education

The situation is grave: 12 million children in Pakistan have never attended school (two-thirds of them girls), Pakistani teachers killed for educating young women, and the bombing of girls’ schools. Female students have been targeted for attacks including the well-known shooting of Malala Yousafzai and her peers. That’s why hundreds of youth from around the globe are taking over the United Nations on July 12 to advocate for their right to safe education. 

In tight budget environments it is tempting to view ICT equipment and training as a luxury to cut. We can all think of a case where technology for technology’s sake hasn’t worked: an unused laptop in the corner of an overfilled classroom, an interactive whiteboard at a school without adequate electricity to support its use, a smartphone game developed for a population of youth without access to smartphones. 

In fact, now is the time for a focus on smart technology integration in all levels of education.

The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.

Looking back on the past twelve months, I am thrilled by the results of IREX’ work and excited to consider the prospects for the coming year.  In 2012, with our generous donors’ support, it was possible to benefit more people than ever before. Over half a million lives have been touched this last year because an IREX’er -- in the U.S. and around the world -- was there to provide support. In doing so, we’ve had the privilege to work with more than 400 local partners in 125 countries.  

I am a teacher of teachers, living in Tanzania. I came six years ago to work with primary teachers, teaching them how to use a comprehensive literacy instruction approach and to integrate literacy strategies into content instruction.  Tanzania is an interesting country, balancing between a traditional subsistence farming culture, and a 21st century future.  It is rich in resources, and poor in economy.  Typical of most developing countries, it has huge potential and big problems.  Education is at the core of both the potential and barriers here.

When you think of a library, what comes to mind? Row after row of books? The Dewey Decimal System? Kids but no adults? Those stereotypes are outdated. Around the world, libraries are on the front lines of innovative development.

Right now, nearly 5,000 leaders in cities, towns, and villages across Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus are working to advance democracy, spur economic growth, reduce poverty, improve health, bolster community services, protect the environment and human rights, and promote gender equality. These alumni from 20 years of the Muskie Program are using the new technical skills and professional knowledge gained from their studies in the United States to develop their countries and communities.  Fifty percent of the alumni are working in the public and non-profit sectors. Together they form a network of change-makers forging strong ties with the United States and improving their societies from the inside.

Last year, Karen Bovard, a teacher from Connecticut, traveled to Indonesia as a fellow of the TEA-ILEP U.S. Teacher Exchange Program. Upon returning, she created an advanced high school course called “Women in a Global Context” to cultivate an understanding of worldwide gender issues in her students. In this blog, Karen discusses the evolution of the course and what she learned from preparing and delivering it.

As today is International Corporate Philanthropy Day, we salute private-sector partnerships that seek to make a better world. IREX's work is supported by a mix of funding from government agencies, private foundations, and individual donors. Corporate philanthropy also plays an important role in IREX's programming, especially in such areas as education, technology and media development.

Now more than ever we have a global responsibility to advance the understanding of financial rights and responsibilities among our young people. Building on our work in education and youth development, IREX was recently invited to join Child & Youth Finance International   (CYFI), an exciting movement that is working to bring financial access and education to children and youth around the world . Working together we can not only put a spotlight on this issue, we can make real change for our children and youth and their communities.
Here are a few things you can do right now to support the movement: