Check your inbox for our newsletter! It's full of news, resources, and highlights from members and partners such as @LinkEducationUK, @IREXintl, @WorldEd, @luminos, @1977Creative, @AIRInforms, @food4thehungry, @worldreaders, @USAIDEducation, @cies_us, and more.
Read the newsletter here or by clicking on the image below.
Never miss an update! Sign up for our newsletter here.
Kitty is a passionate foreign and development policy professional with over five years of experience working on Capitol Hill. She previously served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21), a Member of Congress on the House Appropriations Committee and State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, where she advised the Member on issues ranging from advancing access to basic education around the world to women’s economic empowerment, maternal and child health, and more. Prior to that, Kitty worked for a senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she specialized on regional and issue specific portfolios, including the Western Hemisphere, South and Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, global health, human rights, and global women’s issues. Kitty has a master’s degree in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security from American University and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She looks forward to working with BEC (alongside colleagues on Capitol Hill, from USAID, and in the Administration) to continue advocating for international basic education.
BEC members can reach Kitty Close at kclose@basiced.org.
Welcome to BEC!
Link Education is a UK-based international education not-for-profit, working to improve the futures of children and youth living in some of the most marginalised communities in the world. Link has over 30 years of experience supporting governments, schools and communities in Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda.
Link brings hope to vulnerable communities, helping them to become more resilient and escape the cycle of poverty. Link focuses on raising standards of teaching and learning in schools, as well as building life skills and promoting inclusion for the most marginalised.
Link has a vision of a world where all children have access to good quality education, giving them a strong foundation to build a brighter future. Taking a top-down and bottom-up approach to transform education, Link supports broad system and school-wide improvements while recognising the need for more tailored, localised support to overcome specific challenges.
Across the countries of operation, Link’s programmes are consistent with national priorities, the African Charter 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Link’s five strategic goals focus efforts on system strengthening, education in emergencies, building resilience to climate change, sustainability and advocacy. Cross-cutting factors including gender, inclusion, safeguarding and wellbeing are embedded across all Link’s programming.
Link’s work includes:
· Leadership training in mentorship, inclusive and climate resilient School Improvement Planning (SIP) development, and supporting Communities of Practice
· Teacher training in numeracy, local language literacy, and improved gender, inclusive, and social and emotional pedagogical practices.
· Community awareness raising in SIP roles and responsibilities, SIP monitoring, child protection and safeguarding.
· Middle tier capacity strengthening via training, inclusion in activity monitoring for adaptive management, and data collection and analysis for greater accountability and advocacy.
· Support to learners in lifeskills, vocational opportunities, accelerated learning, catch up classes, and improved resources.
A range of approach papers, which briefly explain Link’s models of working, can be found here.
Link is an agile organisation, innovative in programming and structure, and welcomes partnerships and joint implementation. Link takes a proactive approach, and develops creative and holistic solutions to education system challenges e.g. developing a sport for change programme integrating netball skills with sexual reproductive health and rights, and working with school management committees to create checklists that make monitoring school improvement plans easier.
Link works through local partners so activities are contextual and operate through government structures, making the work both sustainable and scalable. An emphasis on capacity strengthening and shared learning ensures that Link’s excellent work can be replicated and have a lasting impact.
Visit Link Education’s website to learn more:
Website - https://linkeducation.org.uk/
Principles of working - https://linkeducation.org.uk/strategy-and-vision/
Earlier this year, we happily welcomed Winrock to the BEC community!
Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that implements a portfolio of more than 140 agriculture, environment and social development projects in over 46 countries. Our mission is to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. Since 1985, Winrock has been working to provide solutions to some of the world’s most complex social, agricultural and environmental challenges. For more than two decades, Winrock has been working to improve access to quality education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Winrock has established relationships with local and national government, private sector, community groups, and non-governmental organizations to improve learning outcomes, expand access to education, and promote inclusive education for vulnerable groups. Winrock is a recognized leader in the education sector with deep expertise in girls’ education, alternative education for marginalized and vulnerable populations, and education in emergency settings.
Winrock seeks to involve all who can and do impact the issue of education. Our inclusive approach brings communities together, builds individual and organizational skills, leverages resources, cultivates a shared sense of possibility and direction, and achieves sustainable outcomes. Winrock partners with governments, businesses, educators, adult and peer leaders in communities to remove barriers to educational access, expand opportunities through accelerated learning, scholarships or other incentives, and providing educational support to increase retention and attainment, such as mentoring, strengthening educational governance and community engagement. For example, poor families often rely on their children for labor, and are often unable to provide them with good health and nutrition. Increasing family and community involvement in education depends on generating household income and savings, so that families can provide for their children and not be reliant on their earnings. Winrock’s gender and inclusion strategy considers inclusivity dimensions of the education system such as gender, ethnicity, mental and physical ability. Specifically, it examines how gender affects educational access, quality and safety to design inclusive methods for project implementation and monitoring.
Winrock takes a practical approach to the insidious and disruptive challenges that undermine education. Endemic poverty, violent conflict, discrimination, gender norms, cultural attitudes, and child labor and trafficking all conspire to keep children out of school. Winrock works with families to create a healthy and productive environment that supports education. We engage parents in school governance through parent-teacher associations (PTAs). We raise awareness about the kind of supportive culture and opportunities young people, particularly women, need to thrive. When families and communities see tangible benefits from schools, they support them with additional resources and expect the quality of education to improve. Greater community support for education leads to higher levels of school attendance and performance. It also contributes to improved school standards and a stronger corps of teachers, administrators and civil servants.
Expanding access to quality education requires a safe learning environment and preventing School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV). This is a priority for Winrock across our programming, especially in schools among traumatized and recovering communities with a recurrent conflict or post-conflict setting, so that parents are comfortable sending their children to school and children can focus on learning without the threat of violence. Working with the broader school community to foster resilience, Winrock develops guidelines for school protection frameworks and codes of conduct, while nurturing social cohesion through broad and equitable community engagement.
Winrock engages at multiple levels to strengthen policy and planning, build local capacity, and change the mindsets, behaviors and conditions that prevent children from receiving a quality education. Winrock prioritizes strengthening education systems and building local capacity of decentralized education authorities, including administrators and teachers, to improve student learning outcomes and ultimately support all students to acquire the education and skills required to transition to adulthood and live healthy, productive lives. Winrock’s approach encourages the use of assessments to support instruction and supports teachers and instructors with practical and transformative professional development standards and benchmarks to measure progress. Winrock designs programs to foster inclusion and equal opportunity as a critical means to achieve learning outcomes for primary and secondary school students.
Read more about Winrock here!
The 2022 CIES program is chock-full of excellent BEC member presentations, during which they’ll share their technical expertise in areas such as Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion; Early Childhood Education; Education Technology; Gender & Social Inclusion; Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, & Learning; and more.
Click here or on the below image for the full program of BEC member presentations (available either in-person, online, or hybrid).
This brief (by BEC member FHI 360) contributes to the evidence base for education programming to improve access to, retention of and completion of education for all adolescents, especially girls and marginalized learners, past primary school grades. The barriers and strategies are globally well known. The challenge is to contextualize and localize programming while still strengthening the education systems and services that should serve all 600 million adolescent girls (ages 10–19) worldwide.
Read on by clicking here or on the image below.
Job Description
Director of Government Relations
Basic Education Coalition (BEC)
ABOUT BEC
Founded in 2001, the Basic Education Coalition (BEC) is a group of leading U.S.-based organizations and academic institutions working together to promote global peace and prosperity through education. By leveraging our collective technical expertise and combining advocacy efforts, BEC members raise a unified voice to ensure U.S. policy makers support and strengthen access to quality education around the world.
JOB SUMMARY
The Director of Government Relations will advance the objectives of the Coalition and have principal responsibility for developing and executing the Coalition’s policy and advocacy strategies. The Director of Government Relations, under the supervision of BEC’s Board of Directors and in partnership with the Director of Outreach and Communications, leads the Coalition’s work in three main areas: (1) U.S. Government Policy and Advocacy; (2) Coalition Management; and (3) Coordination with Partners.
RESPONSIBILITIES
U.S. Government Policy and Advocacy
Plan, develop, and implement the Coalition’s advocacy strategy to cultivate champions and increase support for international basic education across Congress and the administration.
Coordinate and lead the Coalition’s annual appropriations advocacy strategy to secure U.S. funding for international basic education.
Advise and coordinate the Coalition’s advocacy and input on international basic education-related legislation, policy, and guidance documents, including by providing written and verbal analysis and feedback on policy proposals, building internal and external coalitions to advance key initiatives, and routinely sharing policy updates with Coalition Working Groups and Board members.
Convene regular consultations with Coalition members and the USAID Center for Education, as well as other stakeholders, on the implementation of international education programs, funding, and policy.
Clearly communicate Coalition policy positions and highlight member programs in BEC’s advocacy materials, including policy and issue briefs, Congressional testimony, talking points, in-person or virtual briefings for policymakers, and other communications materials.
Coalition Management
Share responsibilities with the Director of Outreach and Communications for management of a successful 501(c)3 organization, including shared management and administration of Coalition finances and operational responsibilities.
Help plan, organize, and lead Coalition events, including biannual Board meetings, Capitol Hill advocacy days for member organization staff, issue briefings, receptions, and other member engagement activities.
Coordination with Partners
Leverage the Coalition’s implementing expertise and technical Working Groups to inform policy recommendations with evidence and research.
Represent the Coalition at events and meetings held by the Coalition’s member organizations, Congress, the administration, and other relevant advocacy groups.
Develop and maintain relationships with other coalitions, issue-based advocacy organizations, government officials, and representatives of multilateral institutions to advance strategic policies and priorities.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Commitment to the Coalition’s mission: Promote expanded, equitable access to quality basic education so that all children have the chance to learn.
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
At least 5 to 8 years relevant policy, advocacy, or legislative work experience in related field, including:
Experience or knowledge of U.S. budget and appropriations process; and
Experience or knowledge of U.S. Government policy on international education and familiarity with key stakeholders.
Proven ability to design and implement policy and advocacy goals and strategies, including in coalition settings.
Motivation and willingness to take initiative, build and sustain a network of active members, explore opportunities for new partnerships, develop relationships across a diverse set of internal and external partners, and assume responsibility for executing activities.
Superior organizational skills and acute attention to detail; ability to solve problems, set priorities, meet deadlines, and handle a variety of responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills, including comfort with public speaking.
REPORTING
The Basic Education Coalition is an independent 501(c)3 hosted by InterAction. This position will be based in Washington, D.C. and the incumbent will report to the Co-Chairs of the BEC Board of Directors.
SALARY & BENEFITS
The Basic Education Coalition provides competitive salaries and benefits through InterAction.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
There are no extraordinary physical requirements for the performance of the essential functions of this position. InterAction will make reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
TO APPLY
Please e-mail your resume, cover letter, and salary requirement to basiceducationcoalition@gmail.com with the subject line BEC: Director of Government Relations. The position will remain open until filled and candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered for this position.
All applicants must be able to provide documentation that they are legally eligible to work in the United States for an extended period. Due to the volume of applications, only finalists will be notified.
Welcome to BEC!
The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. They work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. They help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realize their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. British Council supports them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally-recognized qualifications. Their work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. They work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 they connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through their broadcasts and publications.
Visit British Council’s website to learn more!
The Basic Education Coalition (BEC) is a group of leading U.S.-based organizations and academic institutions working together to promote global peace and prosperity through education. By leveraging our collective technical expertise and combining advocacy efforts, BEC members raise a unified voice to ensure U.S. policy makers support and strengthen education for the developing world.
BEC affirms that Black Lives Matter and stands in solidarity with the movement, its global allies, and all those who are taking action against racial and ethnic violence and injustice. BEC promotes global peace and prosperity through education for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, caste, gender, sexual orientation, ability, background, culture, experience, perspective, or nationality. We condemn acts of violence fueled by systemic racism and hate in the United States that undermine our mission of promoting a better life for children around the world. Equally, we condemn the exclusion of historically underrepresented groups in our work at home and abroad.
We also believe that the development paradigm needs to increasingly shift towards a “people-first” approach, from an approach that works on behalf of people in local communities towards one that invests in the people in developing contexts to prioritize problems and solutions and continuously improve over time.
By establishing the BEC Anti-Racism, Diversity, & Inclusion Task Force, we aim to support the Black Lives Matter movement and condemn racism, violence, and exclusion. We are committed to working together to build a race equity culture within our Coalition and beyond by adopting a transformational approach, by learning and evolving together, and by changing our behaviors and mindsets, both as individuals and as a group.
The Task Force has compiled the following glossary of anti-racist, diverse, and inclusive terms that are relevant to our work in International Basic Education. Language is fluid and constantly evolving. Further, words can often carry different meanings for different people. Through this glossary of terms, we aim to promote a shared understanding of the terminology used in anti-racist dialogue as a basis for collaborative efforts to support the work of anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion within the global education sector. The glossary is not exhaustive and is open to further updates as new definitions emerge.
Kindly note that many of these definitions may apply to the US context only.
Click the link above or the image below to access the glossary. Please share widely across the International Basic Education space so that this industry can continue to push this important work forward, together, using common language.
Welcome to BEC!
Right To Play is a global organization that protects, educates, and empowers children to rise. They work with children in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth, helping them to stay in school and graduate, to resist exploitation and overcome prejudice, to prevent disease and to heal from war and abuse.
For more than 20 years, Right to Play has delivered programs with impact in both development and humanitarian contexts. As pioneers in a unique approach to learning, both inside and outside of the classroom, they harness play, one of the most fundamental forces in a child’s life, to help children dismantle barriers and embrace opportunities. They are the only global development organization focused exclusively on using the power of play to transform children’s lives.
Right to Play reaches 2.3 million children each year in 14 countries around the world. By collaborating with teachers, governments, communities, and parents, they unlock children’s potential, enabling them to make positive and healthy choices and to create better futures for themselves, their families and their societies. Right to Play works to drive change in four key areas: Quality Education, Gender Equality, Child Protection and Health & Well-Being.
Visit Right To Play’s websites to learn more:
Banner photo: Room to Read
