Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica

What Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica does

Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica (AGYSCR) is a private, non-profit youth organization founded in 1975 through the merger of the Guías (Girl Guides) and Scouts movements in Costa Rica, and it operates the largest youth movement in the country. It serves children, adolescents, and young adults aged 6 to 21, organized into four age-based sections — Manada (6-10), Tropa (11-14), Wak (15-17), and Comunidad (18-21) — alongside adult volunteer leaders (dirigentes). The organization delivers non-formal education through the Baden-Powell Scout method adapted to a Costa Rican context, covering six growth dimensions: corporalidad, creatividad, carácter, espiritualidad, sociabilidad, and afectividad, with cultural integration including indigenous heritage in the Wak section.

The organization's core digital infrastructure comprises five operational platforms: SRM (Sistema de Registro de Miembros) for membership tracking, Aula Virtual for online education delivery, Document Manager for institutional records, Biblioteca Digital for educational resource access, and Tienda Explorador for uniform and merchandise sales. These platforms are supplemented by a national youth network (Red Nacional de Jóvenes) and supported by formal affiliations with the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

AGYSCR's revenue model is non-commercial: funding comes from membership contributions, formal conventions with municipal governments and public institutions, and partnerships with universities, financial institutions, and civil society organizations (Cruz Roja, Club de Leones, Defensoría de los Habitantes). Individual membership fees are not publicly disclosed; financial transparency is maintained via annual audited financial statements and institutional reports on the siemprelistos.com transparency portal. Distribution occurs through a nationwide network of local Grupos Guía y Scout across all seven provinces, with no parent company, external investor, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica

Legal name

Benemérita Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica

Website

https://siemprelistos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica is the largest non-profit youth movement in Costa Rica, serving children and young adults aged 6-21 through four age-based sections using a Baden-Powell educational methodology, supported by a digital platform stack and volunteer-led local groups across all seven provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMALAB

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Summer & Holiday Enrichment Camps (Multi-Activity, Academic)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Scouting education
• Non-formal education
• Youth leadership training
• Scout association

Headquarters

HQ city

San Vicente, Moravia

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Contributions: The organization is funded through member contributions, institutional support, and partnerships with government entities and municipalities. Financial transparency reports and audited financial statements are published annually.
2. Municipal and Institutional Conventions: The association generates revenue through formal conventions with municipalities, government institutions, and private organizations that sponsor scout groups and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica delivers a non-formal youth education program rooted in the Baden-Powell Scout and Girl Guide methodology, segmented across four age-based sections (Manada 6–10, Tropa 11–14, Wak 15–17, Comunidad 18–21) and covering six growth dimensions. The program is operationalized through a national network of volunteer-led local groups supported by digital infrastructure including a membership registration system (SRM), a virtual classroom (Aula Virtual), a document manager, and a digital library, plus an online store for uniforms and merchandise.

Product overview

Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica operates a portfolio of interconnected digital platforms supporting its youth education movement. The core infrastructure includes SRM for membership management, Aula Virtual for online learning, Document Manager for administrative documents, and Biblioteca Digital for educational resources. These platforms work together to serve members across four program sections (Manada, Tropa, Wak, and Comunidad) spanning ages 6-21 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Siempre Listos: The official website and brand identity of the Association, used as the primary digital platform and institutional communication channel.
• SRM (Sistema de Registro de Miembros)
• Biblioteca Virtual

Products and services

• Programa Educativo Guía y Scout (Manada, Tropa, Wak, Comunidad)
• SRM (Sistema de Registro de Miembros)
• Aula Virtual (Virtual Classroom)
• Biblioteca Digital (Digital Library)
• Tienda Explorador
• Convenios y Alianzas Institucionales (Municipal and Institutional Conventions)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGYSCR is a member of WAGGGS, the global organization for Girl Guides, which provides program resources, leadership development opportunities, and international connections for the association's female members and leaders.
• World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM/Scout.org)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGYSCR is affiliated with the World Organization of the Scout Movement through scout.org, connecting Costa Rican scouts with the global Scout movement and providing access to international resources and events.
• Municipalidad de CurridabatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal convention agreement between AGYSCR and the Municipality of Curridabat to support local scout activities and youth development programs.
• Municipalidad de TurrialbaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention agreement supporting scout group activities in the Turrialba canton.
• Municipalidad de San JoséminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention agreement with the capital city's municipality to support urban youth programs.
• Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural (INDER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the national rural development institute supporting scout activities in rural communities.
• Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Costa Rica's premier public university for educational programs and research collaboration.
• Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the national training institute for vocational development and skills training programs.
• Banco PopularminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Banco Popular for financial support and banking services.
• Cruz Roja Costarricense (Costa Rican Red Cross)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Red Cross for first aid training, emergency preparedness, and community service initiatives including blood donation campaigns.
• Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Costa Rica Institute of Technology for educational programs and technical development.
• Defensoría de los HabitantesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Public Defender's Office for citizen rights education and youth advocacy programs.
• Club de LeonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lions Club for community service projects and youth development initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Federación Española de Escultismo (ASDE): Spanish national Scout federation; direct peer running the same Scout educational methodology across multiple age sections in a Spanish-speaking context, with shared Latin cultural ties to Costa Rica.
• Scouts de Argentina Asociación Civil: Argentine national Scout association; direct peer running the same age-segmented educational program and community-led model across Latin America, with shared WOSM membership.
• Asociación Scout de Colombia: Colombian national Scout association; direct peer delivering the Baden-Powell educational program across multiple sections, with similar volunteer-led community structure and WOSM affiliation.
• União dos Escoteiros do Brasil: Brazilian national Scout federation; direct peer operating the same multi-section educational program and volunteer model at larger scale, with comparable digital infrastructure for member management.
• Asociación de Scouts de Guatemala: Guatemalan national Scout association; direct peer operating the same regional Central American youth development model with WOSM affiliation, comparable in scale and operating context to AGYSCR.
• Scouts de México A.C. National Scout association of Mexico; direct peer operating the same Scout/Guide educational model across age sections, affiliated with WOSM, and serving a comparable Latin American youth demographic.
• Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Chile: Chilean national Scout/Guide association; direct peer offering a fused Guide-Scout structure comparable to AGYSCR's 1975 model, serving youth across multiple sections in a neighboring Latin American market.

Others

• World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM): Global umbrella organization of which AGYSCR is an affiliate; serves as both a strategic partner and the parent brand/standards body, providing the global framework that AGYSCR's educational program implements locally.

Broad incumbents

• Scouting Association (UK): UK national Scout association; broad incumbent offering the same Baden-Powell-derived multi-section program, with significantly larger resources and digital infrastructure, serving as a strategic benchmark for AGYSCR.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: US national Girl Guide organization; broad incumbent delivering an analogous age-segmented leadership and character development program for youth, with substantially greater scale, monetization, and digital platform maturity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@guiasyscoutsdecostarica8833
• Facebookfacebook.com/GuiasyScoutsCR
• Instagraminstagram.com/guiasyscoutscr
• TikToktiktok.com/@guiasyscoutscr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asociaci-n-de-gu-as-y-scouts-de-costa-rica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica