Educate!

🌍 In 2024, Educate! measurably impacted over 200,000 youth across Africa, focusing on those facing the greatest barriers to learning and employment. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 since we launched over a decade ago.🚀 A few highlights from the year: ⭐We signed a new partnership agreement with the government in Tanzania, working together to scale competency-based learning to secondary students nationwide. ⭐We received encouraging new evidence of impact: graduates of Educate!’s livelihood bootcamps are experiencing relative income gains from 50% to over 100%. ⭐We empowered youth as advocates and leaders in their communities, building skills for employment and sustainable entrepreneurship. And we’re eager to achieve even more. Together, we can create a future where every young person has the opportunity to transform their livelihood. Thanks to all of you on this journey with us. Learn more about the youth who inspire us and how we're scaling our impact: https://lnkd.in/dSPCuC_q

In case you missed it… At this year’s Skoll World Forum, Educate! joined a roundtable of organizations leveraging data, tech, and evidence-led decision-making to improve livelihoods and drive income gains. The network of livelihood innovators aims to deepen impact through collaboration and learning. The session explored critical questions we’re all grappling with: 🔹𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀? 🔹𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀? 🔹𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗢𝗜, 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? Thanks to our colleagues at The Agency Fund, Livelihood Impact Fund, GiveDirectly, Raising The Village, African Management Institute, Kabakoo Academies, Wezesha Impact, Segal Family Foundation, Canva, Judith Neilson Foundation, and the The Global Development Incubator, who contributed to a thoughtful discussion.

We remember Barry Segal's life with deep gratitude. What an incredible legacy and example he leaves for all of us in the social impact world. Our heartfelt condolences to the Segal family and to our friends at Segal Family Foundation. Thank you for always "fighting for the little guy," Barry. Rest well.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵’𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲-𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱? Former USAID Chief Economist Louise Fox suggests ways that education systems can do more to connect young people’s dreams with real economic opportunity. Writing for The Brookings Institution, she says: “Research has taught us that raising youth’s aspirations without creating opportunities for youth to realize them is dangerous”. Her blogpost highlights Educate!’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵. 🔗 Read the article: https://lnkd.in/e_J7jVdu

While my time in Chicago for #CIES2025 was short, it was definitely energizing! I had the privilege joining Mary Goretti Nakabugo of Uwezo Uganda, @Fatuma Wamala and Elizabeth Nabuyama of Kukuza Education, and Daniel Kyasanga of PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools) in a panel chaired by Daniel Omaya of SHOFCO to discuss what works in equipping young people with the skills Africa needs. I was honored to represent Educate! in such an important panel. Reflecting on the conversation, there was broad agreement that soft skills are critical - not just to teach but to assess. So many great organizations are pioneering ways to make both happen. We also looked into how to make education more practical and skills-focused, with thoughtful dialogue on ensuring assessments keep pace. A standout conversation? The balance between supporting teachers (without overburdening them) and avoiding overly prescriptive solutions. Even as the international education space navigates challenges, the tireless dedication of researchers and practitioners to advancing equitable, relevant education for every child and youth was palpable. Needless to say, the commitment of this community left me inspired. Can’t wait until next year!

“𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.” Trainers from the local community connect better and understand young people’s needs within our livelihood bootcamps – an essential part of our localized approach to delivering impactful learning experiences. Dorothy Namubiru, Educate!’s Program Manager for Out-of-School Youth in Uganda, emphasizes that trainers who understand the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the youth they serve make all the difference. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻:  ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 ✅ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 ✅ 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 ➡️ Learn more about the power of localization: https://lnkd.in/eDmEjuWK #Localization

At Educate!, we're passionate about tackling big, complex challenges – and we know that no one organization can do it alone. We're grateful to collaborate with others committed to driving impact. Hear from Boris Bulayev, reflecting on an energizing session of the Livelihoods Impact Alliance at Skoll👇🏾

🌍 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘀. At Educate!, we’ve seen firsthand how tailoring livelihood bootcamps to the realities of youth leads to stronger outcomes. That’s why we’re excited to see global efforts, like the EdHeroes Committee on Cultural Heritage in Education, championing education that values local knowledge and traditions. As a partner of EdHeroes, we’re proud to celebrate the official launch of this initiative, which aligns with our commitment to ensuring education reflects and responds to the communities it serves. ➡️ Learn more about Educate!’s localized approach to expanding economic opportunity to young people unable to access secondary school: https://lnkd.in/eDmEjuWK

Educate!'s recent board retreat was filled with valuable discussions around our strategy and impact – as well as inspiring connections.  We’re grateful for our board’s vision, energy, and unwavering commitment to young people across East Africa – and already looking forward to the next in-person meeting!  Together with Educate!’s team in Nairobi, the Board:  🔹 Explored the capabilities needed to 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🔹Discussed new and existing pathways to 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 as we drive 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵  🔹𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗶, 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘀, witnessing first hand how youth are building businesses to transform their livelihoods and  🔹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲! 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 team members through meaningful discussions and team-building 

Mentorship is a key component of our 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. In the Educate! model young people support their peers to develop skills, gain confidence, and take initiative in their communities. Take NABWIRE BRIDGET, for example. Through an Educate! 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 (𝗬𝗘𝗧) she learned leadership principles and gained hands-on experience in starting a business. YET equips young people with the skills and confidence to thrive on a number of different paths – whether it's 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 to inspire other youth in fulfilling their potential. Typically in their early 20s, Educate! mentors provide individualized support to younger youth. This peer-to-peer approach is especially impactful in our livelihood bootcamps, which serve youth who weren't able to complete secondary education.