Global Schools Forum’s Post

📢 Applications are now open for Impact at Scale Labs - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). GSF’s third Impact at Scale Labs programme aims to identify and support organisations with new or established FLN approaches. The Labs provide selected organisations with comprehensive support, including: 1️⃣ catalytic funding of up to $200,000 2️⃣ tailored coaching and mentoring to strengthen evidence use and foster the development of more sustainable solutions 3️⃣ networking opportunities aimed at facilitating the scale of impactful innovations The focus will be, in order of priority, on in-school interventions focused on primary grades 1-3; higher grades of primary; and remedial programmes. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dnmPBf3M

Interested in applying to The Impact at Scale Labs - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy? Join our webinar where we will take you through the process 
 📅 23 May 
 ⏰ 12 PM GMT
 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dYBcNFXn —
 The Impact at Scale Labs - #FoundationalLiteracy and #Numeracy seeks to transform education systems by working with promising innovators within those systems. The Lab aims to do this by carefully selecting locally-led organisations which work to improve foundational literacy and numeracy and support them with: 👉 Intensive support: The GSF team works with organisations to build and implement their evidence-based scale strategy.   👉 Funding: Up to $200,000 towards making the organisation’s scaling action plan a reality, with a mutually agreed percentage allocated to strengthen MEL outcomes. 👉 Extended duration with no “cliff-edge”: Our intensive support lasts up to 18 months after which organisations continue to engage and learn as part of the GSF community.  👉 A focus on evidence: We measure and share evidence about each solution’s impact and the scaling process. 👉 Relationships for scale: We support organisations to embed solutions in the broader system. The programme welcomes applications from organisations with new or established solutions targeting primary grades. The focus will be, in order of priority, on in-school interventions focused on primary grades 1-3; higher grades of primary; and remedial programmes. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dnmPBf3M

GSF recently hosted a diverse group of practitioners and experts for the Secondary Education Study Tour in #Uganda, themed 'Strengthening secondary schooling is key to fulfilling the promise made to young people.' 22 participants from 14 organisations across 8 countries engaged in school visits, connected with Uganda's secondary education landscape and diverse set of practitioners. In this video, seven more participants talk about their efforts to improve access to quality secondary education in their respective organisations and countries. Peter Shikuku from Lake Region Development Program, says that the organisation's dream is to ensure that all children have access to quality secondary education and towards this aim they offer scholarships, teach students about their reproductive health, create youth clubs and support teacher capacity building measures. Louise de Marillac st. Julien from Christel House South Africa says that her organisation's objective is to break the poverty cycle and they do this by supporting students in their vast network of schools from when they enter to five years after they leave. "We know where all our young people are working/ studying... We make sure that we position them in careers that are actually part of the need for the country currently." Kevin Dovinna from Planning for Tomorrow - P4T f says that education must create learners who grow and develop into leaders who have a vision for the transformation of their communities. In order to create such learners we have to create a "transformative education system," she adds. Antra Karmakar from iTeach Schools says that her organisation's goal is to universalise access to quality secondary education in the country. They currently run secondary schools in a PPP model in the cities of Pune and Mumbai in India. @Scholé dreams of becoming the leading network of non-selective schools in Uganda that equips learners with the skills they need to become "outstanding, self-reliant and creative achievers in an ever-evolving world," says Isaac Kahinda. SEED Care & Support Foundation supports the Affordable Non-State sector in Nigeria. Children in low-income communities in Nigeria stop their education at the secondary level as this is where compulsory basic education ends. "SEED wants to ensure quality education for these children translates into improved livelihoods for them," says Olanrewaju Oniyitan of SEED. Ntakamaze Nziyonvira, Executive Director, COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA), which is a refugee-led organisation in Uganda, describes the organisation's inspiring growth story that led to the founding of their own secondary school at the heart of their refugee settlement. The school now addresses the needs of over 600 students and their aim is to reach 1000 students by the end of the year.

GSF recently hosted a diverse group of practitioners and experts for the Secondary Education Study Tour in Uganda, themed 'Strengthening secondary schooling is key to fulfilling the promise made to young people.' 22 participants from 14 organisations across 8 countries 🌍 engaged in school visits, connected with Uganda's secondary education landscape and diverse set of practitioners. In this video 📹, six participants from the tour share their aspirations for secondary schooling in their respective organisations and countries. Laureen Babirye from Building Tomorrow offers context to the entire event highlighting how before the pandemic only 6% of primary school learners in Uganda could read a paragraph of text and only 2% could solve a simple maths problem. She says, Building Tomorrow aims to ensure "all primary children cross over to the secondary level with the right competencies and skills to carry them through the rest of their schooling and life after school." Yves KAGURIRO of UGEAFI, which runs pilot schools in the crises torn regions of Eastern Congo and South Sudan, says that the aim of their schools is to promote the welfare of underserved communities in such regions. "In South Sudan, children studied under trees and it is my dream to run a pilot school here that conserves this tradition," he adds. Unia Nakityo of PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools) says that the aim of her organisation is to offer sustainably delivered quality education at a low cost to the poorest communities in Uganda and across Africa. Access to quality education allows children to tap into their potential and thrive, helping them make meaningful contributions to their community. Brenda Namulinda of School for Life Foundation, which builds and operates schools in rural Uganda, says that her organisation aims to give all children at least one skill which will help them pursue their career goals. Narine Vlotman of Justice Rising International, which builds, equips and supports 23 schools in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, says that Justice Rising aims to ensure access to education in crises-affected regions. They run two secondary schools and seek to improve their current model before they expand to other areas in the region. kabiru Ibrahim Mansaray of EducAid Sierra Leone, which runs a network of schools and provides teacher training, says that the aim of his organistion is to transform secondary education through innovation and collaboration. In our next post, we will meet participants from iTeach Schools, SEED Care & Support Foundation, COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA), Scholé, Christel House South Africa, Planning for Tomorrow - P4T and the Lake Region Development Program. Stay tuned for more updates on the Secondary Education Study Tour. #Uganda #SecondaryEducation #Africa #Collaboration

📣 Hiring now! We are looking to hire a Senior Associate - Operations. The candidate needs to be passionate about developing effective systems, processes and ways of working for a remote-first team. They will support us in taking in our delivery and impact to the next level. As an integral member of a growing entrepreneurial team no task will be too big or small. They will work closely with the Operations Director and small People and Operations Team and play a key role in supporting the smooth running of GSF. They will create, review and update workflows and ways of working to ensure smooth collaboration within and between teams. For more details on the role and how to apply, visit: https://lnkd.in/gdhQV2zA

Pleased to announce the appointment of Kimberly Gire and Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi as our new GSF Board Co-Chairs, and also express gratitude to our outgoing Chair, Nirav Khambhati, for his valued guidance and support. Kimberly Gire, Founder and Chair of Global Women Leaders Strategic Philanthropy, leverages her expertise in capital markets, finance, and philanthropy to support global humanitarian, development, climate, and women's organisations. As a strategic philanthropist, she advocates for sustainable solutions, particularly for women, girls, children, and youth, fostering cross-sector collaboration. With a distinguished career, including roles as CFO for Westpac Banking Corporation, Kimberly serves as Co-Chair of the Centre for Disaster Protection, Chair of the Centre for Global Equality at Cambridge, and advises organisations like UNICEF and the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). Vongai Nyahunzvi, Head of Africa and Chief Network Officer at Teach For All, brings over 20 years of leadership experience across corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. Vongai is also the founding CEO of the Alliance For Women And Girls (AFWAG), leading with a transformative vision to empower women and girls, focusing particularly on Africa. Known for her entrepreneurial spirit, she excels in strategic thinking and relationship-building. Vongai previously led Teach For All's Africa Region, overseeing partner engagement and launching new organisations. With a background in leadership development, she authored two books and initiated CEO roundtables and Europe Leadership Awards. Committed to gender equality, Vongai serves on various boards and advocates for girls' empowerment worldwide.

📣 We are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of our next Impact at Scale Labs programme, the Global Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Impact at Scale Labs, providing selected organisations with comprehensive support, including: 🔹 Catalytic funding of up to $200,000 🔹 Tailored coaching and mentoring to strengthen evidence use and foster the development of more sustainable solutions  🔹 Networking opportunities aimed at facilitating the scale of impactful innovations. We will be inviting applications from organisations with new or established solutions targeting the primary grades. Our focus areas include in-school interventions targeting Grades 1-3 and higher primary grades. Applications will open on May 10, 2024, at www.globalschoolsforum.org. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative programme dedicated to advancing FLN education globally! #ImpactatScale #SDG4 #FLN #foundational #literacy #numeracy #ECE

Engineers of Bottom-up Change: How Resilient are the Non-State Schools Serving Low-Income Communities? In this new co-authored NORRAG blog published today, Aashti Zaidi Hai, Corina Gardner and Inês Charro argue for more government recognition of the non-state education sector, given the important role it plays in serving low-income communities. Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/gUfiY4_c

Reflecting on the Impact at Scale Labs – Early Years in Kenya 4-day residential offsite in Nairobi. The offsite was an opportunity for the organisations to reflect on their programmes and identify wins and challenges so far. Each organisation benefited from the support of a dedicated GSF coach, engagement with sector leaders who were invited to present and participate in panel discussions on various topics, and a networking event to build relationships with GSF members, funders, and development partners. About 15 sector leaders and experts participated to share their practical experiences and advice on topics such as childcare and ECED programming, monitoring, evaluation and learning, approaches for sustainability 🌱 🌍 and partnerships, and more, inspiring the four participant organisations on their journey to scale, EERUI Lake Region Development Program, TotoCare, Jackfruit Finance. The Global Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Impact at Scale Labs is launching Friday, 10 May! Check our website and social media channels for more information and application details next week. #ECED #Kenya #Nairobi #ImpactatScale #MonitoringandEvaluation #Collaboration

Jacobs Foundation published their 2023 Annual Report, including news on the School Action Learning Exchange (SALEX) programme. Global Schools Forum benefited from the first round of Catalytic Funding for SALEX, intended to support applied, collaborative research among SALEX members. GSF is working with SALEX members HundrEDorg and Schools2030 to explore and design a scaling framework, and with Global School Leaders and Ghana National Association of Private Schools - GNAPS (Ghanaian National Association of Private Schools) to focus on leadership in the private school segment.     In the report, Aashti Zaidi Hai, CEO and Founder of Global Schools Forum said, "GSF is a proud member of the School Action Learning Exchange (SALEX) supported by Jacobs Foundation. SALEX can have a big impact on how we are both generating and supporting the uptake of evidence across all levels in the education system, from policymakers to organizations doing research, and most importantly, schools and teachers to benefit from that evidence.”    📹 Interview with Aashti Zaidi Hai here: https://lnkd.in/eKuJ8YSp 📓 Read the Jacobs Foundation Annual Report here: https://lnkd.in/exwWfh9Q