ABSTRACT. - One of the central functions of governments is to identify and implement policies, strategies and programs to encourage social and economic development. Since several decades and with increasing incidence, one of the greatest efforts is focused on encouraging a careful and early practical training of young people in terms of research, technology and innovation, through the articulation of efforts between the State, the Universities, Companies and Communities, with the purpose of accelerating the entrance to the knowledge society.

In the case of Latin American countries, experiences have been varied. Recently, in some of them new measures have been taken. In Colombia, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has been created, and a Second Mission of Sages has been established in order to adopt new actions. In line with these purposes, COLCIENCIAS has also been requesting the preparation of a series of basic documents for the definition of policies in different areas and at different levels. 

One of these documents consisted of a review of the experiences of those countries that have made greater progress in an early and careful practical training of young people in terms of research, technology and innovation with young people and, based on these experiences and through a participatory methodology with actors from the most representative experiences in the country, agree on some priority programs to develop that policy.

 This article concentrates exclusively on the presentation of the literature review and experiences of the countries with the greatest advances in the subject. In a later article will be presented the participatory methodology carried out in four Regional Technical Tables, as well as the defined programs.