The Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador (BCR) held the award ceremony for the 2024 High School Technical Research Competition, themed “The Contribution of Population and Housing Censuses to Public Policy Design.” This national contest was open to students from public and private schools across the country.
The event was led by the BCR’s president, Douglas Rodríguez, and vice president, Hazel González, who presented full university scholarships to the top ten winners of the research competition.
“The winners will be able to choose any university in the country, as well as the field of study they are interested in, regardless of the discipline,” Rodríguez explained.
He continued, “Today, we are celebrating your dedication, effort, and the passion you put into your essays, which explored how population and housing censuses contribute to public policies.”
This year’s competition saw participation from 182 student researchers and 85 advisory teachers representing 49 schools from 13 departments across the country. Those who did not place in the top ten were also encouraged to apply for university scholarships through the BCR’s ongoing program, which awards over 150 scholarships annually.
The evaluation criteria for selecting the winning essays included presentation, spelling and grammar, content, and the conclusions drawn by the students.
Adriana Estrada from the Catholic Educational Complex Juan XXIII won first place, followed by Yailin Díaz from the Karol Wojtyla Catholic Institute of Ilobasco, Cabañas, in second place, and Katherine Aguilar from the Catholic Educational Complex Santa Teresita of Cojutepeque, Cabañas, in third place.
Highlighting the relevance of this year’s research theme, Rodríguez emphasized the importance of young people, many of whom are experiencing a census for the first time, understanding how these surveys become crucial tools for driving the country’s development.
Rodríguez also noted that the population and housing census conducted between May and June not only fulfilled a statistical gap in El Salvador—being held 17 years after the last census—but also established the country as a regional leader in census organization across Latin America.