Five educational and telecommunications institutions and held a meeting with meritorious students from low-income families to encourage an interest in scholarships being offered through the Academic Excellence Fund. The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), and Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA), as well as the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, and the APEC Foundation for Educational Credit (FUNDAPEC) are part of the project. ITLA Director Jose Armando Tavarez spoke about the advantages both for students and the country in terms of foreign investment, should they choose technical careers in the areas of macro-technology, multimedia and software engineering, among others.