Why do certain educational reforms endure and flourish while others fade away, or only take root in specific schools or with certain teachers? What does it truly require to maintain new teaching practices at large scale over the long haul? In a concerted effort to answer these questions, earlier this year Chemonics spearheaded a collaboration…
Psychological, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social wellbeing are deeply affected when communities and individuals are exposed to traumatic or distressing events. These feelings can be exacerbated when survivors are excluded from the decision-making processes that shape the response to issues that affect them, making them feel invisible and powerless. Chemonics UK drew from its experiences…
Constant exposure to traumatic or distressing events can impact an entire community, as well as an individual’s psychological, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social wellbeing. This can be exacerbated when survivors are excluded from the decision-making processes regarding issues that affect them, making them feel invisible and powerless. Building on its experiences with fragile and conflict-affected…
USAID has made great strides in improving student learning outcomes in East Africa, particularly in primary school student reading skills. However, much work remains to be done, especially considering learning disruptions due to COVID-19. With the need to re-engage learners, it is critical to focus on early-grade reading for continued retention, success in future grades,…
The five-year Lecture Pour Tous program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and completed in December 2021, made marked improvements in early grade reading outcomes in Senegal. The initiative directly supported reform efforts led by the Ministry of Education (Ministère de l’Education Nationale, or MEN) to use evidence-based approaches, including national…
Soma Umenye targeted all children in grades P1-P3 attending public and government-aided schools nationwide to ensure that at least 70 percent of these students could read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. USAID Soma Umenye helped: Create and distribute an essential core of Grade 1-3 teaching and learning materials Provide professional development to Grade 1-3…
Malawi has benefitted from successful reading projects that provide learners with foundational reading and literacy skills to support the country’s continued development. USAID’s NextGen Early Grade Reading Activity builds on that progress by partnering with the Ministry of Education to support early literacy, improve classroom instruction, and build systemic capacity. The activity provides high-quality reading…
Following six months of interventions in Northeast Syria (NES), known as Injaz I, this follow-on project sought to address five years of psychosocial trauma and severely limited foundational learning in NES caused by primary and secondary exposure to ISIS ideology. With the closure of secular schools under ISIS, many children and youth were left susceptible…
In 2021, village elders in the small Tajik community of Isfisor noticed a woman who frequently traveled the unpaved road through their neighborhood to visit the local school. Curious about the nature of the woman’s visits, they asked the school’s director, Nazira Khabibova. “I explained that our school works with the USAID Read with Me project,” says Khabibova,…
Chemonics International and One World Network of Schools (OWNOS) have entered into an institutional partnership bringing together global education practitioners with expertise in instructional leadership and a shared conviction that schools cannot outperform their leaders. The partnership uniquely positions Chemonics and OWNOS to study high-performing teachers and teacher-leaders globally through a practice-based approach. As partners,…
From 2016 to 2021, The USAID Read with Me Project (RWM) improved reading outcomes in Tajikistan by increasing the availability of reading materials in 80% of Tajik schools, training 75% of primary school reading teachers in modern training techniques, leveraging $2 Million in funds to support literacy activities through innovation and partnerships, and increased government…
The challenge of protecting Syrian schoolchildren predates the ongoing, decade-long war. Before the start of the conflict in 2011, safeguarding practices were rare and legal frameworks non-existent. Physical and psychological abuse as forms of discipline were, sadly, commonplace. In many Syrian schools, these problems persist. In fact, over a decade of intense conflict has exacerbated…