How Might We Improve Education and Expand Learning Opportunities for Refugees Around the World?
How Might We Improve Education and Expand Learning Opportunities for Refugees Around the World? OpenIDEO Challenge: Research Phase Takeaway Document
This document is intended to inform the community and our partners, UNHCR and UNICEF, what the community has provided the platform during the research phase. The authors have coded and themed all of the data. They have categorized OpenIDEO members’ posts into 6 “buckets”- so that the user of this document can easily interpret what this amazing community has produced. Many research posts can fall into one or more buckets. We took a step back from each post and determined which theme was most prevalent to the central ideas in the research post.
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Joe Silva & Karine Sarkissian Community Synthesizers June 2015
Tools and techniques for refugees to approach independent learning.
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Radio Broadcasted lessons: Due to the political turmoil and lack of stability in Sierra Leon, teachers recorded lessons for students to follow from radio channels. A cheap efficient way to self-learn in difficult situations. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/radio-broadcast-lessons Mobile Learning: Setting up study questions as text messages on cell-phone. Creating another tool that can always be used from anywhere. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/mobile-learning Learning with “Ted in a Box”: By organizing a TEDkids conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, the org. noticed the way that students were captivated by the motivational speakers. A presentation kid was put together in a box to be carried wherever needed. Students were inspired by verbal communication, pop-up educational experiences, and loose classroom setting released creativity and self-confidence. “The kids there loved creating their own curriculum and were self-learning throughout the program instead of being guided into learning through a converged stream of knowledge.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/ted-in-a-box-with-refugeesin-pakistan Fostering E-learning environment for students living in farming villages: On the e-Education project, the project members recorded a famous teacher’s lectures at a city and opened a classroom at a village. Students in villages were please to see the famous teacher on the screens. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/fostering-e-learningenvironment-for-students-living-in-farming-villages
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Dev4X: A ‘tablet’ platform contains 2+ years of learning- it takes on peer learning models and encourages in-depth learning. The tablets are low cost and are powered with solar energy. They stand alone- with the information pre-loaded, and include a support plug-in, without use of Internet. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/autonomous-selfschooling-platform Instant Network School Program (similar to Dev4x) – Vodafone Foundation Instant Classroom – tablets and laptops with pre-loaded educational software, projector, speakers, and a hotspot modem with 3G connection. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/instant-network-schoolsprogramme E-learning https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/e-learning A tiny computer helps Syrian Refugees Learn: UNICEF had engineers create an all in 1 raspberry tablet to combine and teach various subjects to the extensive number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. With the lack of books, this solution is cheap, efficient, and can be easily multiplied. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/a-tiny-computer-helpssyrian-refugees-learn
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Real Learning: when, where and how it is needed. Electronic tablets have been designed for Sudanese children to have access to a quality non-formal education. They are operated using solar energy and can adapt to nomadic ways of life, as well as exist within areas of extreme poverty. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/real-learning-whenwhere-and-how-it-is-needed-leveraging-applied-gaming-and-stakeholder-involvementfor-positive-impact Zaya ClassCloud: “The Zaya ClassCloud is transforming the learning experience of lowincome students and educators through technology based blended learning. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/zaya-classcloud Phenomenon-based learning (PBL) experience in online education: PBL encourages students to experience how a gadget works, leading them to ask why in understanding the different elements better. Students are forced the involve themselves in engineering, as well as science, while developing useful thinking skills. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/phenomenon-basedlearning-in-online-education Self-Study Software : Creating a self-study platform, similar to a GMAT prep software. It combines practical exercises and various concepts to cover different subjects. Such a software will track the number of hours spent on a subject, and give the student access to MOC exams, and online tutors. Great when teachers may not be available in refugee camps. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/quality-self-study
This theme explores ways the material being taught is learned. Through trusting relationships, by peers who have experienced the situation, we see that information starts to stick and refugees start to learn.
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System in a suitcase to enhance stem education: This proposal will result in a sustainable educational system which includes peer-reviewed student submissions of content, formative assessment, self-assessment, cryptocoin rewards and other mechanisms, developed and evaluated using evidence-driven statistical analyses of field results. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/system-in-a-suitcase-toenhance-stem-education Love for Lifelong Learning Facilitating: Peer-to-Peer platform for fostering wisdom and collective intelligence. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/learning-circles Stanford Splash: Students or affiliates sign up to teach a 1-4 hour class on any topic that they choose. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/splash-education-forstudents-by-students/comments#comments-section Kitenge Notebook Project: By creating a safe and empowering space they are able to unite and mitigate risks of violence with unique, appropriate and realistic measures to protect one another. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/kitenge-notebook-projectnurturing-young-designers-in-crafting-a-safe-and-empowering-community Top students teaching, learning about their countries needs. Through teaching experience, it also provides a means for these young people to learn about leadership as well as to sharpen their social awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the country. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/indonesia-mengajar-takingbig-city-skills-to-indonesia-s-villages
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Little Ripples Ponds is a cost-effective and replicable early childhood development program that trains and employs refugee women to provide culturally inspired home-based preschool education to improve the early development of refugee children exposed to conflict. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/little-ripples-ponds-earlychildhood-education-for-children-exposed-to-conflict The We Love Reading (WLR) initiative in Jordan trained 20 ladies and 6 men from the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan to become storytellers for the children in their neighborhoods. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/trasnformaing-refugees-intostorytellers
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Alternative ways of learning, such as using art, re-purposing trash, dance, etc. These techniques, though not as obvious to everyone, have the potential to be powerful and effective.
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PenPal Schools: 60,000 pen pals for 60 different countries. It encourages intercultural exchanges to learn about each other’s cultures and traditional, global issues, and foreign languages with native speakers. This system works through phone and computer apps, a simple tool set up for one on one exchanges. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/penpal-schools My Voice My School: By collaborating through skype and video calls, students from different areas of the world learn from each other- they teach and learn collaboratively across borders. Not only do these techniques enhance the learning ‘environments’ but it forces students to learn about different cultures, and making friends across the world (learning about different environments and situations). This program helps refuges and non-refuges. It’s a two way exchange. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/my-voice-my-school Social Media: Using social media as a tool to learn new languages for professional development. While learning the host country’s language is the most important step in feeling more included and part of the new community, social media apps can help as primary forms of communication and secondary as education! https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/social-media-languageinstruction
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Momentum Dance: Momentum uses dance to teach kids academic subjects while developing important and practical disciplinary life skills. Each dance choreography is focused on a topic/life lesson- the sessions take teach self-discipline, creativity, teamwork, and positive reinforcement. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/momentum-dance-sport-fordevelopment Because MUSIC: Music therapy should be used in refugee camps as forms of positive outlet of PTSD. “Camps’ would promote ensemble efforts and larger orchestral productions.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/because_music Rehabilitation of children through cultivation of creative outlets: “Arabic calligraohy as a creative outlet that aims to be therapeutic and instill confidence in an individual’s ability to create beautiful art.” Art increases self expression, confidence and discipline to channel trauma and work through any important struggles. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/rehabilitation-of-childrenthrough-cultivation-of-creative-outlets Skateboard for girls in Afghanistan: “Youth comes from skateboard and stay for education: a great model to trigger interest in learning and support creative confidence.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/skateboard-for-girls-inafghanistan Mindful Meditation and Yoga: 10 minutes of daily meditation increases self-awareness, reduces stress from trauma, and teach children to be in the moment. “Teaching children the discipline of daily meditation and the benefits of this activity would create mental stability to move forward with their lives.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/mindful-meditation-to-increaseself-awareness-reduce-stress-from-trauma-and-teach-children-to-be-in-the-moment
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Permaculture: Gardening as a form of adaptation and therapy. This method has worked on juvenile re-adaptation, as well as helping veterans through trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. It increases green spaces, as well as food security. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/permaculture-as-acamp-design-and-knowledge-exchange
Duo Lingo: An app to fast track learning a new language. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/from-captcha-to-learning-alanguage Using games to teach: The game created by John Hunter to teach “children high levels concepts of peace and geopolitics” (TED TALK) https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/using-games-to-teach https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/learning-through-serious-games LEGO Education: “Designed to stimulate a lifelong love of learning, LEGO Education offers resources to help teach science, engineering, math, language arts, literacy and social studies.” The building blocks of our childhood is a great tool to understand concepts and make them approachable. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/14dfe3cb6cfd52e5 Book bags provide more reading materials: Printing on the inside of the bags of food aids (sent regularly to refugee camps) each year can help to widely distribute information- creating cheap books (printed on sturdy materials). https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/book-bags-provide-more-readingmaterials Educating through Comics and Storytelling: Using comics and storytelling as essential forms of education- to battle poverty and social exclusion (created by Plain Ink). https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/educating-through-comics-andstorytelling
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Here we explore how to settle in a new environment and provide customized resources for the specific needs of refugees.
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Adjusting to School In a Foreign Land: A Syrian family shares their perspective of adapting to life as refugees in a new country. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/adjusting-to-school-in-aforeign-land Access to Existing Schools: These schools offer a proper learning environment, but they are not accessible to refugees; not because their status denies them admission, but only because of the cost. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/access-to-education-inkenya Repurposing Existing Structures: The Aseema Education Centre for Street and Unprivileged Children sought to provide access to learning tools and encourage the joys of learning. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/repurposing-existingstructures Different shifts, different needs: The second shift is reserved solely for Syrians, many of whom have not been in a formal school for years, and runs from around 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/public-schools-offersecond-shifts-for-refugees Bamboo School: A revolutionary model of education. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/a-bamboo-school-torevolutionise-education-in-thailand
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The Tele-Education Center (TEC): Pakistan Innovative Summit for Education (PISE); is a student body NGO that will establish mobile camps in refugee areas and that are connected to the main center if a city, where PISE broadcasts educational activities via the Internet. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/tele-education-center-te-c Social Media Language Instruction: Learning the language of the host country is the single most important step for refugees to begin adapting to their new culture. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/social-media-languageinstruction Culture Cues: In order to compete refugees need to know the rules of the game. Cultural orientation helps refugees learn things that Americans take for granted. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/culture-cues The Akroum Project: a recent experiment to turn existing Lebanon schools into offhour learning centers for Syrian children refugees. Aside from creating more spaces for learning, this big idea will also help refugee youths take a step towards a normal life. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/time-shared-learningspaces-the-akroum-project Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) is a program for empowerment through literacy, life skills and livelihoods strategies. Activities in classes aim at teaching basic English for communication so that the refugees are able to communicate and go about their daily routines. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/empowering-urbanrefugees-through-literacy-and-livelihood-strategies
The Do Lab Project: will provide refugee communities with the equipment and instructions necessary to create an easy installable swing set that transforms into an educational tool. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/the-do-lab-project Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development project is designed to help equip refugee high school students with entrepreneurship skills. They undergo training on how to identify a need in their community, design a solution to the need, and come up with a plan to implement the solution and how to pitch their business idea to an investor. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/youth-leadership-andentrepreneurship-development-yled Resource walls: The World Wide Education Project has been working with teachers and pupils in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, and schools across the UK through a human centered design approach to develop Educational Resource Walls. These Educational Resource Walls are being developed to act as a permanent feature within refugee schools to provide teachers with a source of inspiration and information to help facilitate their teaching. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/educational-resource-walls Visual Guides: The goal of this project is to help resettled refugees feel less culturally isolated, and to give them the confidence to live in and navigate their new environments. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/visual-guides TED in a Box - Use TED in a box to conduct a TEDx event specially targeted towards refugee kids who were living in the outskirts and slums area of Islamabad. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/ted-in-a-box-with-refugeesin-pakistan App Enabled, Long Distance Learning: A vision to empower people in crisis areas with higher education by distributing iPads and developing an app that only requires internet access for refreshing content, loading new materials and completing tests. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/long-distance-learningwith-limited-wifi-make-an-app-and-distribute-ipads Teachers in Crisis: We must do a better job supporting teachers working in refugee contexts, especially refugee teachers who may be new to the profession. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/teachers-in-crisis
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First Things First: If we want to solve their education needs, we must first stabilize their physiological and safety needs. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/maslow-s-hierarchy-ofneeds The Soccket is a football: In it, there’s a smart device that turns the movement of the ball into stored energy. Can you think of other ways to turn play or daily chores into energy, that can be used to power education? https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/using-play-to-powerlearning The Ideas Box: The device empowers children, adults and communities by providing internet access, over 250 print books, 15 tablets and 50 e-readers with thousands of books, hand-held cameras, a built-in cinema, games, as well as stand-alone Internet education digital contents. the box fits onto two standard sized shipping palettes and can be set up in 20 minutes https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/the-ideas-box Solar Powered Pods are mobile solar powered IT labs that can close the knowledge gap and provide a unique learning environment not limited by space and power. These labs can raise students’ confidence, initiative and resourcefulness. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/the-solarberry Litre of Light: is an experiment done by Pepsi in Pakistan. A product was created to support education & the learning environment. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/litre-of-light
Refugees often need to fast-track to find a job in their new communities. Through specialized education, they can learn skills that can help pave the path to employment.
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Beads for Women: Through the Beads for Women non-profit, women in developing countries can fight poverty and understand how to trade, while gaining entrepreneurial skills. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/beads-for-women Sughar Empowerment Society: This program is focused on teaching women a practical skill in a 6 month class to have them be able to stand on their own two feet- be empowered and independent. While they learn a new skill, such as embroidery, they are also offered a chance to receive loans through micro financing institutions to enable them to start their own business. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/sughar-empowermentsociety Creative Space Beirut: “A free school for fashion design providing a 3 year education to talented individuals who lack the financial means to pursue a degree.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/creative-space-beirut Job market for refugees: Create a portal/mobile sms based service which can provide new job offers to refugees connected via vocational + language training. “…curate job opportunities across the country and vocational training courses/Language training courses which match the Job vacancies. This could be delivered through a mobile-based alert system.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/job-market-for-refugees
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Virtual Consultancy for Entrepreneurs: Chris Coghlan founded Grow Movement, a nonprofit that provides low-cost advice to small business entrepreneurs in Uganda through remote volunteer consultants in Africa and globally. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/virtual-consultancy-forentrepreneurs Online Entrepreneurship + digital skills training through Samaschool: Samaschool helps fast track education to teach entrepreneurial technology skills. It aims to help cater to students who are eager to learn and get into the working world. The have 6 locations across the US, as well as five centers in Nairobi, Kenya. “Samaschool (previously SamaUSA) provides digital skills training to low-income people and conncects them to job opportunities via the internet.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/online-entrepreneurshipdigital-skills-training-through-samaschool Reflective decision making skills come first, choosing a job comes second: Career advisors help refugees find their way- having access to such a resource helps in making people feel included and helping them set themselves up in the new community. The selfreflection, informs smart decisions- particularly when drawing up career paths. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/reflective-decision-makingskills-come-first-choosing-a-job-comes-second MBA for free? No Pay MBA proves it’s possible: An MBA increases chances of employment- receiving such an education for free increases employment opportunities and integration opportunities for refugees. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/an-mba-for-free-no-paymba-proves-it-s-possible
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Make adult education relevant, time-saving and practical: higher education provider should enable working adults to earn credit directly from the workplace.” Cutting down on night classes and earning credits through work. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/make-adulteducation-relevant-time-saving-and-practical
This theme explores the need to overcome trauma and help refugees learn new skills and adapt to their new reality.
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UERE Mello Pedagogy: Research has shown that children exposed to trauma and violence have their cognitive skills severely compromised. The UERÊ-MELLO Pedagogy is known for it’s methods of ‘warming up’ in-class brain activity to improve learning skills. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/ideas/uere-mello-pedagogy-newlearning-management-method Access to School is Only Part of the Solution: For refugees who have fled Syria’s civil war; depression and PTSD are big problems. Teachers do their best to help, but as refugees themselves they struggle to deal with similar psychological issues. To address the endemic problems, the teachers attended two-day PTSD trainings run by UNICEF, aimed at helping them identify and respond to signs of trauma. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/access-to-school-is-onlypart-of-the-solution Design for Good: “I came to witness the therapeutic and self-expressive impact of art on children affected by the war in Syria… What initially began as violent and militaristic later became passive and peaceful.” https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/bringing-back-thechildhood-art-therapy-exercises-to-heal-empower
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Watanili Organization: Syrian refugees fleeing into neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have a basic understanding of writing the Arabic language. If one could instill the confidence in these young children to see what they are capable of when given the free range and knowledge to create, then hopefully their outlooks on a brighter future can be nurtured. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/rehabilitation-ofchildren-through-cultivation-of-creative-outlets Teaching Through Art: Art is not defined by any one language or our age. It’s a medium that bridges gaps made by society, benefitting those who have been displaced as refugees, those who have survived trauma resulting from war, abuse, natural disaster, adverse physical health conditions and mental disability. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/teaching-through-art Addressing Mental Challenges with Exercise: By giving children practical exercises that can be used inside and outside of school, we can help them deal with and understand the emotional pain that they maybe experiencing. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/address-the-mentalchallenges-these-children-and-adults-are-facing-with-practical-exercises
Fab Lab: is an innovation space for educational programs, vocational training, business development and psychological treatment through interactive art. We seek to attenuate the immediate effects of conflict while driving long-term economic development, productivity growth, venture creation and employment generation. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/the-world-s-first-digitalfabrication-lab-fab-lab-in-a-refugee-camp LettuceBeKids: ‘Our aim is to bridge the gap between refugee children and quality education by employing both formal and informal modes, especially through blended learning, digital literacy and character building”. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/lettucebee-kidsestablishing-ties Teacher Training to Support Teacher Identity: Refugee teachers have a unique understanding of the community and the children’s psychosocial needs as well as a deep commitment to the community. Teacher training that helps refugee teachers develop a strong teacher identity and feel like professionals will improve their practice and motivation. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/teacher-training-tosupport-teacher-identity-in-spontaneous-and-tentative-teachers Print literacy Skills: The recent increase of literature on the post-resettlement educational needs of refugee students highlights that teachers are not adequately prepared to address the academic and psychosocial needs of low-literacy adolescent refugee students, thus negatively impacting their success in public schools https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/teaching-print-literacyskills-to-nonliterate-and-semiliterate-adolescent-refugees-in-resettlement-countries
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Learning is Easier When You’re Nourished: One of the challenges with multi-generational migration has to do with the anxiety that first-generation newcomers feel about the preservation of “home” and “the way it was.” one thing that might feel healthy to refugee communities is to create the space and infrastructure to support the “passing down” of customs. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/learning-is-easier-whenyou-re-nourished Cloud Memories: Remembering the positive aspects of home helps to comfort students as well as maintain their sense of their culture and self. https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/research/cloud-memories
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