Focus Area

Basic literacy, numeracy and social and emotional learning skills are the foundations for future learning, success in school, active citizenship and informed decision-making. Creative works with ministries of education to develop and operationalize policies, curriculum and instructional approaches to ensure all students master basic skills.

Creative fosters an environment where students and teachers can thrive by integrating social and emotional learning into our programming. Our interventions enhance students’ sense of control, belonging, safety, self-worth, relationships and the ability to manage conflicts non-violently. Creative promotes teacher well-being using proven techniques to improve stress management, self-care and self-efficacy.

Creative partners with ministries of education and communities to strengthen educational systems and empower schools and families. Our efforts include support for curriculum development, teacher professional development, quality assurance systems and dropout prevention models. Our programs pave the way for sustainability by institutionalizing governments’ ability to build the educational foundation for their children and youth’s future.

Education plays a vital role in rebuilding conflict and crisis-affected communities and instilling resilience for a peaceful future. Creative quickly assesses the unique needs and capabilities of educational systems in these situations and collaborates with communities, governments and the private sector to develop sustainable strategies that provide access to quality education in safe learning environments.

In complex environments, education opportunities are often needed outside of a formal classroom. Creative works with governments and communities to develop alternative education programs, such as remedial and accelerated learning models, to support out-of-school children and youth in obtaining foundational skills and successfully transitioning into the formal system or livelihood opportunities.

See our other conflict-sensitive work.

Education provides an entry point to productive employment and civic engagement for children with disabilities and learning differences. Creative works with ministries of education, local and international organizations, and communities to promote effective education practices and policies. Activities include establishing strong policy frameworks, training teachers on proven pedagogical practices, and conducting community outreach to ensure wider societal support for education for all. Through these comprehensive, cost-effective measures, Creative supports children with and without disabilities to thrive in and beyond the classroom.

Early childhood is a critical development period and offers a unique opportunity to support children’s lifelong learning. Creative works with governments, early childhood education providers and parents to promote playful learning opportunities that help children build the skills they need to succeed in their future academic and personal life. In addition to introducing emergent literacy and numeracy skills through play, these programs engage children in critical thinking and problem solving, foster imagination and creativity, and support children in building strong relationships with adults and other children.

Our interventions deliver market-driven, competency-based training programs, enhance TVET and training providers’ capacities, provide technical, digital, and life skills training and offer career counseling, job placement and ongoing support that enable people to be productive members of the workforce. To support a sustainable and resource-efficient society, Creative helps energy and non-energy industries in their just energy transition plans by training existing and new workforce on green skills for green jobs. Creative partners with TVET institutions and the private sector to co-design STEM-focused curricula addressing the growing demand for STEM-oriented occupations. 

Creative partners with teachers and subject matter experts to conduct mapping and gap analyses to inform curriculum, standards, and benchmarks. We collaboratively revise, update, and/or develop new curriculum frameworks, scope and sequences, and aligned teaching and learning materials (TLMs), such as teacher guides, student textbooks and workbooks, and supplementary materials.

Teachers are our most direct link to students and critical partners for driving learning. Creative’s programming recognizes and values the critical inputs from teachers and sees them as partners in improving learning outcomes. We support robust hybrid teacher training and professional development systems that build teacher capacity to apply inclusive best practices in subject matter instruction and evidence-based pedagogy. Creative promotes effective oversight, quality assurance systems, and sustainable support for teachers through pedagogical and instructional leadership support — particularly in teacher supervision, coaching, and mentoring.