NSSN - Next Step School Network

Myanmar was in a learning crisis even before Covid-19 and the Military Coup. In the 2019-2020 academic year, out of 10 million students who enrolled in Myanmar's education system, just over 4 million were able to attend secondary education. Only 1 million were able to attend higher education and vocational education. The rest of the 5 million were unable to finish their secondary education. — This is truly shocking.  

At present, arms conflict and natural disasters has intensified across many new parts of the globe, leaving people traumatised and displaced. The situation is forcing increasing numbers of children and youth to flee for their lives, sometimes taking shelter in neighbouring communities, and other times in jungles and forests with very limited access to education. — Formal education is seriously disrupted. This has put an extremely large number of students at risk especially those from vulnerable households, ethnic and rural areas. Also, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), it is estimated that 37% of world's population (2.9 billion people) has never used the Internet.

We are trying to address these learning losses globally, and to provide flexible and accessible education for underprivileged and unconnected people, alongside other emergency aids and development assistant to give them better understanding of themselves, and to reduce their vulnerability, poverty and to build better futures for them and their nations.

That is why we are very motivated and eager to establish the "Next Step School Network" and "innovative distribution learning-kits" which will be the Very First Accessible & Flexible Education Platform with world-class quality education which will be accessible for 2.9 billion of unconnected people and underserved communities.

We will turn existing Basic Education Services in both Public & Private sectors such as GED, IGCSE, GCSE, HND, TOFEL, IELTS, Practical Life Skills, Certificate Programs, Diploma Programs into offline interactive digital versions that are suited to unconnected youth and underserved communities.We will develop customised partnership agreements with digital education service providers and exam board organisations. 

Educational materials and lessons will be designed individual education service provider and ourself for learners of all ages – including those outside the formal classroom settings. – They are designed in a way that students with little foundation can successfully continue their future studies. The digitalised contents will be uploaded to the E-Learning website and also to our own local data server. Any user can access, download and study the necessary lessons to his/her computer, laptop or smartphone as long as there is internet access.

And for those communities (Group of student, community schools, private and public colleges, university) who don’t have easy and no access to the internet or electricity, we have created an innovative distribution product kits called “The Next Step School Bag”.  – This will contain a laptop, tablets preloaded with educational software, a flexible solar panel, a solar inverter with battery and a hotspot modem. – Any tablet or smartphone can be connected to the laptops locally (via intranet/ LAN), enabling teachers to deliver educational contents to students any time without needing global internet access. Also, all the components of the next step school bag will be able to get charged simultaneously from a solar power source even while the bag is being carried or in motion. 

And for individual who don’t have easy and no access to the internet or electricity, we have created an innovative distribution product kit called “Wisdom Box”.  – This will contain preloaded interactive educational contents. – Any computer, tablet or smartphone with Wifi technology can be connected to the “Wisdom Box” locally, enabling educational service provider to deliver educational contents or program to students any time without needing global internet access. Also, all “Wisdom Box” will be able to use with AC power or simple phone power bank or battery or simultaneously from a solar power source.

We will provide necessary training and maintenance service  – To deploy the The Next Step School Bags and Wisdom Box –  We will recruit and train Trainers: teachers, volunteers and community leaders for Next Step School Network CSR Program and qualified trainers will then deliver the next step school bags to IDP camps, refugee camps and the remote conflicted areas. The benefits of The Next Step School Bag and Wisdom Box will truly allow us (Local or International education service provider) to reach the most remote communities since it has great distribution capabilities, great flexibility including ease of use in emergencies.

In Myanmar, while a high socio-economic status is overprovided by the formerly elitist universities and private education providers, there is a very few education access for the 9 million students from poor, the-new-poor and vulnerable households. Women and young people in ethnic and rural areas faced great challenges in accessing quality education system. 

Lack of a low-cost or free, accessible and flexible education system is an important problem because low income is traditionally considered as one of the main barriers for reaching higher education, or being able to enrol in schools. There is an another reason for students from ethnic and rural area that education providers in Myanmar led to the ‘double injustice’ that allowed most privileged students from urban to enrol in free and this widen the social and economic gap between groups in societies (Typically, this refers to race (ethnicity), sex, religion, income, and place of residence).

According to UN, as of 14 March 2022, almost 900,000 people remained displaced and 6.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance due to military’s indiscriminate attacks across the country. It is undeniable that survival is a top priority for families living in emergencies. However in the face of prolonged emergencies, access to education for children and youth becomes one of the top priorities and it is also one of the most neglected needs. 

In these modern times, mostly there is no problem using digital technology for educational services and online platforms, however, in Myanmar and some other countries, for regions that do not have stable internet access and electricity, it is not possible for online solutions to deliver the desired impact.

We are proud to say that not only NSSN is one of our first new steps towards empowering 17 million youth in Myanmar but also a great contribution in response to tackle the issue and to help and support the community in effective ways towards the  In-equility in education. 

I was born and raised most of my life in Yangon but during my childhood summer vacations, I made frequent visits to my grandparents' hometowns in central Myanmar. I found that there were also shockingly no schools in every village. So most children there did not have access to basic education. Seeing that firsthand, I knew I wanted to make a difference that impacts the communities.

Our team is made up of youth from various backgrounds. However, We all have the same visions and dreams to create a powerful Education Network that would make a great impact on youth. With our hard work and dedication, in February 2021, our team won a grant for our proposed project called  “Real Money Real Youth (RMRY)” from the U.S government, organised by (YSEALI). It was an unforgettable moment for all of us, knowing we are one step closer to our dream.

We are constantly looking to take on new approaches to add more valuable life skills and educational courses to our Education Network and be able to expand. Our value is uniquely poised to create social impact while delivering business value to all stakeholders of the livelihood eco-system.

I strongly believe that this is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and “double injustice” in Education, narrowing down the social and economic gaps between various groups and classes in our society.

It’s Because i believe it will be very useful to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from the Solve program to our social enterprise. We are an “early stage social enterprise” but we thrive to create multiple income form investors, donors, customers and granters. — We are preparing strong business plan, public relation and pitching plan for the investors.

Our Biggest challenge is financial sustainability and public relation. We need to have a stable income and capital investment. We also faces challenge in delivering our products and services to our customers due to on-going political issues in the country. We also need guidance and mentorship for our stated solution and be able to work together with all solver teams and partners to create a linkage between our value and our community.


Our innovative solution will provide linkage between world-class educational service providers and unconnected people. It will create a new marketplace for education service providers and underserved people by connecting opportunities all over the world. Expending this solution into global skill will greatly impact all stakeholders in the education industry. 

This would significantly improve the social standards of underserved people by providing quality education, their chance of literacy’s education and getting high pay jobs. On the side of University and education service providers, they will get the new audiences, market share and more revenue without using any capital investment. 

Our impact goal is to increase access to quality education by providing free, flexible and accessible educational contents, online platform/app and innovative distribution technology - smartphone & tablet-based teaching for youth in emergency to reduce their vulnerability to cope with the mental, physical and social impact of an emergency, and to continue their unfinished education and to equip with practical life skills.

By the end of the project, we expect at least 1200 students to be taught, and create partnerships network with at least 3 local educational institutions and international MOOC providers.

The project has 2 main objectives:

1) First Objective: Improving Quality and Increasing Inclusion in Education in Emergency 

This will be delivered through innovative distribution technology and has the following two subcomponents: 

(i) Strengthening public and stakeholders awareness of education in Emergency.

(ii) Enhancing academic (free secondary education services aligned with GED) and vocational/life skills of teachers, community leaders and volunteers from vulnerable, rural and ethnic areas.

2) Second Objective: Operational Support for Our Four Stated Regions & Partnerships

This includes technical assistance and deploying of technical goods (both softwares and hardwares) to local communities (IDPs Camps/Refugee Camps/ Libraries) benefiting a total number of 1200 students, and moving towards partnerships with local communities.

We will Make sure that

—Students having received an Local Private University or International Organization   approved certificate for completing an alternative education program 

—Migrant and displaced youth from ethnic and rural areas having enrolled in life skills, basic education and vocational education benefiting from the Next Step School Project.

—Students having enrolled in education services delivered by ethnic education and Monastic education (refers to a nation-wide network of schools run by monasteries) providers

—Teachers having completed in-service training for Next Step School-in-a-Bag and personalized classroom creation.

—Career Exploration Training and Consulting Program for Children and youth from unconnected communities to enroll in Next Step School Network Programs.

By implementing these will be 

— Re-engage out of school students and unconnected people from all over the world to quality education (i.e. MIT Grade Education), they will also be able to have a better understanding of themselves, and to reduce their vulnerability, poverty, and secure a job and higher income to build better futures for them and their nations — This will significantly increase their living standards. 

— an effective investment for ourselves to achieve global goals.

— create a long term positive income effect and it will continue to accelerate.

— the key to unlocking all social and economic goals like the environment, gender equality and anti-racism, etc.

—  accessible quality education for unconnected people.

Our solution uses LMS Website and apps with data efficient technology, automated call centre service, interactive digital content creation software, self-hosted web server and solar power technology.

we are motivated and eager to create the education system which would be accessible to all young people, regardless of gender, race, religion, or their locations.

With our hard work and dedication, in February 2021, our team won a grant for our proposed project called  “Real Money Real Youth (RMRY)” from the U.S government, organised by (YSEALI Seeds for the future 2021 - USD 15,000). It was an unforgettable moment for all of us, knowing we are one step closer to our dream.