Colegio Centro América

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The Colegio Centro América is a school located in Managua, Nicaragua. It was established in 1916 and serves as an Elementary, Middle, and High school. The school was created by the Jesuits in the city of Granada and quickly became the preferred boarding school for children of elite families. In time, the school became a very powerful institution, since it was the best networking site for social and business life among the rich. Aside from its social and economic impact on children of rich families, the school provided an excellent education, since its teachers--especially those in the priesthood--were highly qualified and very dedicated.

During the 40's, 50's and 60's the school was very effective in educating the business elite during a period of rapid agricultural transformation. Rapid agricultural growth made Nicaragua into the breadbasket for Central America and many of the school graduates became powerful farmers and ranchers, with strong political and economic influence.

The school had a different--albeit a more powerful--influence during the 70's, a decade where socialism was considered as a necessary mean to bring people out of poverty. The Colegio Centro America was a hotbed of ideas about liberation theology and about revolution. Given the social make up of its students, the school had a disproportionate influence over the ideology of many young men who were fighting against the Somoza dictatorship at the end of the decade.

The impact of the school on its students has remained strong; graduates of the 60's and 70's, for example, still cite the school as the main place where they formed their social and political conciousness. Allegiance to the school among graduates is as strong or stronger than allegiance to a university.

The school is now more open to themiddle class and it is still considered the best high school in the country in terms of education quality.