Access to inclusive and quality education is essential for children to thrive. Every child has the right to an education to give them the best start in life and to create opportunities for their future.
Education allows women and girls the opportunity to access social, economic and political opportunities and children with disabilities the opportunity to flourish.
We need your help to unlock education opportunities for children around the world.
Our Education Principles
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VSO seeks to improve education for all children, especially the most vulnerable such as children with disabilities, children in crises, and hard to reach girls.
We currently deliver high-impact programs across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific to improve educational outcomes for in school and out of school children across the globe.
We improve access to education for the most vulnerable children by following these guiding principles:
- Empowered and engaged learners
- Supportive and engaged communities
- Inclusive and effective teachers
- Accessible, safe and enabling learning environments
- Effective education leadership and management
- Responsive governance and informed decision making on education policies
Our Process
Building Inclusive Education Systems
We engage with education stakeholders at all levels to achieve sustainable systemic improvements at pre-primary, basic, and secondary school level.
We collaborate with government and community leaders in the education system and work with existing institutions to support their decision making process and facilitate the connections needed to implement education policy into practice.
We depend on support and cooperation from ministries and sub-national governments, gaining valuable expert input on policy and allowing us to strengthen and enhance inclusive education.
Learn about our Building Learning Foundations project in Rwanda
Girls’ Empowerment
Our education programming focuses on addressing harmful social and cultural barriers to girls’ access to learning. Girls face barriers to education often because they are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, violence, and lack of agency.
An education free of harmful norms empower girls and boys to contribute to reductions in school-related gender-based violence and challenge cultural pratices, including child marriage.
We help girls system wide by improving infrastructure and creating inclusive learning environments leading to increases in attendance, retention, learning outcomes, and life skills.
Learn about our Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE) project in Nepal
Inclusive Teaching Practices
Our approach focuses on learner-centered methods and inclusive pedagogy. We work closely with teacher training colleges to improve teacher training curriculum and conduct pre-service training on inclusive teaching methods, learning assessments, and instructional materials.
VSO supports the development of teacher mentorship and supervision guidelines. We conduct in-service training for all levels of education stakeholders from teachers and curriculum developers to coaching on social accountability for school management committees and PTAs.
Ed-Tech
Our ed-tech offerings include mentoring, coaching, curriculum, and platforms for teachers and administrators to share their experience with others. We also adopt inclusive technology to improve access, participation, and learning outcomes of vulnerable and marginalized children.
VSO is also leading on ed-tech solutions for basic education, providing students access to up-to-date learning adaptations to support learning for all and access to distance learning.
Examples of our ed-tech work:
Engaged Parents & Communities
It’s critical that we help communities and parents break down barriers that have previously prevented access to education. We believe that when parents are aware of the value of a strong education, educational outcomes are better.
We engage communities to address cultural and social norms that bar students from education; we assist parents in feeling confident to help at home; and we increase literacy in the entire home.
Examples of our work engaging parents and communities:
Integrated Programming for Holistic Support
We integrate livelihoods and sexual health programming into our education work to address root causes of vulnerability. VSO also provides training on income generating activities for girls to enhance their independence.
Learn about our Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE) project in Nepal
Projects supporting education
Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE)
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE) project will reach 4,200 out-of-school girls, improving their literacy, numeracy, business, and life skills.
Building Educational Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT)
Through the Building Educational Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) project, we’re aiming to improve the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of all learners at levels 1-4.
Let’s Learn Through Play (Twigire Mumikino Rwanda)
Championing play as a tool for creative, engaged and resilient learners in Rwanda.
Supporting early childhood education in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement
VSO has supported 4,500 learners with early childhood care and education in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda.
Using technology to deliver high quality education
Millions of children around the world are not getting the education they deserve. Unlocking Talent Through Technology is working to address this.
Building Learning Foundations
Developing long-term, sustainable solutions to improve basic teaching for every child in Rwanda.
Other VSO program areas
Creating resilient livelihoods
We support access to stable economic livelihoods to help the vulnerable populations support themselves and their families.
Enhancing health and wellbeing
We are committed to improving outcomes for marginalized communities across the world.
Climate resilient systems
Our climate resilience programs are locally-led, integrated, and backed by data to bring forth lasting solutions to our most pressing issues. We focus on disaster relief, education, health, and food systems, and risk reduction in over 20 countries.
VSO News
How social tension impacts education: Support learning for lasting peace
For many of us, education is something that we often take for granted. Providing quality education and access to education for all is a tool that has proven to build a cohesive and fairer society.
Transforming individuals, communities and societies through active citizenship
Volunteers are an incredible resource, who are making a vital contribution to the delivery of the sustainable development goals. They are also stepping up to question, to challenge, to hold decision makers to account for their actions.
From Kenya to Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, meet the volunteer igniting change across the world
Vilma Esoto is a remarkable national volunteer working hard in the Philippines, where she ensures that out-of-school youth get the relevant mentorship and leadership skills they deserve, to achieve a prosperous future.
Stand with VSO
Become a partner and work with VSO to deliver community-based solutions.
Your partnership will support our work in education, health, and livelihoods.