Seeds of Education

To consolidate schooling out-of-school education plays an important role: newly acquired reading and writing skills need to be continuously applied for lasting literacy. Public libraries, focused on children, can help to solve this problem, as research indicates. 

Analyzing prominent cases of library interventions we found one common constraint: scalability. Therefore we create feedback-based processes that are designed to be scaled without raising costs, a feasible way to quickly close the library density gap between low-income countries and others. Piloting is ready to start in 5 countries. Our concept is shaped by experts from different fields and cultural backgrounds. 

Combining a digital and local approach, an international network and local commitment we promote literacy and gender equality. A cost-efficient blueprint for youth libraries and a supportive network for communities and other agents in low-income countries is our longterm goal, which will have a multifaceted impact on education and SDG support.

When children and young people want to learn more in their free time, they look for opportunities: These can be media or mentors. However, these are not necessarily free of cost or dogma, and if digital knowledge acquisition is involved, the risk of manipulation without trained media competence is high.

Libraries can solve this problem: They are (almost) free, and they empower individuals to educate themselves, make decisions and experience culture independently, making them an important pillar in knowledge acquisition.

The expansion of school libraries that is currently taking place are a good approach to creating better access to libraries. However, if these are not within walking distance, it is difficult for many children to take advantage of these services in their free time after school ends.

In many countries of the global south, young people will make up a large part of the population in 2030, but it is precisely in these countries that there are comparatively few publicly accessible libraries. 

According to the United Nation's Population Projections, 557.893.000 young people between the ages 5-25 will be living by the year 2030 in our target countries.

Libraries play an important role in creating a culture of reading in a society. They work as a place where people can access knowledge regardless of their income or social background. Education is an important factor in the socio-economic development of a region, particularly the education of the youth on which we set our focus.

To create access to libraries for all children and young people on a global level, we are taking the following approach:

1. We identify regional library needs and appropriate communities through a multidimensional tool and local partners.
2. We support identified communities with expertise in providing library infrastructure and connect them to an open network.
3. We train librarians with our user-centered, feedback-based training program and assist them with a customizable structure to come up with content and activities.
4. We identify additional communities and continue to supply existing libraries with curated content and ideas for activities. To improve all processes on crucial criteria, we constantly evaluate feedback.
5. The libraries are part of a supraregional network. We share our accumulated know-how to enable faster dissemination of libraries.

We think globally and long-term: The activity of Seeds of Education has a multi-decadal orientation.

Currently, in many economically weak countries, there are still very few public libraries focused on children and young people. Moreover, there is a lack of contemporary offers. Additionally, Covid-19 has worsened access to education for young people in many countries, especially in the global south.

Targeting children and adolescents in low-income countries, our target group is aged between 6 and 25 years old. In the pilot phase we chose a mix of rural and urban areas or both. In all chosen areas you find people under $5 PPP.

When children and young people want to learn more in their free time, they look for opportunities: These can be media or mentors. However, these are not necessarily free of cost or dogma, and if digital knowledge acquisition is involved, the risk of manipulation without trained media competence is high.

To understand their needs we are scheduling beneficiary-interviews and fieldwork, relying on methods of empirical research and user-centered design. Besides this, we cooperate with respective experts on local circumstances regarding the educational situation, cultural special features and local performability assessments of used infrastructure and resources.

Our solution aims to provide working processes, that are customizable and filled with local content, working closely with local publishers and experts from the educational and literary field.

We tackle education inequalities along wealth, gender, ethnicity, linguistic, and geographical lines with providing a blueprint for libraries that overcomes constraints of financial quality.

Within the libraries young learners can develop the competencies they need to thrive in the 21st century. In workshops and activities, including parents, we try to build a strong learning engagement within the communities.

Designing for all forms of contexts, including low-connectivity settings, we enable access to quality learning experiences. One of our pillars is the provision of a physical, safe space for young learners.

Working closely with local educators we facilitate communication between families and teachers.

For the prototype phase we chose a mix of rural and urban areas or both.

Focus on the implementation of different activities within an existing library infrastructure: 

• Bangladesh: Pilot will be set up in a rural area. 
• Uganda: One of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world. 68,46% are between 0-24 years old. Pilots conduction within existing library infrastructure. Focus in Uganda is the creation, curation and implementation of workshops and writing competitions.

Focus on the validation of our complete implementation process chain:

• Liberia: Pilot will be conducted in Monrovia. More than 60% of the population is under the age of 25.
• Benin: Almost 65% of the population is under the age of 25. Pilot will be conducted in Abomey-Calavi. 

Tuvalu: Focus is the curation, acquisition and provision of digital books and the implementation of an online library system.

Deploying technology to create digital training, global networks / movements and practical frameworks we use state-of-the-art strategies to enhance the educational situation in the LDCs by designing an universal process for creating a public library connected to a global network. Backed by research, we chose library-like safe spaces for activities as key drivers for improving out-of-school education and supporting youth in LDCs without interfering with local school systems. Aiming at enabling equal access to literature and education, writing and reading skills, media literacy and creating a lifelong learning mindset, we will tackle poverty according to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index. We support local literature and facilitate cultural sensitive customisation.

Our solutions are feedback-based processes that are designed to be scaled without raising costs to close the library density gap between LDCs and other  countries fast. To achieve global scalability, we focus all our processes on location-independent, cost-effective and customisable implementation from the very beginning. By focusing on scaling at all organisational levels and sharing our processes, data and insights publicly, e.g. an open source librarian training, we differentiate ourselves from traditional approaches that  operate much more locally and slowly and justify their existence with not sharing their key insights.

Our project is in the prototype phase, therefore the number currently serving is 0.

In one year: 3000 children and adolescents (Pilot).

In five years: 10 000 000 children and adolescents (Scale).

By creating evidence based programmes, we measure our impact on a monthly base. Our focus lays on the SDG 4 and 5. 

Our advisors and partners have a lot of experience in analysing and evaluating data. Our strength is our interdisciplinary team and our expertise. We work culturally sensitive.

Dr. Nafiz Zaman Shuva - Instructor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

He worked for room2read in Bangladesh and is an expert in the field of librarianship. 

Prof. Dr. Dagmar Bergs-Winkels - Professor at the Alice Solomon Hochschule, Germany

She is an expert in the field of educational sciences and reading promotion.

Part-Time: 2; Consultants: 8

Core:
A. Dzibric, MA - International development expert; experienced in project management, networking & PR with civil society organizations.

J. Zebhauser, MSc - Business Strategy / UX Design; experienced in business development, project management & user centered design; developed an app and materials for primary school education.

Diversity: We validate every major decision and assessment through our consultants, who have diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Because we are highly user-centered, we involve our partner communities in our decisions and open up opportunities for them to shape them. 

Equity: We design our policies, practices, and resources with the goal of providing people of all backgrounds a genuine opportunity to thrive. 

Inclusion: What matters for us is not where a person comes from, but where they are going - the more diversity Seeds of Education can unite, the better. Because we believe that diversity leads to more creativity, empathy and knowledge and thus to better solutions.

We believe that with a sufficient funding our goals can be achieved within a short period of time. Therefore we are looking for monetary support to start our pilot phase. 

UNICEF: We would like to cooperate with this organization, because they have a broad network in our target countries. 

We are developing universal blueprints for the creation of public libraries for children and adolescents. Therefore our solution can be applied everywhere and always adjusted to the target population. It is inclusive and has the power to support the beneficiaries in their daily lives. The need for a space where information is accessible (digital and analog) cannot be overemphasized. Through that access, children have a opportunity to learn new things. On the other hand, their parents have also a place to get the information they need or to exchange with likeminded people.

We will use the Andan Prize to start our pilot.

In its framework for achieving SDG 4, UNESCO calls for ensuring access to free and sustainable education for children and young people, as well as access to safe places for such education acquisition. Just as literacy needs a functional framework, newly acquired literacy skills need to be continuously used and improved to ensure lasting literacy. While various areas play a role in this, such as the school situation and the home environment, libraries can also have an influence (see Krolak 2005: 2; cf. Singh 2003: viii), for example by encouraging reading (see Omona 2020: 7). Children who grow up in a literate home environment have an advantage when they start school and are more likely to be successful throughout their formal schooling than their peers from a non- or semi-literate home environment (cf. Stiftung Lesen 2004: 30).

The desire to support their own children’s acquisition of written language is a strong motivation for illiterate adults to learn to read and write themselves. This group can be specifically reached by libraries through family literacy programmes, which consequently benefit both parents and children (see Krolak 2005: 4f.). 

Libraries are a possible factor in the consolidation of school education. By also being able to engage parents and community members in general in educational activities (workshops, etc.), they can also help influence other crucial factors such as the approach to education in the home environment. They can also promote equality through targeted initiatives.

We will use the GM Prize to start our pilot.

Libraries can be important places for information and knowledge exchange in countries of the Global South, especially in marginalised groups where people grow up with little or no formal education, are affected by gender inequalities and are at risk of extreme poverty. 

Libraries provide a neutral space where women can safely gather and learn independently or collectively in areas that are relevant and of interest to them in order to improve their competencies and skills to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment (see Jones 2009: 126 in Omona 2020: 12).

Numerous researchers have focused on promoting the personal and social development of citizens in the context of publicly accessible libraries. As access to information is a human right, the importance of libraries cannot be overstated. The creation of such places serves this human right and promotes equal access regardless of socio-economic background, gender or faith (see The IFLA/UNESCO xPublic Library Manifesto 1994; see Salman et al. 2017; see South African Bill of Rights 2011; see Fourie & Meyer 2016; see Jain & Nfila 2011; see Stilwell 2016).

Libraries are safe, welcoming places at the heart of communities. Equipped with a welcoming team that understands local needs, they are able to foster and provide innovation, creativity and access to the world's knowledge for current and future generations (see ILFA: 2018).

We will use the Innovation for Women Prize to start our pilot.