EDC to Support Improved Literacy Instruction in Ethiopia

WALTHAM, MA | With the goal of addressing gaps in early grade reading education, Education Development Center (EDC) will work with Creative Associates and World Vision to improve the reading skills of 15 million children in Ethiopia. The five-year project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by Creative Associates, will collaborate closely with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education.

Known as READ II, the project will focus on children considered at risk of school failure or dropout due to the cognitive, emotional, and physical effects of hunger, violence, and displacement. Read II will:

• Provide teachers with new instructional approaches and materials in seven local languages and English
• Build a culture of reading in the school, home, and community
• Strengthen the Ethiopian education system’s capacity to support and sustain literacy improvements

EDC will implement READ II in Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa, Tigray, and Amhara regions, including:

• Leading activities to strengthen preservice teacher preparation for literacy teaching and increase community support for girls’ education
• Using its interactive audio programs for community engagement and English language instruction
• Drawing on its Read Right Now! literacy approach, successful across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, for use in low-resource regions

“We are so pleased to be working as one team with the Ministry of Education and our partners to help improve reading proficiency for so many children,” said EDC’s Jen Kennedy. “EDC has extensive experience in supporting the evolution and improvement of literacy systems in challenging environments, and a history of working closely with communities in Ethiopia to improve education access and quality. We look forward to applying what we’ve learned to this new effort.”

READ II will initially roll out its enhanced model in 3,000 schools across 50 districts, ultimately expanding the basic model to reach a targeted 15 million learners.

The project extends EDC’s portfolio of USAID-funded projects in Ethiopia. Through the five-year POTENTIAL project, EDC is helping young people find productive, income-generating opportunities, essential to the country’s long-term economic success. EDC is also working with USAID and its partners CARE Ethiopia and Catholic Relief Services on the Livelihoods for Resilience program, which assists poor households in rural areas of the country to diversify their livelihoods, increase their income, and graduate from the government safety net.

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world. Visit www.edc.org.