The BEC Board of Directors is pleased to welcome the Global Reading Network (GRN) for a temporary hosting arrangement at BEC. Since its founding in 2014, GRN has brought together donors, practitioners, government officials, national and international CSO’s, and other stakeholders committed to improving reading outcomes for primary grade children around the world. BEC will support the continuation of core components of GRN’s work in 2020.
BEC to Present ECE Art Exhibit at CIES 2020
Through an interactive art exhibit, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Group of the Basic Education Coalition (BEC) will remind CIES 2020 participants of the reason for our collective work: Healthy and curious children are the global leaders of tomorrow. This exhibit will display original work by children and educators around the world, collected by BEC members during implementation of ECE programs. Explore www.cies2020.org for more information about the conference.
BEC Hosts Age of Learning
On November 21st, BEC hosted a special presentation by Age of Learning a California-based Ed Tech company that is improving digital literacy and English language skills around the world, including in Costa Rica and building E-learning community hubs in Papua New Guinea. Learn more about their Bringing Learning to All initiative.
Note: In 2019, the BEC Board of Directors unanimously approved the creation of a new technical working group for Ed Tech. The group will formally launch in Winter of 2020.
BEC Co-Hosts THRIVE Event on Capitol Hill
On November 19th, 2019, over 100 attendees representing congressional offices, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and advocacy networks gathered on Capitol Hill to learn more about ways the US Government can support the world’s youngest citizens in the most fragile contexts at the event “Ensuring All Children Thrive: Early Childhood Development in Conflict and Crisis Settings.” The event, moderated by Bill O’Keefe of Catholic Relief Services, featured an esteemed panel comprised of Dr. Fan Tait of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ms. Sarah Gesiriech of USAID, Dr. Pia Britto of UNICEF, and Mr. Danny Labin of Sesame Workshop. Follow the Thrive Coalition on twitter @ThriveCoalition.
USAID Publishes Self-Reliance Learning Agenda
The Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) and the Global Development Lab (Lab) are leading USAID’s Self-Reliance Learning Agenda (SRLA). Produced through broad consultation with USAID/Washington and Missions, the key SRLA questions represent a variety of learning needs related to self-reliance.
CIES 2020 Miami Proposal Submission System is Now Open
The online proposal submission system is now open and the deadline to submit proposals is Wednesday, September 25, 2019. Explore www.cies2020.org for more information about the conference, including the full Call for Contributions.
G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council Highlights Education in Recommendations
The Council recommended core approaches to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education and health. See page 25 of the call to action for a full list of recommended approaches.
U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education- 2019 Interim Report Submitted to Congress
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submitted a report to Congress as an interim progress update in response to the requirement of the READ Act of 2017. This report describes the implementation of the U.S. Government International Strategy for Basic Education for the period of September 14, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The USG Departments and Agencies involved in the Strategy reported data on progress by utilizing existing reporting indicators for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The data provide a snapshot of the extent to which the USG’s international basic education assistance is approaching the goals articulated in the READ Act.
KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL ACT BRIEFING ON CAPITOL HILL
On June 19th, BEC, in partnership with Girls Not Brides USA, The Coalition for Adolescent Girls, Global Citizen, UNICEF USA, and World Vision, sponsored a Congressional staff briefing on Keeping Girls in School Around the World. The briefing focused on the Keeping Girls in School Act (H.R. 2153) and the need for U.S. foreign assistance to address the barriers that keep adolescent girls out of school internationally. The event featured remarks by Rep. Quigley (D-IL), Rep. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Frankel (D-FL), and Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya. BEC Executive Board Member, Heather Simpson, moderated the widely-attended event.
"THE DELIVERY APPROACH" by BEC & CAMBRIDGE ED
The event on June 18th introduced and explored new research regarding impact of Delivery Approaches on education systems and learning outcomes, and built on a recent UNICEF Think Piece. This latest work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Lead presenter, Robin Todd, is a Senior Education Adviser at Cambridge Education and served on a Government Delivery Unit, assigned by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Robin shared about his experiences and research findings and opened up a discussion for participants to learn about, question and critique the work done to date.