Aathar Education Program

The progress towards quality education and equitable access is one of the five most underachieved areas among the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG 2023). In many countries, the pandemic has caused significant learning losses, effectively reversing several years of educational progress compared to pre-pandemic level. In addition to time loss, massive disruptions challenge education by fundamentally altering the way learners live and access education.

In the case of Ghaza, the ongoing conflict since late 2023 has led to the damage of more than 80% of school infrastructure (OHCHR, April 2024), or more than 386 buildings worthing 341 million US dollars (UNICEF, February 2024), a multidimensional poverty rate of 96% of the total population, and the regression of human development by more than 11 years (UNDP). With 21%~35% school-age children already out of school prior to the conflict (UNFPA), the continuation of education amidst this catastrophe becomes a salient challenge.

 The scale of the damage rendered the previous mode of formal education infeasible for the majority of learners, underscoring the need for alternative education solutions that facilitate continuing education and equip learners with vital skills to survive the unpredictable circumstances, obtain internationally recognized proofs of education, and navigate potential forced displacement.

 WRS’s Aathar Education is a free online learning platform created in response to the urgent educational challenge faced by the 797,587 K-12-age and 191,927 university-age learners in Ghaza whose education has been disrupted by the damage of schools and houses, unstable connectivity, and the toll of moving in search of assistance and shelters. The solution is designed with considerations for low-connectivity, uneven gaps, and needs for accreditation and recognition across countries. This initiative contributes to UN SDG 4: quality education and SDG 8: decent work and economic growth.

Aathar Education is a free, internationally accredited online education solution offering formal education from kindergarten to PhD and various vocational training programs. In response to the the particularities of conflict-affected education—(1) low-connectivity, (2) constant disruptions, (3) uneven gaps, and (4) need for international skills transferability and recognizability—Aathar is designed with comprehensive digital content accessible on mobile, tablet, as well as desktop devices, with adaptive learning technology, low-connectivity-minded design, and internationally recognized certification. 

 Comprehensive and Accessible Content

• Digitized Educational Content – More than 300 resources and books have been digitized utilizing our BookZero-technology, aligning with 21st-century technological education innovations
• Interactive Content– tailored and sequenced to meet the specific needs of students while adhering to formal education standards. To achieve this, more than 80 experts and instructional designers have joined forces to produce around 50,000 minutes of video content across 7 educational subjects.
• Multilingual Learning and AI Technology Integration – the content is designed to be multilingual assisted by AI translation tools, accessible to students in Ghaza and beyond
• Adaptive Learning– Aathar’s solution utilizes advanced technologies to identify educational gaps in student attainment and provide them with personalized learning journeys and a series of diagnostic assessments for adaptation along the journey. It is cratered for refugees, forcibly displaced students, and students living in fragile communities, given their learning gaps are more uneven and unpredictable and are thus in greater need of advanced assessment and personalization.
• Low-Connectivity Design – all materials are designed with the consideration of “online learning bandwidth”, achieving optimization of data usage and minimal required internet speed in a context of constant disruptions.
• Flexible Virtual Experience – supporting desktops, tablets, and mobile devices with multilingual content delivery and support as well as intuitive interface and seamless navigation.
• Certificated through Local and International Partners – offering programs from K-12, university, to PhD levels, the program is aligned with the Jordanian National Curriculum, the Azhar Curriculum, and other International Curricula such as WISE University with 2000+ videos for higher education.

 Curated for Learning amid Disruptions

 Adaptive Learning – Aathar’s solution utilizes advanced technologies to identify educational gaps in student attainment and provide them with personalized learning journeys and a series of diagnostic assessments for adaptation along the journey. It is catered for refugees, forcibly displaced students, and students living in fragile communities, given their learning gaps are more uneven and unpredictable and are thus in greater need of advanced assessment and personalization.

• Low-Connectivity Design – all materials are designed with the consideration of “online learning bandwidth”, achieving optimization of data usage and minimal required internet speed in a context of constant disruptions.
• Flexible Virtual Experience – supporting desktops, tablets, and mobile devices with multilingual content delivery and support as well as intuitive interface and seamless navigation. 

Accreditation, Recognizability and Skills Transferability

• Certificated through Local and International Partners – offering programs from K-12, university, to PhD levels, the program is aligned with the Jordanian National Curriculum, the Azhar Curriculum, and other International Curricula such as WISE University with 2000+ videos for higher education.

In Ghaza, one of the world’s youngest regions, children under the age of 14 years constitute 40.4% of its population (PCBS, 2023) and 60% of the population are under the age 19 (UNFPA, 2023). Prior to the conflict, only 626,000 out of the 989,514 school-age children were enrolled in school. With more than 80% of educational infrastructure destroyed during the conflict, the number of children out of school rose dramatically. As primary and secondary education is crucial for literacy and cognitive development, access to continued education is the prerequisite for employment and navigating day-to-day life in today’s world. Moreover, with over 80% of the Ghaza population being registered refugees (UNRWA, 2023), the need for skill attainment and certification is critical for the welfare of both the refugees and their host communities. As such, the significant educational challenge posed by the conflict put at stake the future of the 2.1 million people in Ghaza, the region, and the world (UNFPA, 2023). 

Education amid conflicts means low and unstable connectivity, lack of access to physical school infrastructure, constant disruption and the resulting learning gaps, and inability to complete formal education. At the same time, living in a majority-refugee region during the large-scale and persistent conflict stresses the need for certification for employment or recognition to survive the unpredictable future.

Aathar was designed with these particular challenges in mind, with adaptive learning technology to identify the uneven learning gaps and create personalized learning plans, an effort to provide not just vocational training but also formal and certificated education by internationally recognized institutes, and content compatible for optimal users with low-connectivity and different devices.

As a US-registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization, WRS is driven by its mission to solve the education crisis faced by the world’s refugees and forcibly displaced individuals. It utilizes a multifaceted approach that combines technology, networks, reach, partnerships, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of displaced communities. It has proven successes in executing technology-assisted education solutions for vulnerable and conflict-affected communities as demonstrated by its projects in Syria, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Jordan, Zambia, and Uganda. By working closely with its wide network of partners and stakeholders, it strives to create an ecosystem of support that fosters innovation, collaboration, and sustainable impact in the field of conflict-adjacent education. 

In collaboration with WRS, Aathar endeavors to surmount the challenges presented by Ghaza's circumstances and equip its children and youth with the transformative potential of education. Envisioning a future where education serves as a beacon of hope amidst adversity in Ghaza, this partnership combines resources, expertise, and a shared commitment to addressing the educational crisis. The WRS has formed partnerships with most prestigious and global accreditation bodies such as City & Guilds of the UK. The collaboration allows a rigorous oversight of our program and curricula, ensuring our courses meet high standards and provides students access to globally valued accredited certification, opening doors to further education and employment that would be otherwise out of reach. 

Aathar's technology in itself is not new, however it was utilized to create this outstanding educational program. The platform is ready, the content available was instructionally designed, developed, and carefully fine-tunned so it can acquire the accreditation from the various national and international accreditation bodies. The accreditation was not only achieved on the content but rather also on the platform itself and how it delivers and articulates the content and the international learning standards that the content is based on. 

Currently, the aim is to launch the program targeting multiple countries while trying to get the buy-in needed from various partners and stakeholders. The platform was developed with high scalability in mind and can cater for tens of million of users. 

Now with the current conflict in Ghaza, WRS sought to introduce and offer Aathar and to pilot the program for children of Ghaza, to kick off the significant impact the program can create for vulnerable and displaced populations.  

We are applying to Solve to draw positive attention to our solution and reach potential donors. 

 We seek funding to scale our certification of learners. While our educational program is free and ready to deploy immediately to minimize educational disruptions in Ghaza, our certification costs 150$ per learner, this cost covers the certification and the operational needs to maintain and sustain the platform.

 Funds to cover the fees is our priority, as having internationally recognized formal education is crucial for conflict-affected and/or forcibly displaced learners to seek employment and survive in the unpredictable future.

 If additional funds are available, we would also provide hardware and internet access through our established model of mobile classrooms to reach learners in hard-to-reach and significantly damaged areas. 

Aathar Progam/track is innovative given its overarching consideration of refugees’ needs.

• other online educational solutions focus on special curricula and vocational training, whereas the WRS stresses fully online accredited, formal education as it would be crucial for refugees who seek internationally recognized certificates to continue their education and also to get employed in another country
• the Aathar Education platform is designed for low-connectivity environments, taken into consideration the low access to internet and high disruptions. learners could access the platform through almost any device, providing maximum flexibility and mobility amid unpredictable disruptions
• the Aathar Education and its platform is made free with 7 educational subjects of 300+ resources and synchronized with the Jordanian National Curriculum, the Azhar curriculum, and WISE University curricula, with advanced assessments and personalization technologies to identify and fill learning gaps, allowing learners to continue from where they have left out immediately, minimizing disruptions and creating optimal and curated paths for each individual 

Aathar's theory of change is straightforward:

With the damage of 80% educational facilities, children in Ghaza face dire challenge to continuing education and traditional school-based education has become infeasible due to damages and constant disruptions.

 A fully digital educational platform designed for low-connectivity with adaptive learning technology addresses the challenge of low internet, need for mobility and flexibility, and uneven gaps resulting from persistent conflict. The free access to our full materials, the platforms’ compatibility with different devices, and the mobile app allow immediate education and minimized disruptions caused by the conflict.

 Moreover, our offering of formal accredited education responds to conflict-affected population’s need for skills recognizable and transferable to a variety of countries and contexts. 

The aim is to enroll over hundreds of thousands of children and youth in the program, minimizing the disruption to education caused by the conflict in Ghaza, bridging the gap between individual learning progress and officially recognized curricula, and equipping conflict-impacted youth with accredited formal education to survive unpredictable future.

We are seeking to enroll 65 learners in Ghaza, and the goal is to accredit their education with certificates of education that they can benefit greatly from. With each $150 made available to WRS, it will be able to certify one additional learner. 

Important to note that the enrollment in itself and learning is free, however, the accredited education certification comes with a fee. The funds requested will be to cover these certification fees for 65 learners.

The impact can be measured straightforward, as what counts is the numbers of learners enrolled and then certified with accredited education certificate certification from the platform. Enrollment rates will also reflect the on-ground impact of providing accessibility to quality education for children and learners enabled with the opportunity to continue their education, and additionally, the provision of education to out of school children.

Aathar Education is poised to revolutionize the landscape of virtual schooling through its array of cutting-edge capabilities and value-added features. At its core, the platform boasts a scalable architecture designed to accommodate exponential growth in user bases and data loads, ensuring seamless scalability and adaptability to evolving educational needs. Leveraging cloud infrastructure services, Aathar ensures reliable hosting, storage, and computing resources, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to educational content. Robust security measures are embedded within the system to safeguard user data, prevent unauthorized access, and uphold privacy standards, instilling confidence and trust among stakeholders. 

A hallmark of the Aathar platform is its responsive design, which delivers an optimal user experience across diverse devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. This commitment to accessibility extends to the platform's multilingual support, content delivery in multiple languages, ensuring inclusivity and reach. The platform's intuitive interface and customizable dashboards cater to the unique needs of students, providing seamless navigation and access to key features. Comprehensive user profiles offer insights into student progress, communication history, and engagement metrics, fostering collaboration and accountability.

The platform's robust technology serves as the backbone of its educational framework, offering a centralized repository for storing, organizing, and delivering learning materials. Through real-time collaboration tools and mobile applications for iOS and Android devices, students and teachers can engage in synchronous interactions and access educational content on-the-go. The platform's compatibility with various file formats and its communication and collaboration tools facilitate efficient content delivery and assignment submission.

Aathar's commitment to excellence is further underscored by its advanced assessment capabilities, including automated grading, plagiarism detection, and test bank creation. Performance analytics and customizable reports provide valuable insights into student progress, enabling informed decision-making and personalized interventions. With APIs for seamless integration with external systems and user management functionalities, the platform offers unparalleled flexibility and interoperability.

In addition to these features, Aathar Education recognizes the unique challenges faced by learners in low-connectivity environments, particularly refugees. To address this, the platform includes 50,000 minutes of video content specifically designed for low internet speed and minimum data usage. This content is developed based on our correlation using the Bandwidth Spectrum, ensuring accessibility and usability in low-connectivity and high-disruption environments experienced by refugees.

In summary, Aathar Education stands at the forefront of virtual schooling, offering a holistic and innovative solution to the educational challenges facing Ghaza. With its robust features, scalable infrastructure, and commitment to accessibility, excellence, and inclusivity, Aathar is poised to transform the educational landscape and empower learners to thrive in the digital age.

All the staff working on Aathar are full time staff.
Around 80 Instructional Designers with various seniority levels.

around 5 product developers, 2 product managers, 2 professional services, and 2 quality assurance. 

additionally, we have contractors, and other workers.

The concept was developed during 2018, however, it came into fruition in 2023 when the actual work kicked off.

Our approach to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into our work is fundamental to our organizational ethos and operational framework. We firmly believe that embracing diversity not only enriches our team's perspectives but also enhances the effectiveness and impact of our initiatives. Within our team composition, diversity, inclusivity, and local input are not just aspirations but integral components shaping our culture and approach to our work.

Diversity is woven into the fabric of our team, with a significant percentage of team members originating from and having professional experience in various countries across Africa and the Middle East. Specifically, approximately 70% of our team members represent diverse nationalities, including Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian, and other foreign nationals. Moreover, our team includes individuals with diverse educational backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including Persons with Disabilities, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity and representation.

Equity is not merely a concept but a guiding principle embedded in our team structure and collaboration processes. Our team consists of a diverse range of professionals, including instructional designers, IT experts, developers, translators, and quality assurance officers. This diverse mix of talents and backgrounds ensures equitable representation and perspectives in decision-making processes and project implementation.

To foster an inclusive environment, we have instituted collaborative formats that prioritize equity and inclusivity. For example, we employ rotating leadership roles and hold biweekly meetings to solicit feedback and conduct equity audits. Additionally, we organize team activities designed to facilitate connections and friendships among team members, as well as recreational workshops specifically tailored to support women's participation and engagement.

In addition to our diverse team composition and collaborative practices, we have actively engaged with international accreditation bodies in the UK and Europe to ensure the quality and credibility of our initiatives. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity extends beyond our team to encompass the broader community we serve. We have invested in providing our core team with the necessary resources and infrastructure, including professional equipment and dedicated workstations, to enable them to produce high-quality content for our platform.

In summary, our approach to diversity, equity, and inclusivity is not a superficial checkbox but a deeply ingrained commitment that shapes every aspect of our work. By embracing diversity, fostering inclusivity, and prioritizing equity, we strive to create a more equitable and inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Our main business model is, through partnerships with experts in curricula design, certification, and digital education technology, offering free online education to everyone in need to minimize learning disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in Ghaza and maximize impacts.

While we have strived to provide a solution curated for conflict-affected population’s unique learning needs and are able to offer immediate free and accessible education, we need funds for certification to sustain our high quality content and certification via partnerships with internationally recognized institutions.

Acquiring funds in the short term to pay for the certifications and start issuing them to enrolled learners is our main motive to apply to MIT SOLVE. By participating in MIT SOLVE’s program with access to a network of social impact entrepreneurs and funders, we are eager to develop a business model for the long term to sustain this initiative to continue benefiting the community of Ghaza and various other displaced communities.

We raise funds from private companies, family foundations, governments, and awards. Since 2017, the WRS has been establishing its ecosystem of partners to sustain the operation of the WRS and its research, development, and implementation.

During programs implementation, for areas, districts, and families where the cost of education is a main barrier, WRS provides funds through (1) crowdfunding and campaigns such as encouraging donors to sponsor the building of a classroom or adopt the education of a child over a specific duration and (2) partnership with scholarship opportunities and achievement incentives as part of the certification program.

In the long term, the WRS seeks to achieve a subsidy model of funding where it can generate profits from joint ventures with partners to cover its social impact projects’ administrative and solution costs.

Evidence of past financial success includes our projects in North Syria, where the WRS secured funds from funding sources including Qatar Charity Foundation for its technology-assisted education project for conflict-affected children, reaching 18,000 beneficiaries, 1,342 certificate holders, 114,000 learning/teaching hours, 78 smart or mobile classrooms, and 305 trained staff over the course of 3 years. In addition to our project in Jordan that was funded by the Ford Foundation.