Tabshoura Tiny Thinkers

Solution Pitch

The Problem

Learning inequality begins early in Lebanon, where public kindergartens lack qualified teachers, Arabic-language materials, and sufficient resources. For refugees from Syria, the outlook is even worse. Although nongovernmental organizations have begun providing much of the country’s early childhood education, children still struggle with programs in variable cultural and technological contexts.

The Solution

Tabshoura Tiny Thinkers (TTT) is a low-cost, pocket-size server that brings early education programming to marginalized Lebanese children in vulnerable areas and camp settlements. Powered by Raspberry Pi, TTT uses Tabshoura’s personalized and adaptable content, and can operate offline or as a mobile hotspot in remote and informal settings where the availability of electricity and learning resources can be inconsistent or nonexistent. 

The skill-based program focuses on teaching three major components: autonomy, creativity, and critical learning. Available in Arabic, English, and French, the content aligns with Lebanon’s Community Based-Early Childhood Education (CB-ECE) curricular requirements—and is adaptable to specific local needs and cultural contexts.

Market Opportunity

TTT’s priority market segments are the 124,000 Syrian refugees and 61,000 Lebanese children between the ages of three to five who do not have access to early childhood education. Looking to the future, TTT’s personalized digital programs have the potential to be adapted and scaled across the Arab region. This is especially true in Syria, where two out of five schools have been damaged or destroyed, creating a market gap where TTT’s alternative education can be deployed while schools are being reconstructed.

Partnership Goals

Tabshoura Tiny Thinkers currently seeks:

• Consultation to develop sustainable business and impact strategies;
• Connections to early childhood education field experts to co-create content and develop programs; and
• Technical expertise from APP and Plugin developers to improve technology. 

Organization Highlights

Some notable achievements of Lebanese Alternative Learning (LAL), TTT’s parent organization, include: 

• Winning the UN Equals in Tech Award in 2017 and World Summit Award in 2019; and 
• Enrolling in the WISE Accelerator program in 2018.

Existing Partnerships

Tabshoura Tiny Thinkers currently partners with:

• Thaki as a device provider;
• Digital Opportunity Trust, which supports capacity building;
• Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD)l and
• Ana Aqra, an NGO specializing in reading and writing.