The Ministry of Education Public (MEP) in Costa Rica announced on Apr. 2 several activities and programs coinciding with World Autism Awareness Day, which is observed annually on April 2 as designated by the United Nations General Assembly since 2007.
This day highlights the importance of moving beyond awareness toward active inclusion of autistic individuals and recognizing their contributions to society. The theme for 2026, “Autism and humanity: every life has value,” emphasizes human dignity for people with autism and encourages appreciation for neurodiversity, creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives as foundational to more inclusive communities.
In addition to autism awareness efforts, MEP is also marking International Children’s Book Day—proclaimed by the International Board on Books for Young People since 1967—to foster a love of reading among children and youth. This initiative aims to inspire imagination and establish lifelong reading habits.
Costa Rica’s education sector is advancing with a new partnership between MEP and the Centro de Estudios y Capacitación Cooperativa (CENECOOP R.L.), which will provide 90,000 scholarships for training in artificial intelligence applied to education. These scholarships are intended for teachers, principals, and educational leaders across the country.
Other ongoing programs include continued support from ABCmouse, Aprende Inglés, and My Math Academy to enhance student learning. Additionally, educators participated in workshops at Universidad Estatal a Distancia’s Occidente campus using remote laboratories in physics, chemistry, and biology.
MEP also collaborated with the Consejo de Transporte Público (CTP) of MOPT to publish guidelines addressing violence or vulnerability among students using public transportation services. From March 23-27 this year, over 53 thousand final-year high school students from both public and private schools undertook standardized national diagnostic tests by subject.
Minister of Education Leonardo Sánchez Hernández encouraged students nationwide to read stories or write their own as part of this year’s school motto: “School shapes us; writing drives us; values guide us.”
These initiatives reflect Costa Rica’s commitment to inclusive education practices while promoting academic achievement through reading literacy campaigns.
