Accelerated Learning Program to Support Out-of-School Youth in Liberia

WALTHAM, MA | The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded EDC a $33.9 million contract for a new four-year program in Liberia to provide relevant, flexible, and quality education opportunities for out-of-school children and adolescents, enabling them to pursue additional education, training, or potential employment.

The USAID Accelerated Quality Education (AQE) for Liberian Children activity will use an accelerated learning program to condense six years of the primary education cycle into three years. EDC will lead a variety of activities expected to increase access to education for approximately 48,000 out-of-school children ages 8 to 15.

Based on the national curriculum, the program covers four core subjects—math, science, English, and social studies—and will be delivered in three levels, each equivalent to two years of primary schooling.

“EDC has significant experience and a track record of using accelerated learning approaches in partnership with local communities and governments to provide out-of-school youth with literacy and numeracy skills,” said EDC’s Sarah Nogueira Sanca, project director. “We look forward to building on our work and relationships in Liberia to implement this approach for the benefit of thousands of young children left out of the education system.”

The activity will work with key Ministry of Education counterparts to institutionalize a nationwide accelerated education program, strengthen existing systems and policies, and focus attention on women and girls, who are the least likely to have access to education in Liberia. Completing the accelerated learning program is expected to ease learners’ transition to formal education.

An estimated 260 program sites will be established in six counties—Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Montserrado—over the four-year period.

EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Visit www.edc.org or follow us on Twitter at @edctweets.