SAT EN - Fundaec

SAT

Tutorial Learning System

The SAT program is more than just a secondary education program—it is an educational innovation that expands the very meaning of learning. At its core, SAT helps young people understand their role as promoters of community well-being, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and vision to engage meaningfully with the processes of community life and contribute to its advancement.

What makes SAT unique is its integrative approach. Its texts are designed not only to teach academic content, but also to connect theory with practice, traditional wisdom with modern knowledge, the abstract with the concrete, and the spiritual with the material. The program bridges the social and the technical, with all learning oriented toward service, productive work, and community development.

Core Components

The SAT system is designed to be flexible and adaptable, making it possible to implement in a wide variety of local contexts. Its main components include:

Curriculum – A carefully developed set of texts that encourage dialogue, inquiry, and a deep connection between knowledge and practice.

Student Groups – A collaborative learning community where young people study the texts together and carry out real-world projects.

The Tutor – A trained guide who accompanies the group, helping students connect academic learning with community life.

Interdisciplinary Team – Provides administrative and technical coordination to support a defined network of SAT groups across one or more communities.

Local Institution – A development or educational institution formally responsible for implementing SAT in its region.

Collaboration with FUNDAEC – Ensures ongoing curriculum development, training of tutors, and the preparation of advisors and coordinators.

The SAT in Colombia

COLOMBIA

The SAT program has been implemented through the joint efforts of FUNDAEC and numerous institutions that, in each region, have studied its content and methodology, contextualized it, contributed to its refinement, and worked with educational authorities to secure its application and funding. Over time, SAT has reached 46% of Colombia’s municipalities, in collaboration with approximately 60 public and private organizations.

The SAT Around the World

Over the course of five decades, SAT has transformed the lives of more than 300,000 students and was, at one point, officially recognized as a secondary education system by the governments of Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.

Beyond these countries, SAT’s materials are being applied successfully through the Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program, which today operates in 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, serving over 10,000 participants.

Awards and Recognitions

The international impact of SAT has been recognized through multiple honors, including:
- European Expo (2000): SAT represented Colombia as an innovative development initiative.
- Change the World – Best Practice Award (2002): Presented by the Club of Budapest.
- Brookings Institute (2016): Featured among the top 12 global programs and policies in the landmark report Millions Learning: Scaling Up Quality Education in Developing Countries.
United Nations (2018): Selected as one of 20 global educational solutions—and one of only 9 recommended for scaling—within the Generation Unlimited initiative.

Key Statistics

Reached more than 300,000 students worldwide.
Built a network of around 60 organizations implementing SAT or applying its pedagogical approach.
Historical presence in about 500 municipalities across Colombia.
Official recognition as a secondary education system in five countries: Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.
Gave rise to the Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural (CUBR), which trained and professionalized over 1,000 undergraduate teachers and more than 270 postgraduate teachers.
Educational materials are being applied in 17 countries, reaching more than 10,000 participants through the PSA program.

Indicators of Impact

Creation of micro-enterprises that strengthen local economies.
Training that supports democratic participation and civic responsibility.
Strengthening family life through values-based education.
Increased participation in local organizations and community structures.
Broad participation of women as students, tutors, and leaders.
Tangible improvements in community well-being.
Expanded options for education and employment.
Formation in values for building a more just and cohesive society.
Outstanding results in national standardized tests.

References:

CONOCE MÁS SOBRE EL SAT

Characteristics

The Tutorial Learning System (SAT) brings together a set of conceptual and practical features that give it the character of a true educational innovation:

A spirit of inquiry: SAT awakens in students a deep interest in research, motivating them to study their community’s problems in depth and to rely on science to seek practical, meaningful solutions with commitment and enthusiasm.
Integration of theory and practice: Learning is constantly linked to real life, restoring the school’s true role as an active partner in the community.
A fusion of knowledge systems: Traditional wisdom and modern science are brought into dialogue, generating a harmonious exchange of perspectives.
Abstract and concrete learning combined: Complex concepts are connected with hands-on activities, ensuring knowledge is both rigorous and relevant.
Interconnected knowledge areas: Disciplines are integrated whenever the specific capacity or attitude being developed requires it, preventing fragmentation of learning.
Intellectual and spiritual growth: SAT emphasizes not only academic achievement but also moral and spiritual development, reflected in the daily practice of universal values and the pursuit of a better, more just society.
Collaborative pedagogy: Relationships are not hierarchical but collective—students and tutors work side by side to face real problems, cultivating dialogue and self-learning as central to the process.
Community-based learning groups: A SAT group is both a study circle and a group of neighbors who share opportunities and challenges. Here, dialogue is both an educational goal and a method of formation.
Flexible, personalized structure: The tutorial model allows students to advance at their own pace, making SAT open and adaptable to different contexts.
Tutors from the community: Tutors belong to the same community or region, which ensures strong commitment and deep knowledge of local realities.
Education without displacement: SAT enables students to remain rooted in their socio-cultural environment, avoiding long commutes or disconnection from their communities.
Learning tied to service and work: Study is directly linked to productive activities and community advancement, always carried out with a spirit of service.
Texts grounded in rural realities: SAT employs its own educational materials, developed through action-research processes. These texts guide students, with the tutor’s support, to validate existing knowledge while generating new insights.
Replicable and adaptable: The program can be easily adopted by other organizations with missions similar to FUNDAEC’s, which then work to integrate it into government programs that improve quality and expand educational access.
Cost-effective and community-based: SAT does not require major infrastructure. It makes use of existing community facilities and maintains costs below standard per-student benchmarks—while delivering high-quality, contextually relevant education.

Levels of SAT

The Tutorial Learning System (SAT) is structured into three progressive levels, each lasting two years: Impulsor, Práctico, and Bachiller en Bienestar Rural. The SAT is a stackable modular educational program comprising three stand-alone yet interconnected levels increasing levels of knowledge, skill, and leadership.

Impulsor: Graduates at this level are trained to improve productive projects—whether in their own small farms or in those of their neighbors—contributing directly to household and community food security.
Práctico: Building on the abilities of the Impulsor, graduates can take on broader responsibilities for the common good. They are able to organize health and environmental projects, lead recreational activities, work with children, and promote cooperative production. Both the Impulsor and Práctico levels are officially recognized by law as equivalent to lower secondary education.
Bachiller en Bienestar Rural: At this advanced stage, graduates are prepared to engage in more complex organizations and to design and lead long-term initiatives—whether in productive enterprises or community development projects—becoming catalysts for sustainable rural progress.

The SAT Curriculum

The curriculum is built around 70 carefully developed texts, which move beyond the conventional subjects of secondary education. Instead, they focus on five fundamental areas of human capacity:

Mathematics
Science
Language and Communication
Technology
Community Service

Two core educational principles give the curriculum its distinctive strength:

Curricular Integration – Disciplines are interconnected whenever a particular capacity requires it. Learning integrates theory and practice, abstract reasoning and concrete application, as well as the material and spiritual dimensions of the student. The latter is reflected in the student’s desire to learn not only for personal advancement but also to serve others, cultivating moral values and essential qualities of character.
Emphasis on Concepts over Information – Rather than focusing on memorization, the curriculum prioritizes a deep understanding of concepts. This equips students to analyze critically, apply scientific knowledge thoughtfully, and use their learning to foster both personal growth and the advancement of their communities.

Organizational Structure

The SAT system is built on five interconnected elements, each playing a vital role in ensuring that education remains rooted in community life while maintaining academic rigor and practical impact.

The SAT Group
Composed of about 20 young people and adults from one or more villages, the group serves as the primary learning community. Together, they pursue lower and upper secondary studies, guided by a tutor, while engaging in projects that connect learning with everyday life.
The Tutor
More than just an instructor, the tutor is a guide and companion in the learning process. Using the SAT texts, tutors help students investigate real-life questions, clarify doubts, reflect on lived experiences, and connect theory with practice. They also supervise experiments and community service, ensuring that knowledge translates into meaningful action.
Field Coordination
Managed by the institution implementing SAT in a given region, coordination is usually carried out by an interdisciplinary team of educators and professionals—including specialists in agricultural and livestock production. Coordinators strengthen and reorient tutors’ work, while also assisting the local institution with administrative and managerial responsibilities to ensure quality and consistency.
The Local Development or Educational Institution
Each SAT program is anchored in a local organization committed to advancing one or more aspects of rural well-being. These institutions partner formally with FUNDAEC through an agreement that establishes shared responsibility for implementation. They contribute by adapting and improving curricular content, monitoring academic and practical activities, and securing support and financial resources from municipal and departmental governments.
FUNDAEC
At the heart of the structure, FUNDAEC plays a unifying role. Its responsibilities include systematizing the knowledge generated through SAT—both in technical content and in management practices—while designing ways to integrate these lessons back into the program’s evolution. FUNDAEC also authorizes the use of SAT texts, provides training for tutors and staff, and offers ongoing guidance to strengthen implementation and innovation.

Coverage

Since its adoption in 1988 by a growing network of public and private organizations, the SAT program has evolved into a pioneering rural education system. What began as a localized initiative has expanded into a movement that has transformed opportunities for young people in underserved regions.

Today, SAT has reached more than 300,000 students in Colombia and across Latin America, offering not just access to secondary education but a model that links learning directly with community development. Through this expansion, SAT has become a proven example of how education can drive social transformation, inspire self-reliance, and equip rural populations with the tools to shape their own futures.

Legal Recognition

Over the years, Colombia’s education authorities at the national, departmental, and municipal levels have formally recognized and approved the SAT program.

In its early stages, authorizations were granted directly to FUNDAEC, which was responsible for developing the curriculum and validating each level of the educational ladder within the framework of its Action-Research-Learning methodology—first in Northern Cauca, and soon after in Valle del Cauca.

As the program expanded, the institutions that adopted SAT in their regions initially operated under FUNDAEC’s licenses and approvals. At the same time, they advanced their own processes with local departments of education to secure independent, official recognition, ensuring that SAT could be formally established and sustained across diverse contexts

Chronology of licenses and approval acts issued directly to FUNDAEC by the Ministry of National Education

Number	Date	Subject
4730	April 1978	Authorizes the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science (FUNDAEC) to implement an experimental program for Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education.
11049	August 4, 1978	Grants approval for the first course of the first stage of the Experimental Plan being carried out in the village of La Arrobleda, Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), by FUNDAEC.
1121	February 7, 1979	Grants approval for the second course of the first stage of the Experimental Plan being carried out in La Arrobleda, Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), by FUNDAEC.
01278	February 4, 1980	Grants approval for the third course of the first stage of the Experimental Plan being carried out in La Arrobleda, Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), by FUNDAEC. Article Two of this Resolution states: “The Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science (FUNDAEC), based on this approval, may award the title of Agricultural High School Graduate (Bachiller Agropecuario) to students who have completed and passed the corresponding courses.”
2393	March 25, 1988	Grants approval for the studies corresponding to the IMPULSOR Level, equivalent to grades 6 and 7 of Lower Secondary Education, with an agricultural orientation, which FUNDAEC has been implementing in rural communities across various municipalities in the country and which will soon be extended further.
0116	March 12, 1996	Authorizes experimentation and defines the criteria for the development of the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) as a strategy for Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education in the Department of Valle del Cauca.

Approval Resolutions Issued by Departmental and Municipal Secretaries of Education

Approval Resolutions Issued by Departmental and Municipal Secretaries of Education

Number	Date	Subject
4963	September 27, 1991	By which the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) is recognized as a strategy for Basic Secondary and Vocational Middle Education in the Department of Santander, and its operation is regulated, issued by the Government of Santander.
0281	May 28, 1993	By which the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) is adopted for the development of the Baccalaureate in Rural Well-Being in the Department of Risaralda, issued by the Government of Risaralda.
1052	March 18, 1994	By which the SAT is adopted for the development of the Baccalaureate in Rural Well-Being in the Department of Antioquia, issued by the Government of Antioquia.
669	June 21, 1994	By which the SAT is adopted for the development of the Baccalaureate in Rural Well-Being in the Department of Tolima. Ibagué, Secretariat of Education and Culture of the Department of Tolima.
001339	December 18, 1995	By which the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) is adopted for the development of the Baccalaureate in Rural Well-Being in the Department of Norte de Santander, issued by the Government of Norte de Santander.
0116	March 12, 1996	By which experimentation is authorized and criteria are defined for the development of the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) as a strategy for Basic Secondary and Middle Education in the Department of Valle del Cauca, issued by the Secretariat of Education of Valle del Cauca.
0238	May 21, 2001	By which the Tutorial Learning System (SAT) is adopted in the Department of Putumayo, issued by the Government of Putumayo.
1645	September 2, 2002	By which criteria are defined for the functioning of the SAT in the Department of Cauca, issued by the Secretariat of Education and Culture of Cauca.

Decrees and Ordinances Authorizing the Creation of Educational Institutions with the SAT Methodology

Decrees and Ordinances Authorizing the Creation of Educational Institutions with the SAT Methodology

Number	Date	Subject
008	August 11, 1993	Decree implementing the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) in the Department of Santander to expand secondary and vocational education in the rural sector, issued by the Government of Santander.
699	November 30, 1993	Decree approving studies of an experimental nature and granting approval for a two-year period to the Impulsor and Práctico levels of the SAT Rural Well-being Baccalaureate, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education of Risaralda.
009073	September 21, 1994	Decree establishing criteria for the functioning of the SAT in the Department of Antioquia, issued by the Department of Education and Culture of Antioquia.
823	November 22, 1996	Decree granting approval of studies under the framework of educational innovations for grades 10 and 11 of the SAT Rural Well-being Baccalaureate, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education of Risaralda.
814	October 29, 1997	Decree granting approval of studies for the 1997 academic year for grades 10 and 11 of the official SAT Rural Well-being Baccalaureate program, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education of Risaralda.
237	May 25, 1999	Decree granting a license to operate and develop the SAT Rural Well-being Baccalaureate program in Risaralda, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education of Risaralda.

Resolutions for the Creation of Educational Establishments with the SAT Modality

Resolutions for the Creation of Educational Establishments with the SAT Modality

Number	Date	Subject
0566	March 21, 1996	Resolution granting an Initial License to begin operations and functioning of the Instituto Docente de Educación Formal Campesina “Francisco de Asís”, with a Rural Well-being modality using the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) for rural campesino education, issued by the Government of Caquetá.
3384	September 15, 1999	Resolution granting official recognition of studies to the educational institution Centro Docente en Bienestar Rural, located in the township of Papayal Cajambre, Municipality of Buenaventura, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education.
3385	September 15, 1999	Resolution granting official recognition of studies to the educational institution Centro Docente de Bienestar Rural, located in the township of San Antonio Yurumanguí, Municipality of Buenaventura, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education.
004059	November 26, 1999	Resolution granting official recognition of studies to the educational institution Centro Docente Bachillerato en Bienestar Social, located in the township of San Antoñito, Municipality of Buenaventura, issued by the Departmental Secretariat of Education of Valle del Cauca.

USO DE NUESTROS MATERIALES EN EL MUNDO

SAT