EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES PROJECT – GPEKIX/IDRC
Advancing Education Solutions: Research for Scaling up Education Innovations in Emergency and Fragilities and FCV Affected Areas of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria (ACCELERATED ED+) (Nov 2024 – Oct. 2026) About the ProjectThe project builds on proven models such as Accelerated Education Programs (AEPs), Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Gender-Focused Programming (GFP) to deliver transformative impact. By building on evidence-based practices and fostering partnerships across sectors, we aim to ensure that even the most marginalised children can access quality education in safety and dignity. The primary goal of this research is to tackle the complex challenges of access, retention and SEL faced by out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) in emergency and Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV)-affected settings in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. The primary objective of this research is to deliver empirical evidence on the effectiveness and scalability of innovative educational strategies in crisis-affected settings, specifically identifying and evaluating the […]
GENDER TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION
GENDER TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION LEARNING COLLABORATIVE (2024) The Gender Transformative Education Learning Collaborative (GTELC) was created for peer exchange by a group of Education Out Loud (EOL) grantees with Associates for Change (AFC) as Learning Partner. The goal was to identify and document best practices while advocating for strategies to address all forms of social exclusion, gender stereotyping, and discrimination, particularly against girls in schools. The Learning Collaborative comprises of Francophone and Anglophone EOL beneficiaries from seven countries: Benin (Coalition de l’éducation pour tous), Gambia (EFANET), Ghana (School for Life), Liberia (Education Her {HOPE}), Madagascar (CONAMEPT/ Coalition Nationale pour l’Education Pour Tous), Niger (GRADE Africa), Tunisia (La Coalition Tunisienne Pour L’Education), and Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage. AFC as a Learning Partner was responsible for the overall coordination and facilitation of the Learning Collaborative. This involved organising regular meetings, ensuring effective participant communication, and providing logistical […]
HIGH LEVEL CONFERENCE ACCRA 2024
High level Conference on Tackling the Out of School Challenge in West Africa: Research Evidence to Drive Action and Investment On 11th and 12th June 2024, Associates for Change (AfC), Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and Dalan Development Consultants in collaboration with Complementary Education Agency organized a two-day High level Conference on Tackling the Out of School Challenge in West Africa. The conference brought together stakeholders from across the West Africa region to share best practices, present research findings, and explore synergies related to Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs). It aimed to foster dialogue, collaboration, and mutual learning among governments, NGOs, education researchers, and development partners. Specifically, the objectives of the high-level conference were to: Foster full investment, ownership and enhanced partnerships for AEP integration. The high-level meeting aims to cultivate complete investment and ownership among stakeholders to fully integrate Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) into existing […]
MAKING A MARK AT THE CIES CONFERENCE
Associates for Change recently took center stage at the prestigious CIES (Comparative and International Education Society) 2023 Annual Meeting which was organized from 14th – 22nd February. This participation marked yet another significant stride in their journey towards creating positive change in the realm of global education. The Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) is a non-government organization committed to educational improvement and to empowering learners, educators, and many more on local, national, regional, and global scales. This year’s meeting centered on Improving Education for a More Equitable World. During the CIES Conference, Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford, Director for Associates for Change delivered an insightful presentation on Accelerated Education Program (AEPs). The presentation drew from their wealth of research conducted on the comparative study on AEPs in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone depicting diverse educational settings. She shared strategies for improving education quality, promoting inclusivity for learning. The policy discussions and […]
ASSOCIATES FOR CHANGE PARTICIPATES IN ICERDA
Associates for Change and its research partners; Dalan Development Consultants and The Centre for the Study of Economies of Africa joined other education researchers for the International Conference on Education Research Development in Africa (ICERDA) on the 19th to 21st of September 2023. ICERDA, a research partnership between The University of Cape Coast and The Centre for the Study of Global Development at The Open University, UK aims to create a unique space for new and established education researchers to meet regularly to disseminate research that addresses and develops research that inspires our policy makers to take action to improve the quality of education for all Africans, especially the disadvantaged and marginalised. The research Consortium was represented by Dr. Abubakarr Lamin, Eunice Bodza and Louisa Owusu Adjei who delivered presentations on Overcoming educational exclusion and the effectiveness of Accelerated Education Programs. The team’s dedication to driving change in education through […]
A Commitment to Advancing Education
Associates for Change recently took part in the 2nd Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Symposium organized from the 12th – 14th October 2023. This event marked another significant step in the ongoing mission to drive innovation and transformation within the field of education. The Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) is a global platform that brings together education experts, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers from around the world. The symposium sought to provide an opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share findings from their respective work; promote learning and dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on how to use data to improve educational outcomes and foster evidence-based policymaking at the country level. Director of Associates for Change, Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford delivered a presentation on Empowering Education Systems through Equity and Scaling research. She highlighted the benefits of developing more holistic Education data systems as this could lead to improved resource allocation […]
AFC Participates in UKFIET
Associates for Change, Dalan Development Consultants and the Centre for the Economies of Africa participated in the UKFIET from the 12th to 14th of September 2023. The Education and Development Forum (UKFIET) is committed to promoting and strengthening international education and development for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, and other differences. It pursues this objective through sharing educational ideas, encouraging the development of teaching, training, research and publication, serving as a resource to policy makers in government, multi-lateral and non-government organisations, and in other institutions. This event brought together educators, policymakers, and researchers from around the world to discuss innovative approaches and strategies to address global education challenges. The research consortium seized this opportunity to share their insights and experiences in different presentations that showcased their dedication to transforming education for the better. Associates for Change presented on and scaling up accelerated education programs highlighting evidence that Accelerated Education […]
ACCELERATED EDUCATION PROGRAME-IDRC
PROJECT TITLE – Generating and Mobilising Innovative Knowledge for Regional Education Challenges KIX: A comparative study of accelerated education programs and girls-focused education models in Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, GPE KIX (March 2021- 2024) ABOUT THE PROJECT This project aims to fill the knowledge gap on the scalability of Accelerated Education Program models in rural and fragile areas to reach large populations of out-of-school children. The study also includes mini studies measuring the performance and efficiency of approaches aimed at increasing access to quality education for children in poor rural areas, access to quality girls’ education, educating children with disabilities, and transitioning AE children to formal schooling and retaining them therein. The research design uses a Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) approach and includes evaluative mixed-method approaches including two longitudinal surveys related to the programme efficiency and effectiveness, one tracer study which tracks the children who have completed and […]
ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION
Annual Presentations on the Education Sector Budget to Parliament of Ghana (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) Parliamentary Services, under the leadership of Parliament of Ghana organize an Annual Post Budget Workshop where various specialists and experts conduct a review of the proposed budget in order to inform Parliament of the strengths and weaknesses in the various sectors of the economy. Under the able leadership of Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford, the Principal Consultant of Associates for Change, we have been conducting the education budget analysis over the past 6 years and making presentations to Parliament and its subcommittee in the education sector. The education budget analysis entails: an analysis of the implementation of the previous year’s budget related to the education sector, reviews the budget trends, provides a quick overview of the performance in the education sector and presents key issues and challenging questions to consider in analysis of the […]
IDRC-Early Childhood Project
Teacher Capacity Building for Play-Based Early Learning in Ghana and Sierra Leone (February 2022 to present) This is a KIX/GPE and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supported research project being conducted by the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana and Associates for Change in Ghana along with the Division of Education Studies, University of Sierra Leone. The KIX IDRC research seeks to bring together multiple stakeholders in early childhood education in Ghana and Sierra Leone to enhance the capacity of teachers to implement innovations in play-based learning at early childhood levels of education. These innovations in play-based approaches will assess the shift in teaching towards more play-based approaches by evaluating the teaching and learning outcomes across a variety of schools in urban and rural schools along with the cost of implementation. The purpose is to generate evidence of what works to improve classroom practice of […]