Creative Wins USAID Cooperative Agreement for Tanzania 21st Century Basic Education Program
The Government of Tanzania’s vision for integrating technology into its schools presents considerable challenges to meet. Few primary schools in Tanzania have computers, Internet access, landline telephones and most lack electricity. However, Creative has repeatedly demonstrated that its approach to improving learning outcomes through technology is effective. Primarily, TZ21 will provide integrated capacity building to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training on the mainland and Zanzibar on associated policies and procedures to support local implementation. Secondly, as previous Creative education and technology projects have shown, ICT in the classroom can be successful when it includes intensive training of teachers on how to effectively use the new technology in the classroom. The TZ21 team will work in partnership with leading international and local technology firms, including the International Youth Foundation, Agile Learning, Inveneo, Education Impact, and the Children Book Project for Tanzania. These NGOs will assist the project in providing hardware and e-content as part of ICT enhancement measures to all 846 schools in Mtwara and on two islands of Zanzibar, where the project will be implemented.
Creative’s CEO, Charito Kruvant said, “We share and support Tanzania’s vision of bringing the best appropriate technology to enhance learning in the classroom.”
True to the Creative best practice of using a bottom-up approach, TZ21 will conduct a comprehensive initial workshop with Mainland and Zanzibar education officials, private sector partners, and community representatives to agree on a common vision of program goals and actions, clear roles and responsibilities, and specific milestones and timelines. This workshop will be repeated annually to review met targets and outstanding issues in order to meet planned indicators and objectives.
Creative is currently implementing education programs in 16 countries facilitating widespread changes in education systems through initiatives which include integration of ICT in teacher training, capacity building of education ministries, introduction of data systems in schools, modernizing of curriculum, and introduction of HIV/AIDS education. Over the past four years, Creative has implemented eight projects integrating IT training services, equipment provision, and interactive web-based resources. These programs have improved management in schools through better data systems, developed the quality of instruction through innovative training programs, and enhanced the overall quality of education by incorporating new technologies in schools. Creative brings particular value-added experience to the integration of technology into educational programs intended to change teacher performance and improve student outcomes. With a regional office in Kenya to directly support its Africa-based projects, Creative implements education projects in Sudan, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt.