Powering conservation education

iLearnabout makes great progress as pilot begins

iLearnabout aims to provide teachers and learners across Sub-Saharan Africa with digital resources on environmental conservation challenges and solutions.

iLearnabout is making great progress as three initial modules on Biodiversity have been designed and developed ready to pilot. The digital resources look at why we need biodiversity, what is happening to it and how we can help. The modules include suggestions for practical challenges, like conducting a biodiversity survey, creating a butterfly garden and organising a habitat cleanup. Mwabu has supported iLearnabout by contributing to the design and testing of these early resources, which are aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The modules are now being piloted by key partners through their existing programme networks, including;

Wildlife Clubs of Kenya (WCK), who have recently agreed to pilot the initial modules, bringing extensive knowledge and experience along with the potential to reach many children and teachers through their club network. Through workshops in seven regions across Kenya, WCK operates in over 3,000 schools. Many of the clubs are in very rural areas.

The Elsa Conservation Trust has also begun to pilot the materials within their extensive education programme. The well-known charity was established by renowned conservationist George Adamson and his wife Joy, the author of the book Born Free that led to the legendary film in the '60s. The Trust now works with more than 15,000 school children each year in the Naivasha region of Kenya.

For more information visit ilearnabout.org

Survey Indicates Teachers Want Tech!

23 October 2024

In a recent pilot of our survey tool, focussed on foundational learning, we collected data on the availability of teaching and learning resources, teachers’ training and support needs, availability of technology (smartphones, tablets, computers) as well teachers’ beliefs and willingness relating to technology use in the classroom.   Our preliminary findings show that despite recent large-scale interventions, teaching and learning resources remain limited, for example there is one reading book per 3-5 learners in 46% of classrooms. This, together with learner absenteeism are the most prevalent challenges faced by teachers. The most requested forms of support are training on literacy teaching methods and provision of numeracy materials. 

Time + Tide Report on Fantastic Learner Progress.

16 October 2024

Mwabu congratulates the Time + Tide Foundation Girls Club for the fantastic improvements they have achieved in their Girls Club literacy programme in Liuwa Plain. After one year of using the Mwabu Learn app as part of an after-school programme aimed at improving low literacy levels of girls, the 2023 cohort scored a collective average of 53% on their literacy assessments – a significant increase from the baseline at 27%.

Digital Sexual Reproductive Health Education.

23 September 2024

Mwabu’s product team has created a few sample modules and developed a draft course outline for a new interactive digital course to support dissemination of crucial information about sexual reproductive health (SRH) to adolescents across Zambia and beyond. We have taken these steps as we are aware of the urgency and need for relevant, sensitive and appropriate education content relating to this topic. We also know that individual organisations working in this area seldom have the funds required for investment in a full digital course so, as part of this initiative, we are exploring alternative funding models to enable contributions to development from several sources.