San Francisco Agricultural School Education that Pays for Itself Martin Burt TeachAManToFish /...

San Francisco Agricultural School

Education that Pays for Itself

Martin BurtTeachAManToFish /

Fundación Paraguaya

Fundación Paraguaya-TeachAManToFish The Financially Self-Sufficient School

Extraordinary Achievers

Jorge Guerrero, son number 10 of 19 siblings, was admitted to the San Francisco School in February 2004

The Financially Self-Sufficient School

He belongs to a typical Paraguayan rural community



Today, Jorge Guerrero runs his own business and is in the last year of Agricultural College




Today she works as a rural microfinance loan officer

Maricel Merlo, entered in 2006

Extraordinary Success

Class of 2008Within four months of graduation 100% of the Class of 2008 were:

In further education

Employed in good jobs

Starting their own businesses with

a micro loan



“Give a man a fish

and he’ll eat for a day.

Teach him how

to fish and he’ll eat

for a lifetime”Chinese Proverb (probably!)

Our Value Proposition

For underprivileged Paraguayan rural youth

…who are structurally unemployed

…the Financially Self-Sufficient School is an innovative educational institution

…which offers a multidisciplinary high quality technical-entrepreneurial training and

post-graduation follow/up

Unlike traditional development programs usually dependant on donations and

government subsidies,

…the financially self-sufficient school offers education that pays for it self

…and teaches not only marketable skills but also entrepreneurial and business skills

…as well as life skills; communication and interpersonal skills, self-awareness,

empathy, problem solving, coping with emotions and stress, decision-making

…and provides loans upon graduation for business ventures when needed


Extraordinary Results

This school has a budget of US$300,000

per year,

…yet it receives no government funding

…isn’t supported by the church or charity

….and it doesn’t rely on charging fees

…it relies on enterprise


Working Internationally

Replication: 65 organizations from 29 countriesMembers network: Over 1200 members in more than 110 countries


Education Today

There are two real problems with the current education system in most developing countries


Quality: It’s not relevant to the needs of young people

Availability: Supply is limited by a lack of resources

The Traditional Approach

Lacking Relevancy Emphasis on the wrong subjects Subjects taught primarily from a theoretical

perspective in classrooms

Unreliable or inequitable funding Government funding is often insufficient

and unreliable Reliance on fees excludes poorer students


The Education that pays for itself approach

Using entrepreneurship, to deliver a social good...

education “People have been growing tomatoes in South America for

15,000 years but they’re still poor. We need to teach people how to make money out of farming”

TeachAManToFish partner


Relevancy & Resources

The innovative model combines teaching agriculture and developing business skills within school-owned enterprises which bring the schools extra

incomeFundación Paraguaya-TeachAManToFish


So How Does it Work?

TeachAManToFish The Financially Self-Sufficient School

Students learn the underlying concepts of business and agriculture alongside general education



Then during field-based classes

they learn how these concepts work in practice & how to use them



“Learning by doing and earning” they gain the practical technical skills needed to master each discipline



Rotating through the school’s 17 business units, specializing, and taking on greater responsibilities



Managing financial transactions, monitoring profitability, learning to market and sell their produce

Educational principles


Learning toEarn Money

Learning toUndertake

Learning toDo

Learning toLearn

Learning tolive together

Learning toBe

Drawing up a Business Plan (Break-even point analysis, projections, basic flow charts, market research)

Drive & initiative – Self-management – Setting personal goals – Spirit of research and analysis

Acting with resolution – Technical and vocational training for work

Handling of cognitive strategies and goals

Social integration with others – Participation in groups – Democratic leadership – Acceptance of sociocultural diversity

Autonomy – Moral Judgement – Personal Responsibility - Communication

Educational curriculum


General Education Common Courses

Agricultural Technologies Entrepreneurial Education

Physics-chemistry-mathematics

Cattle and small animals Entrepreneurship

Ethics-Psychology Agriculture Banks in action

Spanish-Guaraní-English Gardening Business simulators

Sociology- Anthropology Pastures The Company

History-Geography Fruit growing and forestry The Cooperative

Economics Equipment and agricultural devices

Market fairs

Social and personal development

Agricultural machineries Entrepreneurs´ Forums

P.E. Agricultural economy Internet

Community service Rural administration Internships

... and working with renewable energy


Solar energy, in the rural hotel and at the kitchen of the boarding area of the school

Bio-digester, for cooking and for learning the use of biogas



Leading to a nationally recognized school leavers qualification…

…but more importantly transforming children from poor farming families into highly trained, self-motivated, young rural entrepreneurs.

From financial sustainability to social transformation, this approach really does offer an education that pays for itself.

Just ask the Class of 2009!


Self-Sufficient SchoolsThe Social Enterprise Solution!

www.fundacionparaguaya.org.pywww.teachamantofish.org.uk


http://www.teachamantofish.org.uk/








San Francisco Agricultural School Education that Pays for Itself Martin Burt TeachAManToFish /...

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