What does Fundación SUMATE do as part of Hogar de Cristo in Chile?
It works with youth who have experienced educational exclusion, interrupted schooling (a gap of 2 years or more), and socioeconomic vulnerability. Many face a complex web of overlapping barriers to meaningful employment and further education. These barriers include learning gaps, limited access to vocational training, weak labor market connections, and scarce opportunities to build a realistic pathway to adulthood.
Multiple factors trigger educational exclusion, including: low-income families, poverty, negative experiences in the school system, school gaps, absenteeism, grade repetition, single parenting, parents’ education levels, early pregnancy, caregiving for siblings, domestic violence, bullying, stigmatization, drug/alcohol use, and the need for flexible work schedules to support family income.
How does SUMATE work?
The SUMATE option integrates vocational training into a specialized educational model for youth returning to school. Students complete their secondary education while learning a certified trade, such as Gastronomy, Banqueting, or Aesthetics. The model delivers learning through hands-on practice, socio-emotional development, mentoring, and partnerships with companies and training institutions. It combines education, vocational skills, job readiness, and individualized support, enabling young people to reconnect with learning while building practical tools for their future.
The model has already scaled substantially. In 2026, nearly 1,000 students are participating in vocational training at Súmate’s three Re-entry Schools, and 482 are expected to earn vocational certification. In addition, 100 students have participated in corporate mentoring programs, gaining workplace exposure, professional role models, insight into employment expectations, and practical skills for entering the labor market. This scale shows the model can move beyond a single pilot and be implemented systematically across schools.
An innovative model with 30+ years of experience.
The initiative is particularly innovative in the Chilean context. No other educational centers in Chile currently offer the same combination of features as Súmate’s Re-entry Schools: flexible formal education, individualized psychosocial support, vocational training, socio-emotional development, and pathways to employment and further education.
The need for the Súmate model and its expertise is increasingly recognized nationwide. More than 70,000 children and young people ages 14 to 21 are currently out of school in Chile. Congress is considering a bill to establish a publicly funded educational re-entry modality. If approved, Chile could significantly expand access to specialized re-entry schools and programs. In this context, Súmate’s more than 30 years of experience in this field have positioned the organization to share knowledge, methodologies, and implementation experience in developing this new national modality.
The Re-entry SUMATE schools are located in the communes of Renca, La Granja, and Maipú in Santiago.
Costs per student:
The impact.
Help youth not only return to education but also complete their studies, gain recognized vocational skills, strengthen their employability, and build sustainable pathways to employment and further education, enabling them to pursue their dreams and life projects. We also aim to demonstrate how this model can inform and strengthen Chile’s broader response to educational exclusion.
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