WASHINGTON, DC | September 7, 2012
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today awarded EDC a literacy innovation grant as part of the international education competition All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development. USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced the award winners during a day of events held in celebration of International Literacy Day. Thirty-two innovators were selected from 450 applications for financing to improve literacy in more than 20 countries.
Shah announced the awardees to literacy advocates, education leaders, and development specialists attending the day’s events, which were cosponsored by the Global Partnership for Education, the Brookings Institution, and the Lions Clubs International. His remarks were followed by messages from senior Obama administration officials and former First Lady Laura Bush.
EDC’s winning proposal centers on developing low-cost mobile phone technology to improve the collection and use of student reading performance data. EDC proposed to test the approach within the context of USAID Philippines’ EQuALLS2 early grade reading work, addressing the critical need for faster data analysis and teacher feedback for improved student reading. EDC and the other awardees from around the world presented their innovations at a DevelopmentXChange showcase following the announcement.
All Children Reading is a partnership effort of USAID, World Vision, and the Australian Agency for International Development to catalyze cost-effective innovations in order to promote literacy among children in the primary grades in the developing world.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that addresses some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages more than 250 projects in 23 countries. Visit edc.org.
