Five philanthropic organizations joined together in 2012 to commit millions to improving secondary education opportunities for children in developing countries. The MacArthur Foundation along with The MasterCard Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies Services, Human Dignity Foundation, and another donor formed “The Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in Secondary Education.” The Partnership was formed as one of the key supporting efforts behind “A Global Compact on Learning”, an education initiative developed by the Brooking Institution’s Center for Universal Education.

The Partnership believes that educational attainment has far-reaching benefits from improved health to increased productivity. In the first call for applications, The Partnership received more than 500 proposals and committed over $8 million to funding 19 different educational projects.

Organizations such as International Child Development Initiatives, Educational Initiatives, and Build Africa received grants to implement projects aimed at providing secondary education to all youth in developing countries. Projects focus on everything from assessing teacher effectiveness to implementing new technologies to best methods for transitioning students from primary to secondary school. In addition, secondary education for girls has been identified as a key step in ending poverty.

In 2013, The Partnership will commit an additional $10 million in funding with several key areas in mind. Grants will focus on “increasing demand for secondary-level learning, improving teacher skills, promoting employment-relevant skills, and promoting alternative education models.” New approaches to education and innovation in learning will be the primary backbone to this year’s funding.

– Zoë Meroney

Source: MacArthur Foundation