BEC's Early Childhood Education working group organized a CIES panel: "Influencing ECE policy around the world; four country-case studies of civil society engagement to promote early childhood education" and have received official acceptance to present at CIES 2018 in Mexico City.

Dear Members of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee:

As members and partners of InterAction, an alliance of over 180 nongovernmental organizations working around the world, we write to thank you for your efforts to support programs that serve the world’s poor and vulnerable through Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriation bills. As you prepare your final FY18 appropriations package, we urge to you adopt the highest possible funding levels for bilateral and multilateral poverty-fighting and lifesaving programs...

November 15, 2017 (Charlottesville, VA)- The Global Leadership Forum (GLF): Promoting Gender Equality in Education convened rising leaders from more than 20 countries, who are working to ensure that women and girls have equal access to education. BEC's Bethany Johnson attended the forum as a facilitator. Participants shared their perspective on the value of U.S. support for international basic education programs in the developing world and strategies to increase impact for girls, specifically. 

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Sue and I, my wife, Sue and I were teachers in Kenya (inaudible) and lived and worked in a village where only about half the kids ever went to any kind of school at all, and only a handful would ever graduate from school.

On Wednesday, November 1st, at 5:30pm, over 150 representatives from NGO’s, USAID, Congress, and the Administration gathered to celebrate passage of the bipartisan Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act (HR 601).

The “READ Act” builds upon current U.S. efforts to ensure equal access to quality education for children, globally. The legislation works toward reaching the 264 million children and youth around the world who are still not in school, improves the quality of education for those already enrolled, and builds sustainability and country independence.

On Tuesday, October 24th, 40 representatives from NGOs, USAID, and the World Bank met to celebrate and discuss the World Bank’s World Development Report 2018 (WDR18): LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise. The WDR is the World Bank’s flagship report, which is prepared annually on a specific topic of global importance. For the first time in almost 40 years of the WDR series, the focus is on education.

“At USAID, we’re working to break down the barriers that keep girls from learning and leading. We want every girl to go to school, live in a home and community free from violence, and receive the care she needs to grow healthy and strong.“

The Basic Education Coalition will host a conversation on the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR): LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise on October 24th, 2017. The WDR is the World Bank’s flagship report, which is prepared annually on a specific topic of global importance. For the first time in almost 40 years of the WDR series, the focus is on education.

"...people have asked me if I've been surprised by -- having taken the helm at USAID. Maybe not surprised, but I've seen some things that I didn't quite expect or perhaps didn't appreciate. And the biggest one is the sheer scope of the humanitarian need. My background is in development. I started off as a teacher in Kenya 30-plus years ago.

On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.