The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) has opened the application period for the 2026 Mauro Fernández Acuña Award for Teaching Excellence. The award is open to teachers, administrative teaching staff, and technical-teaching personnel who have demonstrated outstanding professional performance.
Applications will be accepted from January 19 to February 27, 2026. According to the MEP, “This award constitutes the highest recognition granted by the MEP to teaching staff, administrative teaching staff or technical-teaching staff who have stood out for excellence in their professional performance.”
This year’s theme is “Equal opportunities in multicultural environments.” To participate, applicants must have developed a project, initiative, or activity related to this topic. These projects should have had an impact on students and their communities.
Details about the application process and forms are available on the MEP website at https://www.mep.go.cr/galardon-mauro-fernandez-acuna. The official regulations governing the award can be found in Decree No. 43517-MEP at https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=96908&nValor3=130062&strTipM=TC.
The official award ceremony is scheduled for the second half of April 2026.
Additionally, the Department of Documentation and Electronic Information (DDIE) under the Directorate of Technological Resources in Education (DRTE) at MEP has launched its new website: https://ddie.mep.go.cr/.
MEP also announced a significant investment in 19 educational centers that will participate in the National Sports Games Limón 2026. This selection was made jointly with the Costa Rican Institute of Sports as part of a public-public partnership.
For students completing their final year of primary and secondary education, MEP has prepared several online materials to support those taking the standardized national test expansion session in February.
