World Education to Lead USAID Targeting the Learning Crisis Program in Uganda

We are pleased to announce a new award from the U.S. Agency for International Development to improve learning outcomes for primary students in Uganda. Under the Targeting the Learning Crisis (TLC) program, World Education will lead a consortium of partners, including Bantwana Initiative Uganda, Madrasa Early Childhood Programme Uganda, Building Tomorrow, International Rescue Committee, and VVOB.

In Uganda, according to a 2019 World Bank report, up to 83 percent of primary school-age learners lack foundational learning skills, with many lagging behind their expected grade-level achievement. Socioeconomic and sociocultural challenges threaten retention and performance; these include limited parental engagement, unprepared teachers, and high absenteeism. Uganda also lacks early childhood services and pre-primary education opportunities to prepare children for school. These challenges were exacerbated by two years of pandemic-related school closures, the longest in Africa, and are compounded for girls, children with disabilities, and those who have experienced trauma.

TLC aims to use evidence-based pedagogical approaches, such as targeted instruction and the Teaching At the Right Level approach, to improve learning outcomes. Over the next five years, the project will do the following:

• enhance government capacity to deliver and monitor effective teacher professional development
• improve school, community, and household enabling environments to increase enrollment, retention, and student learning
• train teachers to deliver inclusive, targeted instruction that leverages formative assessment and evidence-based remediation techniques
• train early childhood education facilitators to provide safe and inclusive play-based learning opportunities for young children and their families

World Education, a division of JSI, has 23 years of experience working in Uganda to improve learning and school retention, engage families and communities in education, and empower parent-teacher associations. We have also strengthened the capacity of local organizations to deliver HIV and AIDS education and services and addressed violence, neglect, and abuse against children and youth by engaging schools, caregivers, and communities.

One of our key partners under TLC, Bantwana Initiative Uganda, grew out of World Education’s programming in sub-Saharan Africa and established themselves as an independent organization in 2023. Through The Bantwana Initiative, World Education has contributed to Uganda’s 95-95-95 HIV epidemic control goals by expanding access to services and building coordination among communities and service providers. We also provided technical support to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to scale up an HIV-sensitive case management model nationally and supported seven Ugandan organizations in two years to become direct recipients of USAID funding.

JSI, our parent organization, has 37 years of experience in Uganda, working closely with the Ministry of Health and communities to enhance health outcomes. JSI leads the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative Uganda Malaria Reduction Activity and the USAID Tuberculosis Framework Agreement and has experience improving nutrition, routine immunization, maternal and child health, and family planning.

This program builds on World Education’s vast portfolio of experience partnering with governments, schools, and communities to create safe and effective learning environments from early childhood through adolescence. We look forward to working with our partners to impact the lifelong potential of Uganda’s children.

The U.S. Agency for International Development administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.