YOuth Development News
We believe that investing in and empowering young people is the most impactful way to facilitate long-lasting transformation in Nicaragua.
This page is designed for our scholarship sponsors and those interested in supporting our Youth Development programs. Here, you’ll find updates on the Youth Development Program, inspiring student stories, milestones, and behind-the-scenes highlights. See how your support is transforming lives and building brighter futures, one student at a time.
Stories of TRANSFORMATION
Claudio Osabas Espinoza
Leaders in Action & Amigos Baseball Academy
“But I’ll never forget the night of May 9, 2025 when everything changed.” Claudio, an 18-year-old scholarship student and athlete from Chinandega, once stood at what felt like the peak of his journey. He was thriving in school, excelling on the baseball field, and stepping confidently into his future. But behind that success, one difficult night led him into a season of anxiety, fear, and isolation that nearly pulled him away from everything he loved. What followed was not an easy road, but one marked by courage, support, and healing. Today, Claudio is not only continuing his studies and returning to the game he loves, but he’s also choosing to walk alongside others with a simple but powerful message: you’re not alone.
Maryam Oviedo Bordas
Amigos Academy
Maryam started at the academy in level one preschool in 2022. She lives in a rural community in Nicaragua with her parents and two younger siblings. Though she was a sweet and well-behaved child, Maryam rarely finished her meals and was malnourished. She suffered from immense anxiety, not allowing her teachers to approach her and struggling to make friends with other students.
Our health staff worked one-on-one with Maryam and her family, ruling out any medical concerns that could be the root of her malnutrition and developing strategies to increase her consumption of nourishing foods. Over the course of the 2025 school year, thanks to a specialized nutrition plan and her work with the school psychologist, Maryam gained weight and moved from malnourished to being underweight now being in the optimal nutrition range. Maryam is thriving at mealtimes and in the classroom now, and her parents are grateful for the intervention of the Student Health & Nutrition Program at the Amigos Academy for walking alongside and supporting Maryam’s health journey.
Kenia Valle Rivera
Leaders in Action
Kenia’s story begins in a community that looks very different today than it once did. At 28, she is a university student at UNAN-León, building a future not only for herself, but for her family and her community of La Grecia. She remembers a time when access to clean water was limited and opportunities felt out of reach, but through years of growth, support, and determination, she has witnessed a powerful transformation. Now, as a member of her community’s Youth Development Committee, Kenia spends her afternoons tutoring children in her yard, investing in the next generation with the same care she once received. Along the way, she’s discovered a deep love for teaching and a calling to create lasting change through education. Kenia’s story is a reflection of what’s possible when opportunity meets purpose—and how one life can begin to impact many.
Read more about Kenia’s story of transformation HERE on our blog
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Academy Updates
students
studying at the Amigos Academy!
Students from preschool all the way up to 7th grade are experiencing life transformation through quality education!
meals served
in our comedor allowing our students to focus on their spiritual, personal, and academic growth!
Attendance
everyday
at the
Amigos Academy!
Parent Involvement
Parents of the students at the Amigos Academy attended a meeting in April where they learned all about healthy foods and the importance of fueling our bodies with nutritious meals that will help students grow and thrive.
Construction Update
In March, we poured the floor for the second story of the middle school building at the Amigos Academy, which brings us one step closer to the completion of the amazing project.
The BeSt is yet to come
This year we are proud to have our first 7th grade class at the Amigos Academy. These students are paving the way for future generations who will have the opportunity to complete their secondary education at the Amigos Academy.
Leaders in Action
students
in the Leaders in Action program!
Students from 7th grade all the way up to the university are studying in the best schools in Nicaragua!
scholarship students from plan 7 communities
These students come from 20 different communities from all over the department of Chinandega.
extracurricular club meeting
offered to Leaders in Action students so far this year!
Baseball Club
This year, the Leaders in Action students have the opportunity to participate in different clubs where they can develop new abilities, such as baseball, all the while spending time with other students in the program.
Monthly Meetings
In March, we poured the floor for the second story of the middle school building at the Amigos Academy, which brings us one step closer to the completion of the amazing project.
Marketing Club
One of the other clubs available to our students is the Marketing club. In this club, students are learning about marketing and social media and will even have the opportunity to come up with their own small business.
Baseball Academy
players
in the Amigos Baseball Academy!
The program promotes teamwork, inclusion, Christian values, discipline, and healthy habits, setting up these young athletes to live purposeful lives.
players on scholarship
in our Leaders in Action program
practices
from January to April of this year!
Williamsport Tournament
Three of our teams were represented in this tournament . Our junior category team took first place in the tournament with 11 games won.
RBI Tournament
Our team in the junior category took first place and our team in the senior category took second place. Both of these teams won spots at the RBI Championships in Vero Beach this year.
Leaders in Action Students
There are now 30 students from the Amigos Baseball Academy on scholarship through the Leaders in Action program. These students are focused on their spiritual, personal, and professional growth on and off the field.
Sponsor-Student Encounters
This school year, we have been honored to welcome over 25 scholarship sponsors between Leaders in Action and the Amigos Academy! These visits create a powerful moment of connection—where students feel deeply encouraged by meeting those who believe in them, and sponsors witness firsthand the incredible impact their support makes. Together, during these meaningful moments, both students and sponsors are inspired and strengthened. We are excited for all the sponsors who will join us this year on a mission trip!
