Maria Thereza Rios Hortencio

Maria Thereza is the Research and Project Manager for the Preparing Brazil's Youth team. Her academic and professional work focuses on the intersection of education, labor, and social policy in Latin America, with a particular interest in vocational education and state capacity. She has worked with governments across Brazil to design and implement policies that connect education to economic inclusion.  

Maria currently serves as Program Manager at Imago Global Grassroots, supporting projects in Brazil and the United States through adaptive evaluation techniques, scaling strategies, and institutional development. Her research includes studies on vocational education reform, conditional cash-transfer programs, and housing policy in urban peripheries.