Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in significant educational initiatives at a variety of levels around the globe. As is the case in many developing nations, NGOs in Nicaragua are assisting the state with social service provision in vital areas such as education. NGOs in Nicaragua have stepped in to purchase land, pay public school teachers’ salaries, build public schools, and provide classroom supplies and teaching materials. This study attempts to construct a general picture of the role NGOs play in education, and to portray the balance of NGO-state relations in Nicaragua.

This research was guided by two principal questions: (1) How are NGOs involved in Nicaraguan public primary education and what potential do they have for increasing educational opportunities for Nicaraguan youth? and (2) Since NGOs are not elected by communities and/or not contracted by the Ministry of Education for their services, and because they are sometimes foreign-initiated and run, how are they perceived and received by Nicaraguan teachers, community members, and Ministry of Education officials? To answer these questions, I conducted interviews with community members, and interviews and observations at departmental and municipal ministries of education, NGOs, schools, and the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education headquarters. My fieldwork focused primarily on the departments of León and Matagalpa; though significant data was gathered in Granada, Jinotega, and other departments.

Conceptual contributions of this dissertation include a look at the complexity of NGO-state relations, implications of NGO social service delivery, development aid and emergency assistance outcomes, and issues of poverty and access to education. Empirical findings provide a better understanding of the Nicaraguan context and issues in education, the types of activities NGOs engage in to improve access to education, and the views of Nicaraguan educators, community members, and Ministry of Education officials on NGOs working in their country.

Non-governmental organizations over the past three decades have been involved in important educational change efforts in Nicaragua. It is my goal to increase scholarly understanding of their work in education so as to contribute to more enlightened policies serving the great majority of Nicaraguan youth.