In Central America, child labor is a major impeding factor to a country's path towards economic progress and education. Nicaragua, the largest country in Central America, has a long history with child labor and its effects on employment opportunities, access to sanitation facilities, medication, and health care. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor funded the ENTERATE project to fight child labor in Nicaragua.

Despite recent gains in such educational indicators as student enrollment and completion rates, Nicaragua’s primary education system still faced serious challenges with respect to access and quality of education. Project EXCELENCIA focused on strengthening the quality of education at the primary school level in Nicaragua.