto “To educate is to develop,” the 102 municipalities strengthened leadership in their local communities, deepened collaboration with departmental, municipal, and district education offices, and built closer ties with citizens.
This recognition provides municipalities with a tool for advocacy, legitimacy, community cohesion, and collective purpose-building.
It is worth noting that this initiative represents a high-impact strategic effort for local development.
Original publication: https://honduras.un.org/es/300354-m%C3%A1s-de-100-municipios-reciben-el-reconocimiento-%E2%80%9Cmunicipios-campeones-por-la-educaci%C3%B3n%E2%80%9D
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
