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EDUCATION AND YOUTH IN MINDANAO
Seeks to increase access to quality education and livelihood skills in selected areas, particularly those most affected by conflict and poverty.
Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) - Seeks to carry out targeted program with focus on Mindanao to address high illiteracy and drop-out rates, improve learning of math, science and the English language, particularly at the elementary level and address special problems of out-of-work youth in the conflict-affected areas. Program encourage U.S. and Philippine private sector groups involved in education through corporate social responsibility program to partner with USAID in assisting the education sector. Current alliances with the private sector in conflict affected areas of Mindanao will address the reading and number skills of Grades 1- 3 children, strengthen Local School Boards and parent-teacher associations, improve infrastructure or equipment needs in school-less and disadvantaged communities, provide TV and radio distance learning to help reintegrate out-of-school youth in conflict-affected areas of the ARMM, increase the availability of new books for elementary and secondary level students and out- of-school youth living in the ARMM and conflict-affected areas in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, North Cotabato and Zamboanga del Sur.
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Assistance for Comprehensive Educational Development in Mindanao (ASCEND Mindanao). This project allows out-of-school children to go through self-paced modules or alternative learning classes and then take accreditation tests to re-enter school. It assists the DepEd in developing and testing curricula and classroom materials for more effective teaching of English, science and math, including in ten pilot madaris. These madaris will serve as models of how an enriched madrasah curriculum can better address the learning needs of children in Muslim communities.
Television Education for the Advancement of Muslim Mindanao (TEAM Mindanao). The project will expand learning opportunities through educational television targeting 70 schools in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur for the first year and 80 more schools in Tawi Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan by the end of three years. It will upgrade capacities for teaching science, math and English through provision of training modules for teachers. To support the reintegration of out of school youth, TEAM-Mindanao will develop a 10-part video series on livelihood and business skills.
TUDLÓ Mindanao Teacher Training Project. With USAID funding the Peace Corps is conducting a training-the-trainer program for elementary and secondary level teachers of English and Information Communication Technology from the ARMM and Regions 9 and 12. To date 150 trainers have been trained and these, in turn, have trained 600 teachers. By the end of the project in 2006, more than 1,500 teachers of English and ICT will have been trained in current approaches.
Development for Peace in Sulu (American Foreign Policy Council). The Project seeks to build and sustain peace in Sulu by first revitalizing the public education and health systems in order to spark economic development. The project is building model elementary and secondary schools that will serve as centers for future teacher training and vocational training.
GEM-2 Education Improvement Activities - Currently focused on the following areas:
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Computer Literacy and Internet Connection (CLIC) Program. In partnership with the private sector (i.e., Makati Business Club and the Ayala Foundation) and other donors (Japan and Australia), USAID has introduced computer and internet education in 175 schools in the ARMM and other conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and plans to reach an additional 200 to 300 high schools over the next two years. About 180,000 students and 5,000 teachers are benefiting so far.
Education Awareness Support Effort (EASE Program). EASE works with Parent-Teachers-Community Associations (PTCAs) and local groups to raise awareness on the state of education in the ARMM. Under this program, USAID directly matches - peso for peso - any funds that the PTCAs and other community groups raise to finance improvements in the schools. Assistance is provided directly to the PTCAs. USAID has awarded matching grants to Parent-Teacher Community Associations (PTCAs) in 154 schools with a total enrollment of approximately 126,000 students, in the ARMM and neighboring conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. USAID anticipates awarding about 100 of these matching grants each year.
Congressional Internship Program. USAID is implementing a congressional internship program for recent graduates of colleges and universities in the ARMM. Under this program interns spend four months working in the Philippines House of Representatives to develop greater understanding of how legislation is developed and enacted. Some 20-30 interns are selected each year and a total of 30 interns have participated to date.