The LearningWell Coalition is proud to announce that Key Institute, or the Kriete Institute of Engineering and Sciences, a newly founded engineering institute in El Salvador, has joined the Coalition as its newest member. With this addition, Key Institute becomes the Coalition’s first Latin American partner and second international member to join the network, which is dedicated to ensuring that all students flourish in work and in life.
Founded in 2025, Key Institute was established with a bold vision: to prepare excellent engineers who are also whole and flourishing human beings. This philosophy is brought to life through the institution’s signature WELL Program, a comprehensive initiative designed to strengthen identity, belonging, agency, and purpose across students’ educational journeys. WELL is grounded in four pillars, Wellness, Empowerment, Learning, and Leadership, and integrates mentoring, co-curricular learning, cultural and wellness activities, and community-building experiences into the fabric of student life.
“At Key Institute, we see a young university with a powerful and courageous commitment to student flourishing,” said Keith Buffinton, Executive Director of the LearningWell Coalition. “Their WELL Program reflects the very heart of our mission. We are excited to welcome them into the Coalition, to learn from their early innovation, and to support their efforts to redefine what it means to educate engineers for a flourishing life as well as a successful career.”
A Human-Centered Engineering Model for Student Flourishing
Key Institute’s approach is intentionally holistic. From their first week, every student is paired with a trained faculty mentor who provides sustained personal and academic guidance. Students also engage in co-curricular classes in culture, sports, and the arts; participate in clubs and leadership activities; and take part in workshops and wellness weeks designed to build resilience and connection. Many students at Key Institute are the first in their families to attend university, and the WELL Program serves as a vital support system that meets both academic and human needs.
“As Chancellor of this new institution, I am proud to share how our community is shaping a different kind of higher education, one that places student flourishing and well-being at its core,” said Juan Francisco Sifontes, Chancellor of Key Institute. “For us, WELL is not an extra program. It is the foundation of our promise to students and a defining part of what it means to be an engineer at Key.”
Pioneering Research on Student Well-Being
Key Institute is also advancing national research on student flourishing. In August 2025, the university launched El Salvador’s first Well-Being Self-Assessment Survey, built around seven dimensions of wellness and designed to evolve into a validated national instrument. The institution is developing machine-learning tools to better understand the relationships between engagement, performance, and well-being.
Shared Purpose, Shared Commitment
“Joining the LearningWell Coalition is a natural next step for our community,” said Jimena Alcaine, Student Director and Project Lead. “As a young institution, we are eager to learn from peers who have built cultures of flourishing, and equally excited to share what we are creating here in El Salvador.”
Through Coalition membership, Key Institute aims to strengthen its mentoring and well-being practices, engage in shared research, and collaborate across institutions to expand students’ sense of possibility, belonging, and leadership. The WELL Program’s focus on identity formation, purpose-driven learning, and community-based leadership aligns closely with the Coalition’s mission to ensure that higher education prepares students not only for careers, but for meaningful and flourishing lives.
