Bayan is a non-governmental organization founded in 1986 in the department of Gracias a Dios, Honduras. Bayan’s work focuses on three main areas: health, education, and economic empowerment. The Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial [Tutorial Learning System] (SAT) was developed in Colombia by the Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias [Foundation for the application and teaching of science] (FUNDAEC). SAT was created with the purpose of promoting development in the most disadvantaged rural areas of Colombia. It was later expanded to other countries such as Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras and Uganda. SAT arrived in Honduras through Bayan in 1996 and, in a matter of 5 years, SAT extended to 12 of the 18 departments (equivalent to States). In 2002, SAT was approved by the Ministry of Education and the Counsel for Higher Education, which provides SAT graduates the same recognition as the traditional public and private secondary programs.
SAT has proven to be an innovative and effective educational system in Honduras. Studies suggest that SAT empowers girls and women, promotes social responsibility, and has better academic outcomes compared to public traditional schools. The impact of SAT in Honduras was recognized when it was selected in 2008 by the United Nations Sustainable Development Council as one of the best practices in Sustainable Development worldwide. It was also recently selected by the Brookings Institution as one of the 12 most effective large-scale interventions around the world.