EDUCATION SIGNATURE INITIATIVE

EDUCATION SIGNATURE INITIATIVE

Every child deserves to read.

Together, we will deliver educational interventions, books and training for 1 million children, young adults, parents, and teachers.

People reached so far:
2016
March 2021
2023
762,742
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The need

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Yet in 2018, 100 million youths worldwide were illiterate.

Development professionals agree that without education, it’s almost impossible to break the cycle of poverty. Education is at the very heart of sustainable development.

When children fall behind in literacy skills, it’s very difficult for them to succeed in school.

According to the United Nations, “The learning crisis not only threatens an individual’s ability to climb out of poverty, it also jeopardizes the economic future of entire nations as they struggle to compete in a global marketplace with less-than-skilled human resources.”

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Our response

We equip children to flourish through quality education, immersing students in words while enhancing community structures that foster learning.

World Vision’s award-winning Unlock Literacy program empowers parents and children to value education and its life-changing potential.

We establish afterschool reading camps with trained volunteers and age-appropriate books for children to take home, empower parents to learn along with their children, and equip primary school teachers with quality training and resources.

Unlock Literacy works. For example, after one year of participating in the program in Burundi, girls increased their reading comprehension by 31%. After one year in Ethiopia, literacy measures for students in the program were twice as high as those of their peers.

Our impact

Rwanda’s national strategy is helping children succeed: 97% of elementary-aged children enroll in classes, and over the past five years the country’s dropout rate has decreased from 14% to 5.6%. Our plan to support this momentum builds on Rwanda’s own assistance for students using Unlock Literacy. In Nepal, only 7% of students could read and comprehend a written passage before the program, 51% could do so after.

3,497

3,497 children were reached through house-to-house book lending in 2021

269

269 teachers were equipped with Unlock Literacy training in 2021

82,880

82,880 storybooks were distributed to children to borrow and read in 2021

638

638 facilitators were trained in English proficiency and adapting instruction to serve children with disabilities

43,730

43,730 children attended World Vision-supported reading camps

Read our most recent progress report.

Our partners

We are blessed to partner with hundreds of Christian philanthropists and couldn’t do this work without them. And we’re able to reach more people because of our highly collaborative local and global partnerships within private and public sectors.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Microsoft
Jen Wolford, donor partner, California (with her husband, Eric)

“Readers access a wide range of opportunities that simply aren’t possible for the illiterate. Meaning and possibility are everywhere for kids who can read.”

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Irina Bokova, Former Director - General of Unesco

“From better health to increased wealth, education is the catalyst of a better future for millions of children, youth, and adults. No country has ever climbed the socioeconomic development ladder without steady investments in education.”

Resources

Our team of experts

Christy Fellner Christy Fellner
Director Child Protection & Education, PQI
Alisa Phillips Alisa Phillips
Senior Education Advisor
Mike Greer Mike Greer
Senior Technical Advisor

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World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
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World Vision, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible in full or in part.
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