Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

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Steve Jobs’ Widow & Philanthropy

Steve Jobs Widow
Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ widow, has begun to publicly focus more on philanthropy. She is normally a very private person who would rather stay out of the spotlight, but she has recently become more public about the issues she cares about the most. One of her greatest passions is education, and she helped found College Track, an organization that helps low-income students in underprivileged communities prepare for college by providing rigorous academic training to help them succeed. The organization has coached over 1,400 students, and as a result 90% of them were able to attend college afterwards.

Although Laurene’s public philanthropic work is minimal, that doesn’t mean this is the first time she’s committed herself to a good cause. Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, a philanthropist and close friend of Laurene’s, says that “if you total up in your mind all of the philanthropic investments that Laurene has made that the public knows about…that is probably a fraction of 1 percent of what she actually does.”

Laurene is also committed to other charities outside of the United States, supporting many organizations that help the poor in Africa, including Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative charity.

– Katie Brockman

Source New York Times

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Universal Primary Education

Universal Primary Education
Since 1999, when 106 million children were not in school, much progress has been made. Today, approximately 61 million are out of school, and yet more progress is needed. In the past five years, due to the economic crisis, many nations decreased their foreign aid spending and thus progress was hindered. According to the World Bank and the U.N., the majority of children not attending schools live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with at least half living in areas that are politically unstable.

Despite some progress, it is crucial to note that there is a percentage of people/areas that is not accounted for in the statistics of progress and primary education. For example, according to the U.N., 90% of primary aged children living in developing countries are now in school as opposed to that percentage being 82% in 1999. While the rise in percentage sounds great, “broad figures [have the tendency to] mask localized problems,” and thus, in actuality some countries barely have any primary aged children attending school. The children who are most unaffected by the progress and recent advancement are the extremely poor and the minorities. Nigeria, Yemen, Ethiopia, South Sudan, India,  Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh account for half of the world’s children not going to school.

There is a demand for new donors or ‘funders,’ now that many nations have cut back on their foreign aid, from the private sector and through public fundraising. Part of the U.N. 2015 Millennium Goals was to ensure that all children have equal access to primary education and to increase females’ enrollment in schools. However, experts are claiming that education goals are difficult to reach due to issues such as child labor, cultural values, and other reasons. For example, in some cultures, it is valued more that daughters stay home while the sons receive an education. The women assume the housewife role while the men are valued to be the knowledgeable providers.

In addition to child labor and cultural values, there are many concerns regarding harassment and safety of the children attending schools. For example, some female students in Sierra Leone reported being sexually harassed by teachers in exchange for good grades. And it is almost impossible to forget the story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl, who was shot by the Taliban for her advocacy of education for girls. Despite the unfortunates, where instituting education does work, it makes an incredible difference. Rebeca Winthrop, the director of the Center of Universal Education at the Brookings Institution in Washington, expressed that there are children who continue to learn even in refugee camps. Where there is desire, willingness, and determination, there is much hope for universal primary education and even further schooling.

– Leen Abdallah
Source: New York Times
Photo: Globalization 101

Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls

Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
Oprah Winfrey opened a school in South Africa for girls. The school is called the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. The school’s mission is to provide a nurturing educational background for academically gifted girls who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school is for girls in Grades 8-12. The school strives to give their girls the skills to assume positions of leadership in South Africa, as well as internationally. The school would like to see their graduates lead the transformation of their communities and country.

The school is centered on the Ubunti and Botho belief system. They teach the ideals of humanity, compassion, and service to others. Additionally, the school’s core values include respect, honor, service, and compassion.

The school was born in 2000 when Oprah visited Nelson Mandela where she promised to build a world-class school for girls. The school was later opened in 2007 with 7th and 8th-grade girls. Ms. Winfrey donated more than $40 million toward the academy’s creation.

The leadership academy integrates academic, leadership, and pedagogy curriculums. The academic curriculum includes courses in languages, mathematics, science, arts, physical education, and individuals and societies.

As a part of the school’s philosophy, each student also has an individual advisor. The advisor is responsible for monitoring the girl’s growth and progress in all aspects of school life. Each advisor has three main roles including knowing and being personally available to the student, sharing in her problems and successes, keeping in touch with the student’s teachers and residential staff, and finally acting as a contact and resource person for parents, guardians, or caregivers.

The leadership academy is a competitive entrance school. Ms. Winfrey believes that education is the right of every girl but her academy is to be seen as a privilege. Students are invited to attend the academy, and these girls have proven that they have the ability to excel and move beyond challenging circumstances. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has provided and will continue to provide many African Women an incredible opportunity to succeed.

– Caitlin Zusy
Source Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy
Photo Oprah

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Global Poverty Education for University Students

Global Poverty Education
On April 25 at the University of Kentucky, Habitat for Humanity and the Global Poverty Project hosted a free, educational event that was open to the public. Representatives from the Global Poverty Project made a multimedia presentation that addressed issues surrounding poverty in the world. Questions about global poverty were answered such as ‘What is extreme poverty?’, ‘What are the barriers to ending extreme poverty?’ and ‘Why should we care?’ Currently there are 1.2 billion people living in poverty and living on less than $1.50 a day. Logistics Coordinator for the Global Poverty Project Michelle Riepe said that strategies for reducing poverty are working. As announced by the World Bank, in the last 30 years, the number of people living in poverty has decreased significantly from the 1.4 billion of the past. The Global Poverty Project works around the world to educate people about extreme poverty and to mobilize supporters in taking action to end it. The organization advocates for action from government, businesses, and consumers to create important systemic change for the world’s extreme poor. This is a goal that is shared by Habitat for Humanity, the sponsor of the event at the University of Kentucky. “The Global Poverty Project shares the same vision as Habitat for Humanity- to improve the lives of people around the globe who are struggling,” said Emily Andrews, UK Habitat for Humanity president. The Global Poverty Project frequently tours the country to offer global poverty education to students and to draw support. To attend an event or to host one, visit the GPP website. – Kira Maixner Source: UK Now Photo: Gender and Poverty

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Room to Read: Helping Educate Children

Room-to-Read
Room to Read is a non-profit organization started by John J. Wood in 1999. He got the idea for the organization when he visited a school in Nepal one year during a vacation. There were 450 students at the school, yet there were no children’s books. The library only a had a few books that were inaccessible to the students. The following year, Wood quit his job at Microsoft and returned to Nepal with 3,000 books to build a functioning library for the children. This was how Room to Read began.

Wood believes that simply coming into a country, building a library or school, and then leaving does not completely fix the problem. Instead, he says that prolonged community involvement is key. Finding local librarians and teachers to encourage students to read and learn will create a ripple effect. It creates jobs for native citizens and gives kids an education. Everyone is more invested in the outcome that way because they are actively involved in the solution, and results will last longer than if they simply received a gift from someone in a foreign country.

He also encourages more affluent students and families to participate in raising money for Room to Read through ‘sponsored silence’ programs and Read-a-thons. So far, Room to Read is established in 10 countries and will have helped 10 million kids by 2015. Other accomplishments include building 15,000 libraries and 1,600 schools, publishing 850 original children’s books, and enrolling 20,000 girls in a special girl’s education program.

– Katie Brockman
Source New York Times
Photo: Room to Read

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Israel’s Early Childhood Development Education Program

Israel's Early Childhood Development Education Program
Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) recently completed training forty Ghanaian teachers in an early childhood development course. Thanks to the Embassy of Israel, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Ghana Education Service (GES), over a hundred teachers have now been trained to teach preschool and kindergarten in Ghana.

The extensive program lasted for two weeks and focused on early childhood education. Teachers left the program with a higher knowledge of children’s learning principles, the needs of young children, what curriculum to teach, and appropriate games. By giving special attention to young students, Ghana hopes to build a better foundation for its future workforce and overall societal well being.

This partnership between Israel and Ghana will likely produce hundreds more early education teachers, something for which Ghana is desperate. Not only will more teachers be trained in Israel, but those who completed the program will go on to spread their new knowledge to other teachers in Ghana, thus creating a web of well-educated preschool and kindergarten teachers throughout the country.

The Early Childhood Development Education program is now in its fourth year in Kumasi and its second year in Accra. Both countries expect to have a long relationship as they continue to see positive results in Ghana’s early education system.

– Mary Penn

Source: GBN
Photo: Flickr

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John Legend: Singer, Songwriter, Humanitarian

johnlegend
As a nine-time Grammy award winner, John Legend is well known as a singer, songwriter, and humanitarian. His vocals have earned him a multitude of worldwide fans and a string of Top 10 platinum-selling albums. His most recent release, Wake Up! (2010) is a compilation of music from the 1960s and ’70s including songs with underlying themes of awareness, engagement, and social consciousness. Legend, while a talented musician, seeks to be an agent of change in society. He is a member of several boards including Teach for America, Stand for Children, and the Harlem Village Academies.

As he spoke to a crowd of interested attendees in Southern Indiana, Legend focused on education equality and social awareness. Legend was inspiring, motivating, and very real in his comments. Early in his career, Legend had the opportunity to travel to Africa and it forever changed his life. He realized that his position in life granted him a platform to spread awareness and raise the standard for education and community involvement. Legend tirelessly works to promote education equality, which he believes is key to raising people out of poverty. By providing access to quality education for all individuals, we can ensure that being poor is not a life sentence but that there are opportunities to escape poverty and improve one’s life.

Legend gave the audience several tips on how to get involved in fighting for education equality from right where they sit.
His ideas included:

1. Join local boards and organizations working to improve education

2. Tutor students in local schools.

3. Encourage others to invest in schools.

4. Choose political leaders who take meaningful action within education.

The evening ended with the challenge from Legend to go and do something. The time for sitting still has passed and now the call to the work for education equality and diminished global poverty has arrived.

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source: Evansville Courier and Press

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UNICEF’s Global Education First Initiative

UNICEF's Global Education First Initiative
Josephine Bourne is the Associate Director of UNICEF. She sat down for an interview with the Inter Press Service to give her thoughts on the upcoming meetings to be held in Washington D.C. on the Global Education First Initiative.

The meetings will bring together Ministers in Finance from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. The topic of conversation will focus on sustainable solutions between the private sector and civil society organizations. The meetings will center around the importance of education on the global economy.

Bourne believes that the initiative will provide an increased pressure for political commitment in the field of education.  She stated that UNICEF would like to continue to work towards ensuring education for the most vulnerable children, particularly girls, with disabilities as well as children living in conflict territories.

When Bourne was asked if there was one thing in particular that greatly diminished a child’s opportunity to obtain an education, she bluntly stated that being born into poverty as a girl in a rural area is a huge disadvantage. The longer a girl is able to attend school, the fewer children she will have – an incredibly important factor in poverty reduction.

Around the world, girls who have seven years of education have 2.2 fewer children than those that do not. When those girls have children, those children will be healthier and better educated, helping to lower the poverty percentage in their given communities. Bourne believes that this environment leads to economic growth, more female leaders, and more sustainable development.

In the interview, Bourne was also asked about gender equality and education. She said that girls from disadvantaged groups are oftentimes the most marginalized because of the special risks that could take them out of school. She believes that there is serious inequity in schools around the world.

Women’s education and empowerment have been a popular theme in the media lately with the recent release of the documentary “Girl Rising”. While this is a very positive thing, Bourne was quick to note, however, that the increased media attention to gender and education inequality, as well as the empowerment that comes with it are not enough to bring about social change. In her opinion, in order to create lasting change, we need the complete commitment of all duty bearers; from organizations such as UNICEF and the UN to parents and communities; to be involved in the promotion of the human right of education for all children around the world.

– Caitlin Zusy

Source: Inter Press Service
Photo: UNESCO

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Free Meals for Indian School Children

Free Meals for Indian School Children
Imagine what it’s like to have to choose between attending elementary school or harvesting wheat as a means of preventing starvation. Sadly, for many children in India where –according to UNICEF – upwards of 40 % of the population under five is underweight, this choice is one that many of their students have to make on a daily basis. However, thanks to the efforts of The Akshaya Patra Foundation and some assembly line ingenuity, free meals for Indian school children are now a reality for many elementary and middle school students.

The free meals for Indian school children program were incorporated following a 2001 Supreme Court Ruling institutionalizing free meals for all children under the age of 13. The Indian Government – in cooperation with The Akshaya Patra Foundation – has been able to feed 1.4 million children a day, resulting in greater attendance and a heightened ability to focus in class. The Foundation’s Vice Chairman, Chanchalapathi Dasa, remarked that “If a child is hungry in the classroom then he or she will not be able to receive all this education.”

But how does the government-run a program to provide that many free meals for Indian school children in one day? The answer is through an ingenious “gravity flow” kitchen that utilizes the technologies of mass production and efficiency. Basically, the kitchen is divided into 3 floors where food is prepped on the third floor, sent down –via a chute – to the cauldrons for cooking on the second floor, and sent down a final chute to be packaged and shipped to the schools on the first floor. Vice-Chairman Dasa added that the organization knew the scope of the problem that they were trying to address and “realized that in order to see a significant impact we have to do it in scale and that we have to use modern techniques of management and innovation” to make a difference.

Programs such as these serve as a much needed shot in the arm in combating global poverty and chronic undernourishment for much of India’s youth. By providing free meals for Indian schoolchildren, investments made by the government today will result in greater technological innovation through educational achievements in the future.

– Brian Turner

Source: CNN
Photo: UNICEF

UC Berkeley & Global Poverty

UC Berkeley & Global Poverty
The Global Poverty Project was founded by Ananya Roy, a professor of city and regional planning at Berkeley, Tara Graham, an International and Area Studies lecturer and digital media expert and Abby VanMuijen, an artist with the goal of spreading the curriculum of Berkeley University’s most popular minor, Global Poverty and Practice. The three UCal alumni are utilizing digital media and twitter to create a multilayered broadly accessible curriculum that they call critical thinking + improv art + new media. This creative curriculum is being used to spread knowledge about global poverty beyond the classroom.

A project is a new approach to traditional online education that is sweeping the world. While the traditional method of online education tends to simply stick a video recorder in a classroom, the Global Poverty Project seeks to create numerous forms of media and material for students to utilize as a whole or in parts. Eventually, there will be a textbook that utilizes matrix barcode technology that will link to other related information. Each video that is posted also links to useful sites and information. By generating discussions on Twitter, Roy’s classroom, already full with 600 pupils, has expanded, potentially exponentially, and has become a place where students, people on campus and anyone in the world can exchange ideas.

More than creating a groundbreaking approach to online education, Roy, Graham, and VaMuijen are looking to create new and interesting internet videos that spark discussion and critical thinking.“Most of them, I think, are really patronizing and oversimplify the very complex aspects of poverty action. They’re a call to action, but they don’t necessarily explore all the political and ethical issues that smart young people know are at stake,” said Roy about most internet videos that attempt to address poverty.

Each video starts with a question and offers a scholarly argument for a way of thinking about it. VanMuijen then takes video to a whole other level with visual note-taking and creates the videos. Like the minor itself, the videos are framed to encourage thinking about solutions to poverty that steer clear of what Roy sees as two extremes: “The hubris of benevolence, young Americans thinking ‘I’m going to solve poverty during my alternative spring break,’ and the paralysis of cynicism, which we have a lot of at Berkeley, really smart kids who know how to critique everything in the world but they’re not really sure what to do after that critique.” Later, the project, new media, curriculum, and critical thinking about global poverty come together. While Roy lectures, the Twitter feed is projected behind her in the classroom and the videos are being played and igniting discussion all over the world.

– Kira Maixner

Source: UC Berkeley News Center