ALandscapeAnalysisoftheGlobalLiteracySectorByResultsforDevelopmentInstituteCommissionedbyPearsonforProjectLiteracy

May2016

ResultsforDevelopmentInstitute(R4D)isanonprofitorganizationwhosemissionistounlocksolutionstotoughdevelopmentchallengesthatpreventpeopleinlow-andmiddle-incomecountriesfromrealizingtheirfullpotential.Usingvariedapproachesinmultiplesectors,includingglobaleducation,globalhealth,governance, andmarket dynamics, R4D supports the discovery and implementation of new ideas forreducingpovertyandimprovinglivesaroundtheworld.ThisreportwasauthoredbyateamatR4DledbyTaraHillandincludingMollyJamiesonEberhardt,YoojinKim, andMaxwell Gollin. For more information, please contact Tara Hill at thill@r4d.org or MollyJamiesonEberhardtatmeberhardt@r4d.org.WhilethereportwaspublishedinMay2016,researchforthisanalysiswasconductedinJune2015.

Copyright©2016ResultsforDevelopmentInstitute111119thStreet,N.W.,Suite700,Washington,DC20036www.projectliteracy.com

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TableofContentsIntroduction.........................................................................................................................................1ExecutiveSummary..............................................................................................................................2I.Background.......................................................................................................................................4II.Keystakeholdersandinitiativesintheliteracyfield.........................................................................5

Globallevel.......................................................................................................................................5

Overviewofexistinggloballiteracyinitiatives.........................................................................5Themesemergingfromlandscapeofglobalinitiatives..........................................................11

Regionallevel.................................................................................................................................17

Overviewofexistingliteracy-focusedinitiatives....................................................................17Themesemergingfromlandscapeofregionalinitiatives.......................................................20

Nationallevel(inPearsonprioritymarkets:US,UK,SouthAfrica,Brazil,China,India)..............21

Overviewofexistingliteracy-focusedinitiatives:...................................................................21Gapsintheliteracylandscape.......................................................................................................30

III.Keyissuesandbestpracticesintheliteracyfield...........................................................................33

Relativelystrongevidence.............................................................................................................33

Mother-tongueinstruction.....................................................................................................33Targetedinstruction...............................................................................................................34

Emergingevidence.........................................................................................................................34

Parental/familyengagement..................................................................................................34Mobiletechnology..................................................................................................................35Technologyandliteracy..........................................................................................................36Structuredmaterials...............................................................................................................37

BestPracticesinadultliteracy.......................................................................................................37

IV.Recommendationsforthegloballiteracysector............................................................................39AnnexI:Listofstakeholderinterviews...............................................................................................41References.........................................................................................................................................41

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IntroductionWhile the international communityhasmadegreat strides inpromotingglobal literacy in thepast15years,significantprogressisstilltobemade.AccordingtotheUNESCOInstituteforStatistics,781millionadults(age15andover)globallylackbasicreadingandwritingskills.Whileliteracyrateshaveimprovedinalmosteveryregionoftheworldsince2000,theseimprovementshavenotbeenconsistent.Womenaccountfornearlytwo-thirdsofadultilliterates,andthisratiohasnotchangedbetween1990and2015(UNESCO2014).Youthliteracystatisticsarenotmuchmoreinspiring:approximately126million15to24yearoldsarestillunabletoreadworldwide,accountingfor10.6%oftheglobalyouthpopulation(UNESCOInstituteforStatistics2014).ProjectLiteracyisanewcoalitionofglobalandlocalorganizationsdedicatedtotacklingtheliteracygapbyadvancingbestpractice,innovatingfornewsolutions,andenergizingdebateaboutliteracy.ConvenedbyPearsonin2015,ProjectLiteracypartnersasofSeptemberof2016includePearson,28TooMany,826National,AchievementforAll,ActiononAddiction,AsiaFoundation,BookAidInternational,BookTrust,BooksBeyondWords,CENPEC,DoctorsoftheWorldUK,FCBINFERNO,FeedtheMinds,FightforPeace,FirstBook,GOODWorldwide,Jumpstart,LessonsforLifeFoundation,Microsoft,NationalLiteracyTrust,NOW,Nutrition&EducationInternational(NEI),PencilsofPromise,Pledgeling,RaisingaReader,ReachOutandRead,ReadOn.GetOn.,ReadingisFundamental(RIF),ReadingPartners,ResultsforDevelopmentInstitute,RoomtoRead,TheBigIssue,TheHungerProject,TheInstituteforStrategicDialogue,TooSmallTo Fail, UNESCO, Unreasonable Group, Veerni Project,War Child UK,Weber Shandwick,WomankindWorldwide,WorldLiteracyFoundation,Worldreader,LitWorld,AFRIpads,Angaza,Edom,Edovo,Eduze,Guru-G, Guten, Insane Logic, Karadi Path, Kingo, LightSail, Livox, Robbie AI, SunCulture, ThinkCERCA,Ubongo,BreakthroughCollaborative,BulverdeSpringBranchLibraryFoundation(BSBL),IGAUPM,LankaJathika,LiteracyInc.,MaryWardCenter,MinnesotaLiteracyCouncil,NationalBraillePress,Parent-ChildHomeProgram,Tablab,TheDreamCenter,TheIndigenousLiteracyFoundation(ILF),TheLiteracyLab,UnMillóndeNiñosLectores,WeNeedDiverseBooks(WNDB),WesternCapePrimaryScienceProgramme,LibraryForAll,READAlliance,EYElliance, ImpactNetwork, ILA,Tales2go, IndyReads,TheBeatWithin,CradlestoCrayons,TheReadingAgency,andReadingRescue.AsPearsonanditspartnersseektolaythegroundworkforProjectLiteracy,understandingthecurrentlandscape of the global literacy sector is critical to maximizing the likelihood of success. PearsoncommissionedthislandscapeasinitialeffortofProjectLiteracytounderstandandcontributetothegloballiteracysector.It iswith thisgoal inmind thatResults forDevelopment Institute (R4D)undertooka landscapeof thegloballiteracysector.Thereportisorganizedintofoursections:SectionI: Background

Highlightskeystatisticsrelatedtogloballiteracy.SectionII: Keystakeholdersandinitiativesintheliteracyfield

Provides anoverviewof stakeholders and initiatives focusedon literacy at the global,regional,andnationallevels(forPearson’sprioritycountries);identifiescommonthemesamong these initiatives and analyzes current patterns of engagement to identify gapswheremoreattentioncouldbegiven.

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SectionIII: Keyissuesandbestpracticesintheliteracyfield Providesahigh-leveloverviewofkey issuesandbestpractices inthe literacyfieldand

highlightsthosewheretheevidencebaseisparticularlystrong.SectionIV: Recommendationsforthegloballiteracysector

Synthesizesandanalyzesthe informationobtainedthroughthe landscapetodrawoutrecommendationsforhowtobestsupportthegloballiteracysectormovingforward.

MethodologyThemethodologyusedforthislandscapeanalysisincludedthefollowingkeycomponents:

Ø Systematiconlinesearchesusingkeywordstoidentifystakeholdersandinitiativesintheliteracyfieldattheglobal,regional,andnationallevels.

Ø Detailed desk reviewof key global literacy initiatives using theirwebsites and other availableresources.

Ø Rapid desk review of regional and country literacy initiatives in priority countries, as well ascorporateliteracyinitiatives.

Ø Reviewandsynthesisofpublishedandgreyliteraturerelatedtoevidence-basedpracticesintheliteracyfield.

Ø Keyinformantinterviewswithstakeholdersengagedwithgloballiteracyinitiatives.Atotaloftenstakeholders were interviewed representing eight different initiatives. The list of stakeholderinterviewscanbefoundinAnnexI.

ExecutiveSummaryA summary of key findings from the landscape analysis and recommendations for global literacystakeholdersisprovidedbelow.Summaryofkeyfindings:

§ Themostcommonthemesamonggloballiteracyinitaitivesinorderofprevalenceare:educationtechnology;early-gradereading;teachertrainingandprofessionaldevelopment;mother-tonguereadingmaterials;familyandcommunityengagement;literacyassessment;adultliteracy;literacyforchildrenwithdisabilities;andsocialmobilizationandbehaviorchangestrategies.

§ Donor interest in funding literacy internationally is more heavily skewed towards the earlygrades than towards adolescent or adult literacy. Not only is global programming for adultliteracylimited,fundingtoconductadvocacyforadultliteracygloballyisevenmorelimited.

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§ Donorsareheavilyprioritizing technology in thecurrent literacy landscape.However, severalinterviewed stakeholders noted that while education technology is attracting considerableinterestand funding, there is still a significant lackofevidenceonwhat typesof technologyinterventionsactuallyworktoimproveliteracy.

§ Literacy for children with disabilities remains an area where global literacy initiatives arecurrentlynotveryactive.

§ A handful of organizations are leading the way on parental and community engagement inchildren’sliteracy,butthisisanareawheremorecouldbedone,particularlygiventhegrowingevidencebasesupportingthisapproach.

§ SincetheterminationofpreviousglobalcampaignsforliteracysuchastheGlobalCampaignforEducation’sLiteracyforAllCampaignandtheUnitedNationsLiteracyDecade’sLiteracyInitiativeforEmpowerment (LIFE), thereareno large-scaleglobaladvocacycampaignson literacy thathavetakentheirplace.

§ Therearenocorporate-drivencampaignsorinitiativesforliteracyatthegloballevel.Allliteracyinitiatives at the global level were driven by the non-profit sectors (NGOs or bilateral andmultilateralagencies).

§ Mostofthegloballiteracyinitiativesdonothaveaparticulargeographicfocus,butratherworkacrossawidenumberofcountries.Inmanyinstances,thishasbeendoneintentionally.

§ Thelandscapeuncoveredafewregionalliteracyinitiatives,butingeneral,thereislessactivityattheregionallevelthanattheglobalandcountrylevels.Thismaybeduetolackofdonorinterestinfundingregionalactivitiesorbarrierstocoordination(distance,costs,etc.).

§ Relativelystrongevidenceexistssupportingthepositiveimpactofmother-tongueinstructionandtargeted instruction on literacy and learning outcomes. Emerging evidence exists forparental/family engagement, mobile technology, technology and literacy, and the use ofstructuredmaterials.

Recommendations:

Theserecommendationsarederivedfromananalysisofkeygapsinthegloballiteracylandscape.Theyareintendedforthegloballiteracycommunitybroadly,butareparticularlyrelevanttofundersandotherstakeholderscommittedtosupportingliteracy.CompleterecommendationsareprovidedinSectionIV.

§ Provideincreasedsupportforidentifiedgapsintheliteracysector,inparticularforadultliteracyOneof the key takeaways from this landscape analysis is the gulf betweenprogramming andfundingforchildliteracyandadultliteracy.Themajorityofexistinginitiativesarefocusedonchildliteracy. Adult literacy, in particularmaternal andwomen’s adult literacy, is extremely under-fundedandinsignificantneedofadditionalresourcesandattention.

§ If a new global literacy campaign is launched, it should be inclusive and have a clear and

targetedfocus.

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Themajorityofinterviewedstakeholderssawvalueinanewgloballiteracycampaign,providedithasaclear,narrowfocusandobjective.

§ Avoidduplicationofeffort,buildonexistinginitiatives,andenhanceinformation-sharingAsexisting initiatives inthe literacysectorseektoexpandtheiractivities,orasnew initiativesseektoenterthespace,itiscriticallyimportanttounderstandthescopeofwhathasalreadybeendoneincertainareas,andtobuildontheseeffortswherepossible.

§ Enhance collaboration between “non-traditional” literacy stakeholders and “traditional”developmentandgloballiteracystakeholdersThis landscapeanalysisunderscoredtherelativelyfragmentednatureofthe literacy landscapeand the divide between for-profit/corporate (“non-traditional”) and non-profit/public(“traditional”)initiatives.Withanincreasingnumberofnon-traditionalstakeholdersinterestedinplayingameaningfulroleinsupportingliteracy,thefieldasawholecouldstandtobenefitfromgreatercollaborationandengagementacrosssectors.

§ Continuetoinvestinrobustmonitoring,evaluation,andlearning

Thegloballiteracysectorshouldcontinuetoinvestheavilyinrigorousmonitoring,evaluation,andlearningefforts,toincreaseourcollectiveunderstandingofbestpracticeforimprovingliteracyoutcomes in different contexts for different target groups. This is particularly true of newerliteracyinterventionscurrentlygainingsignificanttraction,suchaseducationtechnology.

I.BackgroundTheinternationalcommunityhasmadegreatstridesinpromotinggloballiteracyinthelast15years,butthereisstillsignificantprogresstobemade.TheEducationforAllGlobalMonitoringReportestimatesthattherearecurrentlyabout781millionilliterateadults—consideringpossiblemeasurementerrorsthisnumbercouldwellbeupwardsof1billion(UNESCO2015).Inshort,theEducationforAllGoaltoreduceadult illiteracy (especially amongwomen) by 50% between 2000 and 2015was notmet:while adultilliteracyhasfallenby23%inthistimeframe,thisisfarshyofthe50%goal(UNESCO2015).Worsestill,womenaccountfornearlytwo-thirdsofadult illiterates,andthisratiohasnotchangedbetween1990and2015(UNESCO2014).Femaleliteracyrepresentsamissedopportunityforenormousgainsinoverallwelfare and growth in the developing world. A large body of evidence suggests that female literacyimproves“women’sempowerment; familywelfare, includingchildhealthandnutrition; fertility rates;agriculturalproductivity”alongwith“equity…andpovertyreduction”(R4D2011).Whileilliteracyisaglobalissue,thechallengeisparticularlyacuteinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.In fact, in someregions illiteracy rateshaveactuallygoneup. InSouthandWestAsia, thenumberofilliterateadultshasincreasedby2%since1990,andinSub-SaharanAfricaithasrisen37%(UNESCO2014).India’s287millionilliterateadultsaccountsforoverone-thirdoftheglobaltotal,whileNigeriahasgained17millionilliterateadultssince1990foratotalincreaseof71%.Additionally,ifonelooksatgroupsofadultsborninagivenyearratherthantheadultpopulationaswhole(toeliminatetheeffectofpopulationgrowthonliteracyrates),therehavebeenvirtuallynorealgainsinadultliteracysince2000,asperceivedimprovementshavemostlybeenduetoolderilliteratepopulationsdyingoutwhileyounger,moreliteratepopulations grow to dominate national demographics (UNESCO 2015). Further, youth literacy is alsoseverely wanting, with approximately 126 million 15- to 24-year-olds worldwide unable to read,accountingfor10.6%oftheglobalyouthpopulation(UIS2014).Citizen-ledassessmentsacrosstheworld

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fromIndiatoEastAfricahavereflectedthedirenatureofthelearningcrisisattheschool-agelevel(ASER,Uwezo).Manygovernmentsinthedevelopingworldhavelaunchedadultliteracycampaignssince2000,buttheyhaverarelyputanymonitoringandevaluationmechanismsinplace,makingitverydifficulttoestimateimpactorlearningoutcomes(UNESCO2015).Mobiletechnologyshowspromiseforimprovingliteracyoutcomes,butdefinitiveevidenceofitsimpactisstilllacking.Tohelpthehugenumberofpeoplearoundtheworldwho lack basic reading skills, the international community needs tomake a better funded,betterorganized,andmoreconcertedeffort.Asthe2015GlobalMonitoringReportstates,intheyearssince2000“callsforactiontofocusonamoreholisticviewofliteracyatthegloballevelwerenotmatchedbyawillingnesstoadequatelyfundprogramsatthenationallevel.”Thereisthereforeenormousdemandworldwideforstakeholderstoprovidefundingandsupportforliteracyprograms,particularlythosethatworktowarderadicatingadultandfemaleilliteracy.

II.KeystakeholdersandinitiativesintheliteracyfieldGiventhefundamental importanceof literacytohumanandeconomicdevelopment, it isunsurprisingthatthislandscapeanalysishasidentifiedalargenumberofdiverseinitiativesandorganizationsactivelyengaged in the literacy field. These include those working at the global level as well as a numbercommitted toworking regionally and/or nationally. Focus areas and activities varywidely, fromearlygradereadingtoadult literacyand fromadvocacycampaigns togrant-makingcompetitions.Themosthigh-profile initiativesaredrivenpredominantlyby thenon-profit sector (NGOsorbilateral agencies);however,anumberofcorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)initiativesalsofocusonliteracy.Thissectionprovidesanoverviewandanalysisofkeystakeholdersandinitiativesintheliteracyfieldattheglobal,regional,andselectnationallevel,bothfromthenon-profitandcorporatesectors.1Itshouldbe noted that organizations whose work is limited to implementing literacy interventions were notcomprehensivelylandscapedinthisanalysis.

Globallevel

OverviewofexistinggloballiteracyinitiativesThislandscapeidentifiedtwelveinitiativesand/ororganizationsexplicitlyfocusedontacklingliteracyatagloballevelwithafocusonlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.2Theseincludethefollowing:

1InitiativeslandscapedincludethosemostrelevanttoProjectLiteracy(advocacycampaigns,researchnetworks,communitiesofpractice,grant-makingcompetitions,etc.).2SomeoftheseinitiativesalsoconductextensiveworkintheUnitedStates,andarere-visitedinthesectiononnationalinitiatives.

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TableIbelowprovidesanoverviewoftheseinitiativesandtheirfocusactivities.Itissignificanttonotethat only two initiatives focus on adult literacy, one ofwhich is no longer active (theUnitedNationsLiteracyDecade).Theremaininginititaivesallfocusprimarilyonchildliteracy.

AllChildrenReadingGlobalCampaignforEducation:LiteracyforAll

GlobalLearningXPRIZEGlobalLiteracyCollaborativeGlobalReadingNetwork

InternationalLiteracyAssociation(ILA)InternationalLiteracyInstitute

LibraryofCongressLiteracyAwardsMobilesforEducationAlliance

ProLiteracyUNESCOInternationalLiteracyPrizes

UnitedNationsLiteracyDecade

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TableI:OverviewofgloballiteracyinitiativesNameof

organization/initiative

Typeofinitiative

Typeoforganization

Overview Literacypriorityareas Prioritycountries

AllChildrenReading(U.S.AID)

Competition Aidagencies

(USAID,World

Vision,DFAT)

AllChildrenReadingwasestablishedbyUSAID

in2011toidentifysolutionstoimprove

children’sreadingskillsintheearlygrades.Itis

a$25millioninitiativethatrunscompetitions

toidentifyinnovationsleveragingthepowerof

technologytopromoteliteracy.Keypartners

alsoincludeWorldVisionandDFAT(formerly

AustralianAid).

- Earlygradereading- Educationtechnology- Teachingandlearning

materials

- Dataaccessibility- Childrenwithdisabilities- Mother-tongue

instruction

- Parentalandcommunityengagement

Acceptapplications

globally.CurrentRound

2granteesarefrom

Zambia(x2),Cambodia,

Jordan,Mali(x2),

Afghanistan,Mexico,

India(x2)Lesotho,

Morocco,Philippines,

Georgia.

GlobalCampaignforEducation:LiteracyforAll

Advocacy

Campaign

Coalitionof

NGOs

TheGlobalCampaignforEducation(GCE)aims

tostrengthenthevoiceofcivilsocietyinthe

developmentofnationaleducation.GCEandits

membersrunnational,regional,andglobal

campaignsrelatedtotheEducationForAll

goals,includingitsLiteracyforAllCampaign.

- Mother-tongueearlygradematerials

- Teachertraining

Global

GlobalLearningXPRIZE

Competition NGO/Foundati

on(XPRIZE

Foundation)

TheGlobalLearningXPRIZEaimstoimprove

literacyoutcomesamongchildrenin

developingcountriesbyawardingprizemoney

todevelopersthatcreateoutstandingliteracy

software.Itawards$15millionintotalprize

moneytoteamsofsoftwaredevelopersthat

createanopensourcescalableprogramtohelp

childrenindevelopingcountrieslearnliteracy

andnumeracyskillswithinan18monthperiod.

- Earlygradereading- Educationtechnology

Applicationssourced

globally,field-testing

willoccurinTanzania.

GlobalLiteracyCollaborative*

Research

networkand

Community

ofpractice

Consortiumof

academic

institutions

and

foundations

TheGlobalLiteracyCollaborativeaimsto

initiateagloballiteracymovementbasedon

educationtechnologyandfosteracommunity

ofresearchers,funders,andimplementers

aroundthisgoal.

- Earlygradereading- Educationtechnology

(tablets)

- Independentreading

Ethiopia

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GlobalReadingNetwork

Research

networkand

Community

ofpractice

Aidagency

(USAID)

TheGlobalReadingNetworkisanetwork

comprisedofgovernments,practitioners,civil

societyorganizations,teachersassociations,

academics,funders,UNagencies,andother

stakeholderscommittedtoimprovingreading

outcomesforprimarygradechildrenacrossthe

globe.

- Earlygradereading- Socialmobilization/

behaviorchange

strategies

Global,notyetspecified

InternationalLiteracyAssociation(ILA)*

Advocacy

organization;

Research

network;

Community

ofPractice

NGO ILAhasthreecoreareasoffocus:(1)global

operations(focusedondevelopingcountries

andworkstoimprovetheprofessional

developmentandinstitutionalcapacityof

literacyeducatorswhiledevelopingand

implementingpartnershipsglobally),(2)

trainingandinformingliteracyeducators

throughpracticalresearchjournals,

publications,professionaldevelopment,

conferences,andadvocacyefforts,and(3)

advocacyeffortswithlegislativeandregulatory

bodies.Ithasanetworkofaffiliate

organizations(localreadingassociations)in

over70countries.

- Teachertraining/professional

development

ILAaffiliateshavebeen

establishedin76

countries

InternationalLiteracyInstitute(ILI)*

Research

organization

Intergovernm

ental

organization,

academic

institution

(UNESCO,

Universityof

Pennsylvania)

ILIconductsresearchongloballiteracyand

educationaldevelopment,especiallyinthe

developingworldandprovidesonlinetoolsto

helpadultsandchildrendevelopliteracyand

professionalskills.

- Educationtechnology- Teacher

training/professional

development

- Literacyassessment

Global.ILI’sflagship

BridgestotheFuture

projectisinIndiaand

SouthAfrica

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LibraryofCongressLiteracyAwards*

Competition Government

organization

(Libraryof

Congress)

TheLibraryofCongressLiteracyAwards

Programaimstoencouragenewmethodsof

increasingliteracyandthespreadofbest

practicesbyrewardingorganizationsthathave

hadamajorimpactonreducingilliteracyinthe

U.S.andtheworld.Oneifitsthreeprizes,the

InternationalPrize,awards$50,000toan

exceptionalliteracyprogramabroad.The

programalsopublishesanannual“Best

Practices”report.

- Themesfromprevious“bestpractices”reports

include:facilitating

accesstoprint;

cultivatingdiverse

partnerships;leveraging

communityresources;

assessingcultural

relevance;using

technology;developing

writingskills;reading

aloudandstorytelling’

fosteringearly

interventionandfamily

engagement;addressing

socialbarriersto

literacy;increasing

motivationtoreadand

write;ensuringqualityof

instruction;increasing

awarenessofthe

problemofilliteracy;

promotinggenderequity

andmaternalliteracy.

Global,notspecified

MobilesforEducationAlliance

Community

ofpractice

Allianceofaid

agencies,

foundations,

NGOs,and

intergovernm

ental

organizations;

ledbyUSAID

TheMobilesforEducationAlliance

(MEducationAlliance)aimstoidentifymobile

technologiesthatcanimproveglobaleducation

issuessuchas“literacy,appropriate

educationalcontentdevelopmentand

dissemination,systemstrengthening(suchas

educationdatafordecisionmaking),

accessibilityforlearnerswithdisabilities,

professionaldevelopmentforeducators,and

workforcedevelopment.”

- Educationtechnology

Global,notspecified

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ProLiteracy* Advocacyorganization;

Supporterof

literacy

organizations

NGO

(ProLiteracy)

ProLiteracyisanon-profitorganizationthat

developsandsupportsadultliteracylearning,

content,andprogramsandadvocatesfor

improvedadultliteracyworldwide.Throughits

internationalwork,ProLiteracysupports

grassrootsorganizationstoestablishor

strengthenanexistingadultliteracyprogram.

- Adultliteracy- Social

mobilization/behavior

changestrategies

- Familyandcommunityengagement

Global

UNESCOInternationalLiteracyPrizes

Competition Intergovernm

ental

organization

(UNESCO)

TheUNESCOInternationalLiteracyPrizes

rewardinnovativeliteracyprogramsaroundthe

worldwithoneoftwomonetaryprizes

annually.

- Mother-tongueliteracy- Out-of-schoolchildren- Femaleliteracy- Ruralpopulations

Global

UnitedNationsLiteracyDecade

Advocacy

campaign

Intergovernm

ental

organization

(UN)

TheUnitedNationsLiteracyDecade(UNLD)

wasaUNinitiativethatranfrom2003-2012

aimedatworkingtowardachievingthesix

EducationforAll(EFA)goalsandadvancing

globalliteracy.Encompassedbothchildand

adultliteracy.

- Earlygradereading- Adultliteracy

Global,notspecified

*Indicatesinitiatives/organizationsalsoengagedinU.Sdomesticwork

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Themesemergingfromlandscapeofglobalinitiatives

Thefollowingsectionidentifiescommonthemesamongtheglobalinitiativesdescribedaboveintermsoftheirfocusareas,themainapproachesorstrategiesused,thesectordrivingtheseinitiativesforward(non-profitvs.corporate),andtheirgeographicfocus.TopicfocusofglobalinitiativesThetwelveinitiativeslandscapedabovefocusonawiderangeofsub-topicareasintheliteracyfield.Thethemesthatweremostcommoninclude:educationtechnology;early-gradereading;teachertrainingandprofessionaldevelopment;mother-tonguereadingmaterials;familyandcommunityengagement;literacyassessment;adultliteracy;literacyforchildrenwithdisabilities;andsocialmobilizationandbehaviorchangestrategies.Theseareorderedbyprevalence.a)Educationtechnology

Themostcommonlyrecurringtopicoffocusiseducationtechnology,afocusoffiveofthetwelveinitiatives(AllChildren Reading, Global Learning XPRIZE, Global Literacy Collaborative, International Literacy Institute,mEducationAlliance).Thistopicistackledthroughcompetitions,researchprojects,andcommunitiesofpractice.Forexample,theAllChildrenReadingGrandChallengecompetitionisexplicitlyfocusedonidentifyinglow-costandscalabletechnology-drivensolutionstoaddressliteracybarriers.TheGlobalLearningXPRIZEisacompetitionthatseekstochallengeteamsofdevelopersworldwidetodevelopanopensourcescalablesoftwaresolutiontoenablechildreninlowandmiddle-incomecountriestoteachthemselvesbasicreading,writing,andarithmeticwithinan18-monthfield-testingperiod.Thescaleofbothcompetitions(AllChildrenReadingisa$25millioninitiative and Global Learning XPRIZE is a $15 million competition) reflects the heavy prioritization of

technologyinthecurrentliteracylandscapeandtheextentofdonorinterestinthetopic.Someinitiativesareagnosticintermsofthetypeoftechnologytheyfocuson.Forexample,AllChildrenReadingandGlobalLearningXPRIZEarenon-prescriptiveinthetechnologysolutionstheyseektoidentify,withthegoalofbeingopentothemosteffectivetoolasopposedtobeingfocusedononespecifictypeofsolution.Otherinitiatives,however,havedevelopedmoreofanichearoundaparticulartypeoftechnology.ThemEducationAlliance,as itsnamesuggests, focuses itseffortsonresearchingmobiletechnologies foreducation, includingliteracy. The Global Literacy Collaborative is even narrower in its focus – a research project dedicated todeveloping a tablet-based application to improve literacy and comprehension outcomes. The InternationalLiteracyInstitute’sflagshipproject,TheBridgestotheFutureInitiative,similarlyhasnarroweditsfocustotheuseoftabletsandPCstosupportmother-tongueandsecondlanguageliteracyinIndiaandSouthAfrica.

Similarly,someinitiativesfocusontheuseoftechnologytoaddressliteracybroadly,whileothersnarrowtheirfocusmoreexplicitly.AllChildrenReadinghasselectedchildrenwithdisabilities,mother-tongueinstruction,andparentalandcommunityengagementasthreespecificthemesoffocusinitssecondround.Thesewereselectedasfocusareasbecausetheywereidentifiedasgapsintheliteracysectorandareareaswheretechnologywasthoughttobeabletomakethemostimpact(stakeholderinterview).

b)Early-gradereading

Severalofthegloballiteracyinitiativesfocusexclusivelyonearly-gradereading,namelyAllChildrenReading,TheGlobalReadingNetwork,TheGlobalLiteracyCollaborative,andGlobalLearningXPRIZE.Severalmorefocusonearlygradereadinginadditiontootherlevels.Donorinterestinfundingliteracyinternationallyismoreheavilyskewedtowardstheearlygradesthantowardsadolescentoradultliteracy.USAID’scommitmenttoearlygradereadingisdemonstratednotonlythroughitsAllChildrenReadingcompetition,butsimilarlythroughitsextensivework to develop assessment materials at those levels (the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA)). The

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InternationalLiteracyAssociation,eventhoughitdoesnothaveanexplicitfocusonearlygradereading,notesthatthemajorityofitsglobalaffiliates(localreadingassociations)tendtofocustheiractivitiesontheselevels(stakeholderinterview).c)Teachertrainingandprofessionaldevelopment

Threeoftheglobalinitiativeshavedoneworkexplicitlycenteredontheissueofteachertrainingandprofessionaldevelopment for literacy professionals (International Literacy Association, Global Campaign for Education:Literacy forAll,andthe InternationalLiteracy Institute),however,onlyone initiativewas identifiedashavingteachertrainingatthecoreofitsglobalwork(InternationalLiteracyAssociation).TheGlobalCampaignforEducation’s(GCE)LiteracyforAllCampaignfocusedonteachertrainingasoneofitstwocoreissues.Itreleasedareportentitled“ClosingtheTrainedTeacherGap”in2012andledGCE’s2013GlobalActionWeek toadvocate for improved teacher training. The International Literacy Institute ran theSummerLiteracyTrainingPrograminPhiladelphiaforadecadeuntil2000,andwasforprofessionalsworkingtoimproveliteracyindevelopingcountriestolearnaboutliteracypolicy,familyliteracydevelopment,literacyinnovationsandtechnology,andotherrelatedtopics.TheInternationalLiteracyAssociation(ILA),however,focusesthecoreofitsinternationalworkonimplementingdonor-fundedteachertrainingprogramsinadditiontocuratingitsnetworkoflocalaffiliateliteracyorganizations.OneofitsflagshipteachertrainingprogramswastheGlobalLiteracyProfessionalDevelopmentNetworkwhichwaspilotedinIndonesiaandBangladesh.d)Mother-tonguereadingmaterialsAswillbediscussedinSectionIII,thereisstrongevidencethatmother-tongueinstructionhasapositiveeffectonliteracyoutcomes.Enhancingmother-tongueinstruction,boththroughincreasingaccesstomother-tonguereadingmaterials and increasing teachers’ capacity to teach inmother-tongue is a key focus of two globalinitiatives(onecurrentandonenolongeractive).ItisoneofthethreethemesforAllChildrenReading’ssecondround competition, and is one of USAID’s literacy priorities (stakeholder interview). Grantees include thefollowing:

Mother-tongue early grade readingmaterials were also one of the focus areas of the Global Campaign forEducation’sLiteracyforAllCampaign.Thecampaignreleasedapolicybriefingonmother-tongueeducationin2013andworkedwithitsmembercoalitionstoproduceresourcesandtoolstoadvocateformoremother-tongue

AllChildrenReading:Round2Granteesformother-tongueinstruction(USAID2015)

v AgoraCenter,theUniversityofJyväskylä-ZambiaIntroducesGraphoGame,ascience-basedeLearningenvironmentforliteracyandteachertraining.

v CreativeAssociatesInternational-ZambiaDevelopsacommunity-based,scalablemodelforusingmobiletechnologytocreateanddisseminatemothertonguereadingmaterialstofamilieswithearlygradechildren.

v KampucheanActionforPrimaryEducation-CambodiaDevelopsmothertongueinstructionandreadingmaterials,withelectronicreadershavinginteractivefeaturesforGrades2and3readers.

v LittleThinkingMinds-JordanBuildsachild-centeredICT-basedArabicliteracyprogramconsistingofe-booksandassociatedmobileapplicationsthatcansupplementtraditionalschool-basedlearningathomeorintheclassroom.

v Réseaud’ActeurspourleRenouveaudel’Education-MaliUsesmobiletechnologytoimprovetheteachingandlearningofreadingandwritinginbilingualcurriculumschools.

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materials.OneofUNESCO’sInternationalLiteracyPrizesisalsodedicatedtorewardingexceptionalprogramsinmother-tongueliteracyeducationandtraining.e)Familyandcommunityengagement

Another theme common to two global initiatives is that of family and community engagement. All ChildrenReadinghasincludedthisasoneofitsthreefocusareasinthesecondroundofitscompetition.Selectedgranteesinthiscategoryinclude:

AswillbediscussedinSectionIII,thereisgrowingevidencethatparentalengagementintheirchildren’sreadinghasapositiveeffectonliteracyoutcomes.AsidefromAllChildrenReading,theonlyotherglobalorganization

currentlyexploringthistopicisProLiteracy.ProLiteracyapproachesthisissuefromauniqueanglegivenitsfocusonadultliteracy.Itsmodelinvolvesdevelopingreadingandlearningcontentforadultlearnersaroundparticularthematicorissueareasidentifiedasbeinghighprioritywithinthecommunity.Inotherwords,itseekstoteachliteracyasasolutiontootherproblemsorchallengesfacingthecommunity.Thespecific issueareathereforevariesdependingonthecontext.ProLiteracy’ssixactionareasinclude:health,humanrights,conflictresolution,environment,parentsasleadersineducation,andeconomicempowerment(stakeholderinterview).ProLiteracydevelops“literacysolutionsmanuals”aroundvarioustopicswithintheseactionareas.Aspartofits“parentsasleadersineducation”actionarea,ProLiteracyhasledalotofworkaroundfamilyliteracy.Oneofitssolutionsmanualsisonthetopicof“parentsasteachers,”supportingparentstoapplywhattheyarelearning in their literacy classes in thehomeby readingwith their children. ProLiteracyhas also run severalprojectswhichhavesupportedtrainings formothers to incorporateeducation in thehome,andcollaborateswiththeOprahAngelNetworktoprovidebookstomotherstoreadwiththeirchildren.Mostrecently,ProLiteracyissettopilotaprogramwithWorldreaderinKenya.Theprogramwilldeploye-readerspre-loadedwithe-booksforparentstoreadwiththeirchildren.f)Literacyassessments

Onlyoneofthegloballiteracyinitiativeslandscapedhasdoneworkfocusedonliteracyassessmentsindevelopingcountrycontexts(theInternationalLiteracyInstitute).TheInstituteandinparticularitsfounder,haveconductedextensive research on the topic of literacy assessments, promoting methods of “smaller, quicker, cheaper”assessments.3 Outside of the landscaped global literacy initiatives, a significant amount of research and

3SeeDanielA.Wagner,“Smaller,Quicker,Cheaper:ImprovingLearningAssessmentsforDevelopingCountries,”2011,Paris,UNESCO:InternationalInstituteofEducationPlanning.

AllChildrenReading:Round2Granteesforparentalandcommunityengagement

v ChildFundInternational-AfghanistanTransmitsradiomessagesandstoriestofamiliesofstrugglingreaders,usingsolar-chargedmobilephones.

v OeuvreMalienned'Aideàl'EnfanceduSahel-MaliUsesSteppingStone,alow-costmobilelessoncreationtool,todeterminehowaccesstointeractivedigitalaudioandtextsmightenhancepre-readingandreadingskills.

v QuéFuncionaparaelDesarrolloA.C.-MexicoIntroducesMATCH,atechnology-basedplatformthatprovideschildrenandtheirparentswithaselectionofSpanish-writtenbooksthataretailoredtothechild'sreadinglevelandcoincidewithhis/hertopicsofinterest.

v SesameWorkshopIndiaTrust-IndiaStrengthensfamilyandcommunityengagementinpromotingmothertonguereadingskillsamongearlyprimarygradechildren.

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implementationhasbeenconductedonissuesrelatedtoassessingliteracyskills,inparticularforearlygrades.USAID is a key stakeholder in this sector, having developed the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA)frameworkwhichhasbeenappliedinoversixtyfivecountries(stakeholderinterview).4Anotherapproachthathasgainedvisibilityandtractionoverthepastdecadeisthecitizen-ledassessmentmovement,whichleveragesvolunteerstoconductnational-levelhouseholdsurveysofchildren’slearningoutcomes(literacyandnumeracy).5The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) in India andUwezo in Kenya, Tanzania, andUganda are twoprominentexamples.6

g)Adultliteracy

OnlyProLiteracyfocusesexplicitlyandexclusivelyonadultliteracy.Asdescribedabove,ProLiteracy’smodelinvolvesdevelopingadultliteracycontentdesignedtoteachlearnersaboutaparticularproblemorchallengeintheircommunities(stakeholderinterview).ProLiteracy‘smodelsupportsgrassrootsNGOsinlow-andmiddle-incomecountriesthatareworkingintheadultliteracyfieldorinothercommunitywork.ProLiteracysupportsthemtostartadultliteracyprogramsortostrengthenexistingprogramming.h)Literacyforchildrenwithdisabilities

Onlyoneglobal initiative reviewedhadanexplicit focuson literacy for childrenwithdisabilities:AllChildrenReading’ssecondroundcompetitionincludesthisasoneofitskeyfocusareas.Accordingtoakeystakeholderinterview,thistopicisofparticularinteresttotheAustralianaidagency,TheDepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade (DFAT), one of the three partners engaged in All Children Reading. Round 2 grantees selected in thiscategoryinclude:

i)Socialmobilizationandbehaviorchangestrategies

Oneofthegloballiteracyinitiatives,theGlobalReadingNetworkhasidentifiedthisasakeytopicofinterest.Whilespecificactivitiesarecurrentlyundefined,theGlobalReadingNetworkanticipatesthatpartofitsworkwillbetoidentifysocialmobilizationandbehaviorchangestrategiestohelpparents/caregivers,households,

communities,andgovernmentstosupportyoungreadersathomeandinschool.

4USAID:https://www.eddataglobal.org/5SeeResultsforDevelopmentInstitute(2015),“BringingLearningtoLight:TheRoleofCitizen-ledAssessmentsinShiftingtheEducationAgenda”foranoverviewandevaluationofthecitizen-ledassessmentmodel.6Seehttp://www.asercentre.org/andhttp://www.uwezo.net/formoreinformation.

AllChildrenReading:Round2Granteesforchildrenwithdisabilities

v Benetech-IndiaCreatestextsinlocallanguagesbydevelopingaccessibleaudiobookspairedwiththemostcurrentbraille-focusedreadingmethods.

v CatholicReliefServices-LesothoImprovesthereadingoutcomesofvisuallyimpairedchildrenthroughtheuseoftheMountbattenProBrailler(MBPro)andtheJot-a-DotportableBrailler.

v InstituteforDisabilitiesResearchandTraining,Inc.-MoroccoDevelopscomputersoftwarethatenableseducatorstoefficientlycreateinstructionalmaterialswithMoroccanSignLanguagegraphics.

v ResourcesfortheBlind,Inc.-PhilippinesDevelopstechnologytocreateanduploadaccessibleversionsofsupplementaryreadingmaterials,andprovidesequipmentneededbyvisuallyimpairedstudentstoaccessthematerials.

v StudioADC-GeorgiaDevelopsandtestselectronicversionsofbooksandlearningmaterialsforhearingimpairedchildren.

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ActivitiesofglobalinitiativesThegloballiteracyinitiativesandorganizationsidentifiedthroughthislandscapeundertakeanumberofdifferentactivities to promote literacy. Initiative types include competitions, research networks, campaigns, andcommunitiesofpractice,andtheiractivitiesincludegrant-making,publicizingresources,conductingadvocacy,organizingworkinggroups,andmore.Thissectionprovidesanoverviewoftheseactivityareas.a)Grant-making

AllChildrenReadingandGlobalLearningXPRIZEprovidegrantfundingtoliteracyimplementersandteamsofdevelopers for developing literacy software respectively. Other organizations such as International LiteracyAssociationandProLiteracyimplementliteracyprogramminginternationally,butdosoonaproject-by-projectdonor-fundedbasis.TheannualLibraryofCongressLiteracyAwardsprovidesa$50,000financialrewardtooneexceptionalliteracyprogramabroadthroughitsInternationalPrize(itsothertwoprizesareawardedtoU.S.-based literacyprograms).Whilenotanexclusively literacy-focused initiative, theWISEAwardsfundedbytheQatarFoundationalsorecognizesandfundssixinnovativeeducationprogramseachyearthatareaddressingkeyeducationchallenges.7

b)Conductingand/orsynthesizingresearch

Several initiatives are focused on either producing original research or synthesizing existing research andcontributing to the evidence base on global literacy. The Global Literacy Collaborative is a consortium ofacademicsseekingtotestanddevelopnewtablet-basedtechnologytoimproveliteracyoutcomes.TheLibraryof Congress Literacy Awards publishes an annual “Best Practices” report to spread information on effectivemodels forpromoting literacy. Ithighlightsevidence-basedpracticesandprovidesexamplesoforganizationsconcretelyimplementingsuchpractices(basedonbothU.S.andglobalprogramsandresearch).8ThemEducationAlliancefundslandscapeanalysesandreviewsofthemobileeducationsector,includingalandscapereviewthatwasconductedonMobilesforReading,fundedbyUSAID.9TheGlobalReadingNetwork’sevidencegrouphopestoidentifyevidencegapsintheliteracysectorandtosetanagendaaroundthose(stakeholderinterview).Asdescribed in the national section below, conducting research is a key activity ofmany of the initiatives alsoengagedinliteracyworkatthecountrylevel.

c)Disseminatingandtranslatingresearch

Disseminatingexistingresearchbothonlineandinpersonisanothercommonactivityamongthegloballiteracyinitiatives.TheGlobalReadingNetworkplansforthistobeoneofitscoreactivities,anditcurrentlyhasplanstobuildanevidencelibraryofexistingresearchonbestpracticesinearlygradereading.Similarly,boththeGlobalReadingNetworkandtheLibraryofCongressLiteracyAwardsseektodisseminateresearchandinformationonliteracy throughwebinars. ThemEducation Alliance conducts a number of in-person research disseminationactivities, including seminar series, research roundtables, workshops, and conferences. The Global ReadingNetworkhopestogoonestepfurtherthandisseminatingexistingresearchinitscurrentform:itsbestpracticesworkinggroupseekstoconsolidateexistingevidenceandturnitintoactionabletoolsandprocessesthatareeasyforpractitionerstounderstand(stakeholderinterview).d)Workinggroups

Both theGlobalReadingNetworkand themEducationAllianceuseworkinggroups,wherebyacoresteeringcounciloverseesworkbyanumberof sub-workinggroupsaroundaparticular thematicarea.For theGlobalReadingNetwork,theseincludethreeworkinggroupsonevidence,advocacy,andpractice.Eachworkinggroup

7Seehttp://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-awardsformoreinformation.8Seehttp://www.read.gov/literacyawards/forthe2013and2014BestPracticesreport.9USAIDandmEducationAlliance,“MobilesforReading:ALandscapeResearchReview,”2014.

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ismadeupofkeystakeholdersinthosefields,andtheagendaandwork-streamsaredefinedandownedbythemembersof thegroup.ThemEducationAlliancehasaworkinggrouponmobiles for readingwhichseeks tofacilitateongoingknowledgeexchangeandserveasavehicletoconnectrelevantprogramswitheachotherandwiththebroadermEducationcommunity(stakeholderinterview).e)Advocacy

Afewglobalinitiativesconductadvocacyactivitiesonliteracyworldwide,howeverasdiscussedabove,manyofthetwelveglobalinitiativesthatdoadvocacyworkfocustheireffortsmoreheavilyontheU.S.domesticsector.However,theUnitedNationsLiteracyDecadedidfocusonadvocacyforgloballiteracyasoneofitscoreactivities.It created the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), a global strategic framework for literacyadvocacy.Similarly,theGlobalCampaignforEducation’sLiteracyforAllCampaignhadthesamefocus.Bothinitiativesarenolongeractive,andtheredoesnotseemtobealarge-scaleglobaladvocacycampaignonliteracythathastakentheirplace.TheGlobalReadingNetworkmayfillthisgap;oneofitsthreeworkinggroupsfocuseson

advocacyandseekstodisseminateinformationontheimportanceofliteracyandidentifymethodsforholding

governmentsaccountableforimprovingliteracyoutcomes.However,itsspecificactivitiesarenotyetdefinedanditisstillattheearlystageofidentifyinghowitwillgoaboutthisobjective(stakeholderinterview).Thefocusofanyadvocacy campaignpromotedby theGlobalReadingNetworkwill beonearlygrade reading, at leastinitially(stakeholderinterview).

f)Annualconferences

Twoglobalinitiativesholdconferencesasawayofbringingtogetherkeystakeholderstodiscussresearchandpossibilitiesforcollaborationandcoordination.ThemEducationAlliancehostsanannualsymposiumonmobilesforeducation,bringingtogetherkeystakeholdersfromdiversebackgrounds(NGOs,policymakers,researchers,donors, etc.) with the goal of identifying opportunities for collaboration in the mEducation sector. TheInternationalLiteracyInstitutealsohostsvariousconferencesrelatedtogloballiteracy.AnnualconferencesareevenmorecommonwithintheU.Sdomesticliteracysector.g)Monitoringgloballiteracyprogress

TheUnitedNationsLiteracyDecade(UNLD)wasaUNinitiativethatranfrom2003-2012aimedatworkingtowardachieving the six Education for All (EFA) goals and advancing global literacy. One of its activities involvedmonitoringgloballiteracyprogress.WhileUNESCOattemptedtodriveforwardafollow-uptotheUNLDknownastheGlobalCoalitionforLiteracy,themovementneverreallygotofftheground(stakeholderinterview).TheannualEducationforAllGlobalMonitoringReport(EFA-GMR)publishedbyUNESCOprovidesannualmonitoringonthestateofglobaleducation,includingliteracyrates,thoughitisnotfocusedexclusivelyonliteracy.10h)Bookdistribution

WhilebookdistributionismoreoftenthefocusoflargeimplementingNGOsorofnationalcorporatecampaignsthanofglobalcampaigns(seethecasestudyonScholastic’sOpenaWorldofPossibleCampaign,forexample,USAIDinpartnershipwithseveralothermajorbilaterals,multilaterals,andNGOs(UNICEF,Norad(Norwegianaidagency),DFID,SavetheChildren,andtheGlobalPartnershipforEducation)planstolaunchaGlobalBookFundtoputmorereadingmaterialsinthehandsofchildrenwhereitisneededmost.

10Seehttp://en.unesco.org/gem-report/formoreinformation.

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i)Globalliteracyvolunteering

Thelandscapedidnotidentifyanyglobal initiativefocusedexplicitlyonpromotingvolunteerismrelatedto

literacyatthegloballevel.Literacyvolunteeropportunitiesexistthroughbroaderglobalvolunteeringnetworks(forexampleGoAbroad).Sectorofglobalinitiatives:Non-profitvs.corporateinitiativesInterestingly,allofthelandscapedgloballiteracyinitiativesaredrivenbythenon-profitsector.Thelandscapeanalysisidentifiedanumberofcorporate-ledliteracyinitiativesandonemajorcampaign,howeverallofthesewerefocuseddomestically(primarilyU.S.)orregionally(forexampleUNIQLO’sliteracyinitiativeinAsia).Withinthenon-profitsector,someglobalinitiativesareownedandfundedbybilateralandmultilateralagencies(keystakeholders in thiscategory includeUSAID,DFATAustralia,UNESCO)andothersarerunthroughNGOsprimarilyfundedthroughindividualphilanthropyorprivatefoundations(e.g.ProLiteracy,XPRIZE,etc.).GeographicfocusofglobalinitiativesMostof the landscapedglobal literacy initiativesdonothaveaparticular geographic focus,but ratherworkacrossawidenumberofcountries. Inmany instances, thishasbeendone intentionally.AllChildrenReadingsoughtgeographicdiversityinitsfinalsetofgrantees,andthiswasbuiltintotheselectionprocess(stakeholderinterview).TheInternationalLiteracyAssociationtakespridethatitworksgloballyacrossallregions.Severalstakeholdersemphasizedthatinadditiontogeographicdiversity,itisimportanttoensurediversitywithregardtothetypesof literacyprogramsororganizationssupportedatthecountry level.AllChildrenReadingreceived applications both from well-known, established organizations, as well as from small grassrootsorganizations that USAID had not heard of before (stakeholder interview). A balance of both types oforganizationswereselectedtosupport.Similarly,ProLiteracyseekstosupportbothnationally-connectedandsmallerprogramsinequalmeasure(stakeholderinterview).Therewereafewacountriesthatwerehighlightedbystakeholdersaseitherprioritycountriesorcountries

where theenablingenvironment for literacyprogrammingand initiatives isparticularly strong.ForUSAID,

prioritycountriesincludeIndia,thePhilippines,andEthiopiaamongothers(stakeholderinterview).AllChildrenReadingsimilarlyreceivedahighnumberofapplicationsfromIndia(stakeholderinterview).

Regionallevel

Overviewofexistingliteracy-focusedinitiatives

Thelandscapeuncoveredafewregionalliteracyinitiatives,butingeneral,thereseemedtobelessactivityat

the regional level than at the global and country levels. Table II provides an overview of regional literacyinitiatives.Allregionalinitiativeslandscapedaredrivenonceagainbythenon-profitsector,withtheexceptionofUNIQLO’sliteracycorporatesocialresponsibilityprogramintheAsiaregion.

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TableII:Overviewofregionalliteracyinitiatives

Region Nameofinitiative Typeofinitiative Targetaudience/focusarea

Donors/partners Focusarea(s)/activities

Asia

LiteracyInitiativeforEmpowerment-AsiaandthePacific

StrategicFramework

Adultliteracy,Out-of-schoolchildren

UNESCO RegionalstrategicframeworkforimplementingEducationforAll(EFA)goalsaspartoftheUNLiteraryDecade.WasledbyUNESCOBangkokoffice.

StoryTimeinAsia Campaign Childliteracy TheAsiaFoundation,Scholastic,Abrams,Penguin,OOCL,Little,BrownandCompany

Distributesover120,000booksto2millionstudentsacross17developingcountriesinAsia.

UNIQLO Corporatesocialresponsibilityinitiative

Childliteracy UNIQLO,ShantiVolunteerAssociation.

ThisCSRinitiativefocusesonbuildinglibraries,distributingbooks,publishingpicturebooks,andpromotingtheimportanceoflibrariesinCambodia(incollaborationwithShantiVolunteerAssociation)toencouragechildliteracy.SpecificactivitiesincludeprovidingfinancialsupportforaprojecttobuildlibrariesinAsia(oneofeight"innovativeideas"companyisfundingforitsClothesforSmilesprogram),wherechildrenofallbackgroundswillhavesafeandwelcomingspacetoread.

RotarySouthAsiaLiteracyMission

Organization Adultliteracy,Childliteracy

RotaryInternational CreatedTEACHprograminIndiatoimproveenrollment,teachertraining,andschoolsupplies.

Europe

EuropeanLiteracyPolicyNetwork(ELINET)

ResearchNetwork/StrategicFramework

Allliteracystakeholders

EuropeanCommission ConductsresearchonliteracyprogramsinEurope,promotesbestpractices.

Latin

Americaand

Spain

Ibero-AmericanPlanforLiteracyandBasicEducationofYouthandAdults(PIA)

StrategicFramework(Regional)

Policymakers,Adultliteracy,Childliteracy,Funders,Implementers

Spanishgovernment,OEI,SEGIB ThePIAhaspursuedfivespecificobjectives:a)developmentofnationalplansinthecountries;b)establishmentofarenewedandexpandedconceptofadultliteracyandbasiceducationintheregion;c)secure,sufficientandstablefundingforthePIA;d)promotionofcooperation;ande)linkingtheplanwithstrategiestopreventschoolfailureanddroppingout.

Latin

Americaand

the

Caribbean

LatinAmericaandCaribbeanReadsCapacityProgram

ResearchNetwork

Implementers,policymakers

USAID(donor),AmericanInstitutesforResearch,Juárez&Associates(partners)

Developsknowledgeresourcesforliteracystakeholders,providestechnicalassistancetopolicymakersinhostcountrygovernments.

YoSíPuedo StrategicFramework/EducationDelivery

Stategovernments Cubangovernment,IPLAC,VenezuelanGovernment

TheLatinAmericanandCaribbeanPedagogicalInstitute(IPLAC)developedasystemofvideo-classestopromoteuniversalliteracyinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean

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Middle

East/North

Africa

LiteracyInitiativeforEmpowerment-Arabcountries

StrategicFramework

Adultliteracy,Out-of-schoolchildren

UNESCO RegionalstrategicframeworkforimplementingEducationforAll(EFA)goalsaspartoftheUNLiteraryDecade.WasledbyUNESCORabatandBeirutofficesandtheInstituteforLifelongLearning.

Sub-Saharan

Africa

AfricaNetworkCampaignonEducationforAll(ANCEFA)

Advocacy/Network

Policymakers,CivilSocietyOrganization

GlobalPartnershipforEducationFund

CreatingasocialmovementtosupporttheEducationforAll(EFA)goals,capacitybuildingforcivilsocietyorganizations,advocacythroughlobbyingandmasscampaigns,advocacyresearch.

LiteracyInitiativeforEmpowerment-Africa(LIFE)

StrategicFramework

Adultliteracy,Out-of-schoolchildren

UNESCO RegionalstrategicframeworkforimplementingEducationforAll(EFA)goalsaspartoftheUNLiteraryDecade.WasledbyUNESCODakarOffice.

AfricanLibraryProject

LiteracyOrganization

ChildLiteracy,AdultLiteracy

BotswanaMinistryofEducation,MichaelLapsleyFoundation,PeaceCorpsLesotho,LesothoMinistryofEducationandTraining,DAPPMalawi,WungweroBookFoundation,AYISE,MalawiInstituteofEducation,RISENetwork,Fundza,BooksforAfrica,MicrosoftCorporation,OneWorldChildren’sFund

PartnerswithbooksdrivesandlocalNGOsandgovernmentsinSub-SaharanAfricatobuildlibrariesanddonatebookstothem.Organizesconferencestosharebestpracticesamongpartners.

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Themesemergingfromlandscapeofregionalinitiatives

Approximately half of the regional initiatives are large-scale service delivery initiatives to promoteliteracyinagivenregion(throughspecificliteracyprograms),whiletheotherhalfareconcernedwithresearch, strategy andpolicy, networking, and/or advocacy.Of those that seek to promote literacy,somedosothroughbookdistribution(forexampleStoryTimeinAsiaandtheAfricaLibraryProject),andothersseektotackleunderlyingchallengesrelatedtopedagogyandteacherreadiness(forexampletheYoSíPuedoprograminLatinAmericaandtheCarribbean(LAC)developedasystemofvideo-classesto

promoteuniversalliteracyintheregionandtheRotarySouthAsiaMissionlaunchedtheTEACHprogram

inIndiatoimproveenrollment,teachertraining,andschoolsupplies).

UNESCOcreatedthreeregionalstrategicframeworkstopromoteliteracyaspartofthe2003-2012UNLiteracydecadethatcontributedtothecreationoftherecentnationalcampaignsinAfrica,theMiddleEast,andAsia.TheseframeworkswerecreatedwiththepurposeofmonitoringregionalprogressontheEducationforAllgoals,andtheLiteracyInitiativeforEmpowermentframeworksfocusedonpromoting

adult literacyand literacy forout-of-schoolchildren inparticular.LAChasanotable,highlyorganizedliteracyframework.TheIbero-AmericanPlanforLiteracyandBasicEducationofYouthandAdults(PIA)isaregionalstrategicframeworkthatpursuesfivespecificobjectives:a)developmentofnationalplansin

thecountries;b)establishmentofarenewedandexpandedconceptofadultliteracyandbasiceducation

intheregion;c)secure,sufficientandstablefundingforthePIA;d)promotionofcooperation;ande)

linkingtheplanwithstrategiestopreventschoolfailureanddroppingout.Sub-SaharanAfricahasastrong

regionaleducationframework,theAfricaNetworkCampaignonEducationforAll(ANCEFA),supported

bytheGlobalPartnershipforEducation(thoughitisnotexclusivelyliteracy-focused).

USAIDisalsorunningaregionalliteracyinitiativeinLAC–theLatinAmericaandCaribbean(LAC)ReadsCapacity Program. This program seeks to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of early grade

readinginterventions intheLACregion. Itprovidestechnicalassistancetohostcountrygovernmentsandotherkeystakeholders.

In addition to the initiatives listed, the International LiteracyAssociation also hosts regular regionalliteracyconferences,bringingtogetherregionalliteracyprofessionalsandpractitionerstodiscussandshare information on leadership, advocacy, and literacy best practices. For example, ILA hostsconferencesacrossall regions.Theorganizationhasbeenrunning regional literacyconferences for20

years,butnotesthattheyhavenotheardofotherorganizationsrunningsimilarinitiativesattheregional

level(stakeholderinterview).

Overall,literacy-relatedactivityattheregionallevelintheformofcampaigns,initiatives,networks,etc.

remains relatively limited. Thismay be due to lack of donor interest in funding regional activities or

barrierstocoordination(distance,costs,etc.).

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Nationallevel(inPearsonprioritymarkets:US,UK,SouthAfrica,Brazil,China,India)

Overviewofexistingliteracy-focusedinitiatives:Thenational initiativeslandscapedtendtofocusonchildliteracy,adult literacy,andwomen’sliteracy.

Many private national campaigns emphasize advocacy, awareness, and community outreach, while

programsrunbythegovernmenttendtoprioritizeprovidingliteracycourses.

Atthecountry-level,thislandscapesoughttoidentifylarge-scaleliteracyinitiatives(ledbythenon-profit

andcorporatesectors)inPearson’sprioritymarkets(UnitedStates,UnitedKingdom,SouthAfrica,Brazil,

China,and India). Italsosearchedfor literacy initiatives in thesevencountries facingthemostcritical

literacychallenges(asmeasuredbyhavingthelowestliteracyratesglobally).11Thesecountriesinclude

Afghanistan,BurkinaFaso,Niger,Guinea,Mali,Benin,andChad.12Thissectiondiscussesinitiativesineach

ofthesegeographies.

UnitedStatesSeveraloftheglobalinitiativesdiscussedabovearealsoactivelyengagedinU.S.domesticliteracyissues

(GlobalLiteracyCollaborative,InternationalLiteracyAssociation,InternationalLiteracyInstitute,Library

ofCongressLiteracyAwards,ProLiteracy).Consideredtogetherwithinitiativesworkingexclusivelyinthe

U.S.,thefollowingcommonactivitiesemerge:

a)AdvocacywithpolicymakersAdvocacy for literacy ismuchmore common amongU.S. domestic initiatives than it is among global

initiatives working internationally in low- and middle-income countries abroad. Several U.S.-based

initiativesadvocateforincreasedattentiontoliteracychallenges.ProLiteracyraisesawarenessofadult

literacyissuesbyadvocatingthroughsocialmediaandalegislativeactioncenterthatsupportscitizensto

writetotheirrepresentativesaboutliteracyissues.ILAalsoconductanumberofadvocacyeffortswith

legislativeandregulatorybodiesintheU.S.

b)DevelopingandsharingresourcesandresearchSeveral U.S.-based literacy initiatives work to provide resources for teachers and other literacy

stakeholders.TheScholasticOpenaWorldofPossibleCampaign,InternationalLiteracyAssociation,and

InternationalLiteracy Institutealldevelopandmakeaccessibleresourcesandsupportingmaterials for

teachersteachingliteracy.ILApublishesaseriesofjournalsrelatedtoresearchonliteracyandevidence-

basedliteracypracticesforteachers.

c)Connectingadultswithlow-literacyrateswithliteracyopportunitiesProLiteracy connects low-literateadults to literacyproviders in theU.S. throughorganizinganational

directoryofU.S.literacyproviders.TheILIcreatedaweb-basedplatformtosupportlow-literateadults

learnabouteducationandcareeroptions,accessibleathttp://www.learning-connections.org/).11LiteracyrateswereidentifiedusingtheCIAWorldFactbookandtheUNESCOInstituteforStatistics.

12 This landscape did not conduct a comprehensive search for implementing organizations, but rather broader

literacyinitiatives(e.g.campaigns,networks,etc.)asintheGlobalandRegionalsection.

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d)AdultliteracyWhileadultliteracyremainsunder-prioritizedrelativetochildliteracyintheU.S.,thereisstillmoreactivity

focusedonadultliteracyintheU.S.thanthereisglobally.ProLiteracy’sworkisoverwhelminglyfocused

intheU.S.,andtheInternationalLiteracyInstitutewasinitiallyfoundedasthefirstAdultLiteracyLabin

the U.S. (stakeholder interview). XPRIZE is running a competition dedicated to adult literacy focused

exclusivelyintheU.S.

e)CorporateinitiativesThe landscape also identified several

corporate social responsibility (CSR)

campaignsfocusedonliteracyintheU.S.

Amongthese,thefollowingthemeswere

identified:

Ø Almostallfocusedonaddressingilliteracywithinthecountry

wherethecompanyisbased.

Ø Themajorityofthecorporateliteracycampaignsfocusedondirectsupporttospecificcommunitiesandschools(usuallythroughdonatingbooksorencouragingemployeestovolunteerandreadtochildreninunderprivilegedareas)asopposedtolarge-scalecampaignsmobilizingsupportandraisingawareness.OnenotableexceptionisScholastic’sOpenaWorldofPossibleCampaign(seecasestudyboxadjacent).

Ø Themajorityarefocusedonincreasingaccesstoliteracy

opportunitiesratherthan

improvingliteracyoutcomesand

readingproficiency.

Casestudyofacorporate-ledU.S.literacycampaign:ScholasticOpenaWorldofPossibleCampaign

ScholasticisaleadingU.S.publisherandeducationandmedia

company. Its Open a World of Possible campaign promotes

socialengagementaroundliteracyandencouragesparticipants

toshare ideasandadviceonhowtoencourage independent

reading among children. The campaign consists of four key

components:

1) Socialmedia:Advocatesforimprovedliteracythroughits#sharepossiblesocialmediacampaign.

2) Book distribution: Provides free book distributionthrough the Scholastic Possible Fund to its partner

organizations,whichhasledtothedonationofover43

millionbookssince2000.

3) Research: publicizes research on issues related tochildren’s literacy development, such as the

importanceofbooksinthehome,readingvolume,and

readingaloudtochildren.Thecampaignalsoseeksto

share information and research on independent

readingamongparentsandteachers.

4) Resources: offers free literature-based lessons thatprimaryschoolteacherscanuse.

The initiativehasgainedthesupportofcelebrities likeTaylor

Swift and Usher to help publicize their campaigns and raise

awareness on the importance of reading. Partners include

ReachOutandRead,SavetheChildren,LitWorld,KIDS,Kidsin

Need Foundation, Toys for Tots, Room to Read, BookTrust,

PajamaProgram,andTooSmalltoFail.

CaseStudy:U.S.AdultLiteracyXPRIZEThe Adult Literacy XPRIZE awards $7 million in total prizes to teams of software developers, educators,

engineers,and innovatorsthatcreatethemosteffectiveadultmobile literacy learningapplicationsoverthe

courseof48months.Finalistsmustshowthattheirprogramscanhelpadultsreadingbelowathirdgradelevel

makemajorimprovementsintheirliteracylevels(measuredbytheComprehensiveAdultStudentAssessment

System)withina12-monthperiod.Thefinalfivefinaliststesttheirsoftwarewith1,000fieldparticipantsfrom

ages18-64,dividedintonativeEnglishspeakersandnon-nativeEnglishspeakers.Thefivetopcompetitorswill

disseminatetheirappsthroughoutU.S.citiesandthecitywiththehighestdownloadrateamonglow-literate

adultswillwinanadditionalprize.

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Ø Asmallnumberofinitiativesfocusonfamilyandparentalengagementinchildren’sreadingandliteracy(SeeToyota’sCSRinitiativeinpartnershipwiththeNationalCenterforFamilyLiteracyand

Macy’sReadingisFundamentalMulticulturalLiteracyCampaignfortwoexamples).

Ø TheCSRinitiativesofotherleadingpublishingcompanies(e.g.HoughtonMifflinU.S.)partnerwitha handful of literacy-focused nonprofits and provide some form of support (often financial);

howeverdonotleadlarge-scalecampaign-typeactivities(theexceptionbeingScholastic).

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative Targetaudience(ifapplicable)

Focusarea(s)/activities

ScholasticOpenaWorldofPossibleLiteracyCampaign

Campaign Childliteracy ScholasticisaleadingU.S.publisherandeducationandmedia

company.ItsOpenaWorldofPossiblecampaignpromotessocialengagementaroundliteracyandencourages

participantstoshareideasandadviceonhowtoencourage

independentreadingamongchildren.

ReadingisFundamentalMulticulturalLiteracyCampaign

Campaign African

American,

Hispanic,and

AmericanIndian

communities

Parentandcaregivertrainingmaterialsandworkshops,

multiculturalbookcollectionsforchildren,community

partnerships,andpubliceducationcampaigns.

TheCampaignforGrade-LevelReading

Campaign ChildLiteracy Communityengagementtopromotechildrentoreachgrade-

levelreadingthroughaGrade-LevelReadingCommunities

Network;advocacyforstateandfederalinitiativestofundand

prioritizegrade-levelreading.

GeneralMills Campaign ChildLiteracy RunsaliteracycampaignrunthroughtheCheeriosfranchisetotargetchildren'slackofaccesstobooks.Thecampaign

providescerealboxoffersthatconsumerscantradein(witha

smallcontribution)forclassicchildren'sbooks;monetary

supportfornationalliteracyinitiatives;"partners"with

celebritieswhoreadaloudtokidsinhopesofinspiring

interestinreading;providesinformationforparentsonhow

toreadaloudtokidsandontheimportanceofchildliteracy.

TheNationalCenterforLiteracyEducation

Coalition Education

organization,

policyanalysts,

researchers,

foundations

WorkstoimproveliteracylearningacrosstheU.S.by

researchingandsharingbestpracticesintheliteracyfieldand

lobbiespolicymakersforimprovements.Alsoprovidesthe

LiteracyinLearningExchangetoprovidelearningresources

andconnectteamsofeducators.

NationalCenterforFamiliesLearning(PolicyandAdvocacyforFamilyLiteracy)

Advocacy Policymakers NCFLprovidessupportandstrategiestoanetworkofentities

involvedinadvancingeducationandfamilieslearning

together,includingeducators,schools,communitybased

organizations,andlibraries.ThegoalofNCFL’sPolicyand

Advocacyeffortsistodesign,assess,advocateandlobbyfor

federalandstatepoliciesthatsustainandexpandfamily

literacyservices.

AmericanLibraryAssociation

Advocacy/Outre

ach

Policymakers Advocatesforandsupportsorganizationsencouragingadult,

youth,non-nativespeaker,anddigitalliteracy.

AdultLiteracyXPRIZE

Competition Software

developers,

adultliteracy

TheAdultLiteracyXPRIZEawards$7millionintotalprizesto

teamsofsoftwaredevelopers,educators,engineers,and

innovatorsthatcreatethemosteffectiveadultmobileliteracy

learningapplicationsoverthecourseof48months.Finalists

mustshowthattheirprogramscanhelpadultsreadingbelow

24

athirdgradelevelmakemajorimprovementsintheirliteracy

levels(measuredbytheComprehensiveAdultStudent

AssessmentSystem)withina12-monthperiod.

SesameStreetEveryDayisaReadingandWritingDay

Multimedia

program

ChildLiteracy,

families,parents

Offersresourcestosupportearlychildhoodliteracy

development,withaparticularemphasisonparental

involvementandfamilyengagement.

FinancialTimes

CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy TheFinancialTimesworkscloselywithPearsononprojects

thatadvanceliteracyandeducationprojects;withan

emphasisonsustainabilityandtheenvironment.

Hachette CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy Supportsorganizationsdedicatedtopromotingliteracyandloveofreading,withafocusonnationalilliteracy.The

initiativedonatesbooksforfundraisersortostrugglingschool

districtsorlibraries.

HarperCollins CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy Donatesbookstolargecharitableliteracyorganizations;supportsorganizationstopromoteliteracy;collaborateswith

localorganizationstohoststudenteventsthatfoster

education.

HoughtonMifflin

CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy Thisinitiativeseekstospreadstudents'accesstonewideas

throughthedonationoftextbooks,children'sstories,and

adultandreferencetitles.ItpartnerswithChildren

InternationalandFirstBook.HoughtonMifflindonatesbooks

totwononprofits,whichdistributebookstoschools,

nonprofits,andcommunityinitiatives.

JetBlueSoarwithReading

CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy SoarwithReadingprovidesearlychildhoodliteracytools

inflightandonline;itsinteractivewebsitehasgames,an

activitybooklet,andreadinglists;donatesbookstolow-

incomeneighborhoodsthatlackage-appropriatebooks.

Specificactivitiesinclude:establishingvendingmachinesat

communitygatheringplacesinAnacostiaregionofDCthrough

whichchildrencanreceiveage-appropriatebooksforfree;

SMScampaignwithfunreadingtips,informationonguest

appearancesatvendingmachines,etc.

KPMG CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy KPMG'sFamilyforLiteracyinitiativeaimstocombatchildhoodilliteracy.Foritsfive-yearanniversary,itestablisheda

collectionoffiveclassicchildren'sbooksthatweredonatedto

addresslow-incomecommunities'lackofaccesstobooks.

Target CSRinitiative ChildLiteracy Providesgrantstononprofitsandschoolstohelpthemimproveliteracyandstudentachievement;sponsorsa

campaignforgrade-levelreading,whichpromotesliteracy

amongchildreninlow-incomefamilies.Theprogramlaunched

severalpilotliteracyprogramsin12schoolsinDCandLA,

workingwithAIRtomeasureimpact.InDCtheprogram

providedliteracycoachestoschools,inLAitestablished

literacyacademiesthatgroupstudentsbyreadingproficiency

levelsacrossgrades.

Toyota InpartnershipwithNationalCenterforFamilyLiteracy,theinitiativefocusedonHispanicandotherimmigrantfamilies.

Througha20-yearpartnershipwithanorganizationfocused

onfamilyliteracy,thisinitiativehasestablishedmodelliteracy

programsthroughouttheU.S.andprovidedadvertising,

planning,andmanagementexpertise.

25

UnitedKingdomSeveral literacy campaigns and research efforts exist in theUK, including ReadOn.GetOn.,National

LiteracyTrust,ReadEveryDay,andtheJustReadCampaign.

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative Targetaudience(ifapplicable)

Focusarea(s)/activities

ReadOn.GetOn.

Network/

Campaign

Childliteracy Networkoforganizationsandbusinessesthataimstohave

everychildintheUKreadingwellbyage11throughlobbying

government,spreadingtipstoparents,encouraging

volunteerstoreadtochildren,andsupportingcommunity

engagement.CampaignwithinlargerSkillsforLife

governmentinitiative.

NationalLiteracyTrust

Research/

Education

Program/

Advocacy

Campaign

Policymakers,

Childliteracy

ConductsresearchonliteracyintheUK,runscommunity

literacyandengagementprojects,campaignsforfamily

literacy,lobbiestheUKgovernmenttosupportliteracy

initiatives,promotesbestpractices,providessupportand

resourcesforschools.

ReadEveryDay

Campaign Youthliteracy,

parents,

teachers

Conductedresearchoneffectsofreadinghabits;Encourages

parentsandteacherstopromotereadingthroughactivities

likebookclubsorbookfairs.

JustReadCampaign

Advocacy Policymakers TheJustReadCampaignaimstomakeeverychildintheUKa

readerbylobbyingthegovernmenttopromoteteacher

educationandschoolpoliciesthatencouragechildrentoread.

SkillsforLife NationalCampaign/

Education

Program

Adultliteracy Providesfreeliteracy,language,andnumeracytrainingtoall

adultswithoutaLevel2qualification.

KumonUK CSRinitiative Childliteracy In2014,KumonUKpartneredwithNationalLiteracyTrustto“sharetheloveofreadingwithdisadvantagedchildrenacross

theUKtobreakthecycleofpovertyandhelpchildrenreach

theirfullpotential.”Theinitiativeisfocusedonencouraging

childrentoreadforpleasure.

RandomHouse

CSRinitiative Adultliteracy Supportscharitiesandinitiativesthatpromoteliteracyand

loveofreading.ItisafoundingmemberoftheQuickReads

initiative,anannualseriesofentertainingbookswrittenin

pared-downstylewiththeaimofreachingouttoadultsinthe

UKwithreadingdifficulties.Theinitiativealsoencourages

employeestovolunteerforliteracyinitiatives.

26

SouthAfricaSouthAfricasimilarlyhasavibrantlandscapewhenitcomestonationalliteracyinitiatives,bothrelated

tochildliteracyandadultliteracy.Itscommitmenttoadultliteracyisnotable.ThenationalKhaRhiGude

MassLiteracyCampaignrunthroughtheDepartmentofEducationhadthegoalofenablingmorethan4

million South Africans to read in one of 11 official languages by 2012 (launched in 2008). The

accompanyingAdultBasicEducationandTraining(ABET)Programmeisagovernment-runprogramthat

fundsadultlearningcentersanddistancelearningprogramstoprovidefreeliteracyeducation.

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative

Targetaudience Focusarea(s)/activities

KhaRiGudeMassLiteracyCampaign

Campaign Adultliteracy Goalofenablingmorethan4millionSouthAfricanstoread

inoneof11officiallanguagesby2012(launchedin2008);

coursesinhomes,churches,schoolsavailableatnocostto

adultswithlittleornoeducation.

AdultBasicEducationandTraining(ABET)Programme

Education

Program

Adultliteracy InstitutionalizedcounterpartofKhaRiGude;offersadult

learningcentersanddistancelearningprogramstoprovide

freeliteracyeducation.

Nal'ibaliReading-for-EnjoymentCampaign

Campaign Childliteracy TheNal’ibaliReading-for-EnjoymentCampaigncombinesa

nationalmassmediaandawarenesscampaignwithaface-

to-facementoringandsupportprogramtoestablishreading

clubsandencourageincreasedandimprovedliteracyinsix

provincesacrossSouthAfrica.

StoryPower Campaign Youthliteracy Billboardcampaigntogenerateawarenessanddiscussionabouttheimportanceofstorytellingandreadingfor

children’sreading.

AdultLiteracyandSkillsTrainingProgramme(ALSTP)

Education

Program

Adultliteracy Usinganintegratedapproachtoliteracyskillstrainingand

communitydevelopment,theprogramoffersmother-

tongueliteracy,Englishasasecondlanguage,numeracyand

theme-basedtraininginlivelihooddevelopment:income

generation,foodproduction/securityandpreservation;

healtheducation:HIV/AIDSawarenessandprevention,

childcare,home-basedcareforthesick,reproductive

health,nutritionandsanitation;civic/lifeskillseducation:

humanrights,genderrelations,conflictmanagementand

resolution;andsustainableenvironmentalconservation.

ReadingandWritingforPleasure

Outreach Youthliteracy Thespecificaimoftheprogramistoinspireyoungpeople

toreadandtogrowacultureofreadingandwriting.To

promoteliteracyamongSouthAfricanyouth,FundZa

focusesonthepowerofreadingforpleasure,ratherthan

oncurriculum-basedacademicsupport.

27

BrazilOnlyamoderatenumberofliteracycampaignsandinitiativeswereidentifiedinBrazil.

ChinaOnlyonenationalliteracycampaignwasidentifiedinChina(thoughthedearthofresultsmaybeinpart

duetothelanguagebarrierencounteredduringoursearch).

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative

Targetaudience Focusarea(s)/activities

LiterateBrazilProgram(ProgramaBrasilAlfabetizado-PBA)

Project/

Campaign

Illiterateyouth/adults;

teachers;local

governments

TheprimaryaimofLBPistocreateliteracylearning

opportunitiesforallyouthandadultswhohadnoaccessto

orwhofailedtocompletebasicprimaryeducation(i.e.the

first8yearsofschooling).Theprogramobjectivesareto:

combatilliteracybysettingupliteracycoursesforyouth,

adultsandtheelderly;provideinitialandongoingtraining

forliteracyteachers;supportliteracyprogramsthroughthe

provisionofpedagogicalmaterials,literatureandstipends

forliteracyteachers;strengthenliteracyasaprioritypublic

policyatthestateandmunicipallevels;promotethe

continuationoflearningbyestablishinglinksbetweenBrazil

Alfabetizado,youthandadultlearning,andbasiceducation;

advanceeducationasameansofachievingthegoalslaid

downintheFederalGovernment’ssocialpolicies;and

empowersociallydisadvantagedpeopleandpromotetheir

inclusioninmainstreamsocietythroughliteracytraining.

AlfabetizaçãoSolidária

Education

Program

Youthandadult

literacy

AlfaSolconcentratesonthepoorestruralandurban

communitieswiththehighestilliteracyrates.Ithas

mobilizedanefficientnetworkofpartners,consistingof

internationalorganizationsincludingNGOs,universities,

privateenterprises,governmentinstitutionsandprivate

citizens.Thisnetworkofpartnerscontributestothe

sustainabilityoftheprogramthroughgenerousfinancial

andtechnicalcontributionsaswellasacapacitytomobilize

youthandadultlearners.Asaresult,AlfaSolisnowawell-

establishedorganizationandhasmanagedtoreachoutto

overfivemillionyouthandadultlearnersaroundthe

countrysinceitsinception.

TweetforaRead

Education

technology/

SocialMedia

campaign

Adultliteracy Distributeselectricbookmarkerthattweetsreadersa

reminderwhentheyhaven'treadtheirbookinthestyleof

theauthorofthebook.

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative

Targetaudience Focusarea(s)/activities

GuidanceOpiniononFurtherEnhancingLiteracy

National

Campaign/

Education

Program

Adult,minority,and

women’sliteracy

Aimstoimproveliteracyamongadultilliterates,minority

populations,andwomenbyprovidingliteracyandbasic

educationclassesthroughlocalgovernment,increasing

fundingforliteracyinitiatives,andconductingresearchand

trainingforliteracyinruralareas.

28

IndiaOnlyonenationalliteracycampaignwasidentifiedinIndia(thoughliteracyprogramminginIndiaappears

tobestrong).

Nameofinitiative

Typeofinitiative

Targetaudience Focusarea(s)/activities

SaaksharBharatMission

National

Campaign/

Education

Program

Women'sliteracy,

ruraleducation,youth

literacy

Themissionaimstopromoteandstrengthenadult

learning,reachingouttothosewhomissedthe

opportunitytoaccessorcompleteformal

education.Aswellasbasicliteracy/basiceducation,it

coversvocationaleducationandskilldevelopment,

appliedscience,andsports.SaaksharBharatisdescribed

asa‘people’sprogram’,withthegovernmentactingas

facilitatorandresourceprovider,butworkingclosely

withlocalcommunitiestotailortheprogramtotheir

needs.Therehasbeenanation-widedrivetopublicize

thisprogram,mostnotablyintherecentpromotional

videowhichfeaturesnationalcelebritiesperforminga

songabouttheMissionwithaBollywoodtheme.

29

High-needliteracycountriesDespite thesecountries facing themostcritical literacychallenges, therewere few literacycampaigns

and/ornationalinitiativesinthecountrieswiththehighestilliteracyrates(perhapsunsurprisinglyasthese

countrieshavelowergovernmentcapacityand/orcommitmenttoimprovingliteracy).Nonationalliteracy

campaignswereidentifiedinBenin,Mali,orChad,thoughMaliishometoacitizen-ledassessmentknown

asBeekunko.13Whilethesecountriesmaylacknationalliteracyinitiatives,thisdoesnotnecessarilymean

theylackliteracy-relatedprogramming.SeveralINGOsfocusalotoftheirworkinsomeofthesecountries

(Afghanistan,forexample).

13Seehttp://www.omaes.org/formoreinformation.

Nameofinitiative Typeofinitiative

Targetaudience

Country Focusarea(s)/activities

NationalLiteracyActionPlan(NLAP)

National

Campaign/

Education

Program

Adult,rural,

minority,and

women’s

literacy

Afghanistan AimstoaccomplishEducationforAllgoals

throughLIFEframeworkasastrategic

frameworkforgovernment,donors,and

NGOs.Developstrainingandliteracycourses

tobeimplementedonanationalleveland

conductsmonitoring,evaluation,and

coordinationofliteracyinitiativesthroughout

thecountry.

Programmenationaled’accélerationdel’alphabétisation(PRONAA)

National

Campaign/

Education

Program

Adultand

youthliteracy

BurkinaFaso Nationalcampaigntoimproveliteracyratein

BurkinaFaso.

BurkinabéResponsetoImproveGirls'ChancestoSucceed(BRIGHT)I&IIProgram

National

Education

Program

Girl’sliteracy BurkinaFaso Improvedgirl’sliteracybyconstructinggirl’s

schools,promotingcommunityengagement,

adultliteracytraining,andcapacitybuilding

forlocalliteracypartners.

Women'sFunctionalLiteracyProgramme

National

Education

Program

Women's

Literacy

Niger Contributestocurriculumdevelopment,

literacyinitiatives,andlegislationwhich

improvelevelsofyouthandadultliteracy.It

supervisestheimplementationofadult

educationprograms,organizesliteracy

awareness-raisingcampaignsandsupports

thepromotionofnationallanguages.Itis

underthisdirectoratethattheWomen’s

FunctionalLiteracyProgrammehasbeen

developedandimplemented.

Women'sStruggleAgainstPovertyThroughLearningHowToRead

Campaign/

National

Education

Program

Women's

Literacy

Guinea Campaigntopromoteculture,literacy,and

jobtrainingoverthreeyearsforover30,000

womeninGuinea

30

Gapsintheliteracylandscape

Having identified literacy initiatives at the global, regional, and national level, this section analyzes

informationgatheredthroughthelandscapeanalysisandinsightssharedduringkeyinformantinterview

tohighlightgapswithintheliteracylandscape.

GloballevelThereareanumberoftopicareasandactivitiesthatcouldbenefitfromincreasedattentionandresources

fromgloballiteracyinitiatives:

Topicareaswithlittleattentionatthegloballevel

Ø Thelandscaperevealedonlyoneinitiativededicatedtopromotingadultliteracyatthegloballevel(ProLiteracy).TheinterviewedstakeholderfromProLiteracynotedthatthisisakeygapinmany countries: “the majority of funding, especially from governments and ministries ofeducation, tends to be focused on child literacy. There is somuch research that shows that amother’slevelofeducationhasadirectimpactonthelevelofeducationforherchildren.I’dliketoseemoreemphasisonthis,andmoreofafocusonwomen’sandmothers’literacyandadultliteracy.Womenandparentswilldeterminewhethertheirchildrengotoschool.Thereisverylittletalk in theMDGsandSDGsonmothers’education,parents’education,andadulteducation ingeneral” (stakeholder interview). Not only is global programming for adult literacy limited,funding to conduct advocacy for adult literacy globally is even more limited (stakeholderinterview).

Ø AllChildrenReadingandProLiteracyare leadingtheway intermsoffocusingonparentalandcommunityengagementinchildren’sliteracy,butthisissimilarlyanareawheremorecouldbedone (it is not the sole focus of either organization, rather one aspect of their activities),

particularlygiventhegrowingevidencebasesupportingthisapproach(seeSectionIII).

Ø While the landscape identified All Children Reading as one initiative focused on literacy forchildrenwithdisabilities,thisremainsanareawheregloballiteracyinitiativesarecurrentlynotveryactive.

Ø Initiativesfocusedonbehaviorchangestrategiesasrelatedtoliteracyarelimitedatthegloballevel(thoughseveralnationalinitiativesexistonthistopic).

Ø Initiatives focused on teacher training relating to literacy are limited at the global level.Additionally,whilesignificantattentionhasbeengivingtodevelopingmother-tongueresources

for students, little attention has been given to providing language-appropriate resources forteachers to allow them to continue their professional development on an ongoing basis(stakeholderinterview).

Ø One key stakeholder heavily engaged in the global literacy sector highlighted a number ofadditionaltopicareaswheremoreresearchandresourcesareneeded:

o Second and third language acquisition, which remains a critically important issue incountries where children are taught in multiple languages (i.e. where the national

languagediffersfrommother-tonguelanguages):“thereisnotalotofknow-howabouthowsecondandthird language learning isbestdone. Itwillprobablytakeaconcerted

31

informationalcampaigntohelpgovernmentsgettheirheadsaroundwaysinwhichthiscanbedone”(stakeholderinterview).

o Understandingandsupportingbestpracticesrelatedtoliteracyinnon-romanalphabetlanguages.

o Ensuring comprehension, not just literacy:many researchers and stakeholders in theliteracyfieldremainconcernedthatanover-emphasisisplacedonliteracybutnotenough

oncomprehension,acommonviewpointbeing,"sowhatifchildrencande-codeifthey

donotunderstandwhattheyarereading”(stakeholderinterview).

o Influencingpolicytofosterimprovedliteracy:someresearchersarguethattheevidencebaseisquiterobustintermsofknowingwhatittakestoteachchildrentoread,butwhat

isnotwell-understoodishowtocreatethepoliciestoenablethis.

o Understandinghowto fosterabottom-upapproach to literacy:Global initiativesare“fairlygoodat settinggoalsandoutcomesatnational levels.Butwedon’tknowa lotabouthowtosetgoalsataclassroomandcommunitylevelthatwillgetustothenationalgoalsweset”(stakeholderinterview).

Activitiesthatarelackingatthegloballevel

§ Thelandscaperevealedthatthereiscurrentlyalackofglobaladvocacycampaignsforliteracy.Themajorityofglobalinitiativesarefocusedonmorespecificactivities(e.g.grant-makingthrough

competitions, fostering a communityof practice amongexisting stakeholders, conducting and

disseminatingresearch),andglobaladvocacycampaignsthathavefocusedonliteracyhavesince

ended(e.g.UnitedNationsLiteracyDecadeandGlobalCampaignforEducation’sLiteracyforAll

Campaign).WhileScholasticrunsalarge-scalesocialmediacampaignintheU.S.,theredoesnotappeartobeasimilarglobalsocialmediacampaignforliteracy.Onekeystakeholderwentasfarastosaythatliteracywasa“hottopic”forcampaignsinthe1990s,buthasrecentlyattracted

lesspublicattention(stakeholderinterview).

§ Therearenocorporate-drivencampaignsorinitiativesforliteracyatthegloballevel.Allliteracyinitiatives at the global level were driven by the non-profit sectors (NGOs or bilateral and

multilateralagencies).

§ PriortothedevelopmentofthenewGlobalReadingNetwork,therewasnoinitiativededicatedtoconsolidatinganddisseminatingresearchonliteracyingeneralfromonecentralizedlocation,even though thereweremany initiatives toconduct research. It seems likely that theGlobalReadingNetworkwillfillthisgap.

§ Evidenceisstillseentobegenerallylackingacrossthegloballiteracyfield(seeSectionIIIformore information). Several interviewed stakeholders spoke of the need for more robustmonitoringandevaluation.ThisisthereasonwhyAllChildrenReadingsignificantlyreduceditsnumberofgranteesinthesecondround,tobeabletoprovidethemwithmorecapacitybuilding

supportparticularlyaroundmonitoringandevaluation(stakeholderinterview).

§ Several interviewed stakeholders noted that while education technology is attractingconsiderableinterestandfunding,thereisstillasignificantlackofevidenceonwhattypesoftechnologyinterventionsactuallyworktoimproveliteracy.

32

§ Twointerviewedstakeholdersalsomentionedtheneedforfurtherfundingandsupporttoscale-upsuccessfulinnovations.Whilethereareendless“initiations”ofliteracymodels,thepercentageofthosewhichsuccessfullyscaleremainslimited.Thiswasparticularlyemphasizedinthecaseof

mobiletechnologyliteracyinterventions(stakeholderinterview).

§ No landscaped initiative focused on coordinating global volunteer opportunities related toliteracy.

RegionallevelThislandscapeanalysishasfoundregionalliteracyinitiativestobelimitedinnumber.Ageneralgapexistsattheregionallevelwhencomparedtoactivitiesandresourcestargetedattheglobalandcountrylevels.Onereason for thismaybethecost implicationsof regional initiatives,particularly thosethatseekto

convenekeystakeholders.ForexampleILA,whichdoesorganizeregionalliteracyconferencesonaregular

basis,notedthatthecostsofbringingtogetherstakeholdersfromvariouscountriesinoneregion(Africa,

forexample)canbeprohibitivebothtoparticipantsandorganizers,whichmayexplainwhytherearenot

moresuchinitiatives.

NationallevelAfewcriticalgapsatthenationallevelwerealsoidentified:

Ø AmongPearson’sprioritymarkets,theU.S.,UK,andSouthAfricaappeartohaveamoreactiveliteracylandscapeintermsofnationalinitiatives(campaigns,researchnetworks,etc.);IndiaandChinaslightlyless-so(thisdoesnotapplytoliteracyinterventions,whereIndia’slandscape