Equal Start Education

Refugee Children Out of School: Barriers to Quality Education

Refugee children worldwide face a bleak educational reality. An estimated 3.7 million are out of school, representing a significant portion of the global refugee population (UNHCR, 2024). In Malaysia, the situation is particularly dire. Refugee children are barred from attending government schools, forcing them to rely on informal Community Learning Centers (CLCs). This translates to a staggering 75% of school-aged refugee children in Penang being out of school (UNHCR, 2024) – a stark contrast to the national average of just 1% for Malaysian children (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2021).

Compounding Challenges:

Including limited financial resources, several factors further hinder refugee children's education:

• Scarcity of Available CLCs: In Penang, there are only 12 CLCs registered with the UNHCR that have a total enrollment of 800 students for a population of 4,000 school aged refugee children. (UNHCR 2024)
• Limited Teacher Capacity:
  • Shortage of Qualified Teachers: Many CLCs face challenges in hiring experienced, degreed educators due to financial constraints. Consequently, they often rely on English-speaking non-educators or volunteers with limited formal training in pedagogy and English language instruction.
  • Additionally, a stigma associated with working with refugee children further restricts the pool of qualified teachers. This combination makes it challenging to find enough traditionally qualified educators, non-educators and volunteers to meet the needs of all out-of-school refugee children in Penang and Peninsular Malaysia.
• Community Teachers' Limitations: Teachers from the refugee community are willing to help, yet often have limited formal education, English proficiency, and classroom management skill, hindering effective communication and curriculum delivery.
• Significant Learning Gaps: Many refugee children have missed significant schooling. It's common for children aged 8-11 to be new students with no prior or very little schooling experience. These overage learners require customized curriculum and accelerated learning strategies to bridge the gaps.
• Impact of Trauma: Research by Souers and Hall (2016) suggests that childhood trauma can disrupt brain development processes, impacting memory, mood, social skills, and the ability to learn. This creates an additional hurdle for refugee children who may be experiencing persistent trauma.
• Inadequate Learning Materials:
  • Limited Suitability: CLCs often use locally produced workbooks that may not effectively address the specific needs of refugee children, such as English language acquisition, memory enhancement, accelerated learning, and individualized learning paces.
  • Focus on Practice, Not Teaching: Affordable learning apps are primarily designed for practice, not for comprehensive teaching and skill development.
• The Cycle of Poverty: Forced displacement often leaves refugee families with limited education and few transferable skills. In Malaysia, their lack of legal work authorization restricts them to precarious "3D jobs" (dirty, difficult, dangerous) for survival. This persistent poverty creates a cycle of disadvantage, limiting access to quality resources and reinforcing educational inequities for their children. Many refugee parents themselves have limited or interrupted education, hindering their ability to support their children's learning at home.

To overcome the challenges faced by refugee learners, we propose these innovative program objectives:

1.     Language Acquisition: Develop engaging ESL learning materials and apps to equip children with core English language skills for academic success.

2.     Holistic Development: Cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills through engaging and effective instruction aligned with national curriculum frameworks.

3.     Bridging the Gap: Develop targeted strategies and materials to meet the needs of overage learners, accelerating their learning journey.

4.     Technology-Enhanced Learning: Integrate EdTech tools strategically to improve program quality, personalize learning experiences, and enhance learning outcomes for refugee children.

5.     Digital Literacy: Foster essential computer skills and safe online navigation practices, enabling students to leverage digital tools for communication, learning, and self-expression.

6.     Teacher Capacity Building: Equip teachers, including those with limited qualification and experience, with the necessary skills to deliver effective instruction through comprehensive mentoring, training and ongoing support. This includes English language instruction, trauma-informed teaching, EdTech integration, data analysis, and student needs assessment.

SOLUTIONS

Building a Responsive Curriculum:

1.     Tailored Learning Platform: Develop a user-friendly learning platform that caters to the specific needs of refugee children, including building essential executive function skills: proficiency in adaptable thinking, planning, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, and organization. This platform should be easy to implement for teachers and volunteers with varying experience and education levels.

2.     AI-Powered Content Creation: Utilize content creation tools, powered by AI, to assist educators to develop engaging multimedia lessons (text, images, audio, video) tailored to meet the special needs and pace of refugee learners.

Personalized Learning with EdTech:

1.     Adaptive Learning Apps: Integrate adaptive learning apps that assess a student's current skill level and adjust the learning path accordingly. This personalized approach efficiently addresses learning gaps, accelerates learning outcomes, and keeps overage learners engaged; while assisting teachers and volunteers with varying experience and education levels.

2.     Offline Mobile Learning: Develop mobile apps with downloadable lessons and activities to enhance learning continuity at home, even in areas with limited internet connectivity. In the future this could be expanded to children without access to CLCs.

3.     Gamified Learning: Utilize gamified learning apps, to make learning core concepts fun and interactive, boosting student engagement.

Empowering Self-Expression and Collaboration:

1.     Digital Storytelling Tools: Encourage students to create digital stories using multimedia tools and online platforms. allowing them to express their experiences and promoting social-emotional learning.

Enhancing Access to Quality Resources:

1.     Curated Online Resources: Provide access to high-quality online educational resources like National Geographic Kids or ReadWorks, offering curated and engaging educational content aligned with learning objectives.

2.     Online Collaboration Tools: Utilize online collaboration tools like Google Classroom to facilitate communication and interaction between students and teachers.

Ongoing Teacher Support:

1.     Trauma-Informed Teaching: Offer online professional development courses on using EdTech tools to create trauma-informed and culturally responsive lessons, equipping teachers and volunteers with the skills to effectively support students who may have experienced trauma.

2.     Online Learning Communities: Establish online communities and forums for teachers and volunteers to share best practices.

We are working directly with refugee children Penang, Malaysia. Most of the refugee families are from war-torn Myanmar, but they could just as well be from many other war-torn regions in the world.

Living in the shadows in Penang, most refugee children can be found wandering the streets, when they should be in school. Their families live in low-cost flats, with several families per flat, or rundown wooden houses, struggling to survive. They dream of learning, but there are no schools nearby. Their parents, often uneducated, can't provide the education they need.

A few refugee communities have set up their own makeshift schools, desperately hoping to give their children a chance for a better future. English skills are desired to bring new opportunities if they are resettled to a third country. These schools are often staffed by refugee teachers, who themselves may have little English skill or education.

Despite the challenges, several NGOs in Malaysia are trying to make a difference. But money and qualified teachers are hard to come by, and informal learning centre capacity is insufficient, thus the very low enrollment rate. The government doesn't lend a hand, so everything relies on the meager wages of the families, supplemented by donations and grants.

The kids themselves have tough stories. Many carry the weight of trauma, were not stimulated as toddlers, and missed early education. Some have never been to school before, joining us at 8, 9, or even 12 years old, needing to catch up fast. We're not just teaching subjects; we're teaching them how to learn, patiently guiding them through each breakthrough moment.

At Equal Start Education, we take every child as they are. No matter their age, we start them at their appropriate level and help them grow, each at their own pace. The children are in a loving, nurturing environment to stimulate their thinking and creativity. Most begin at kindergarten level, even if they're significantly older. Every child learns differently, yet we also make sure they learn to socialize together in a positive way.

Closing the huge gaps in the student's learning is vital. We must work with the willing teachers and volunteers we can find, mentoring and supporting them with the tools they need to be effective. We're determined to help these kids thrive in today's digitally interconnected world.

That's where Ed-Tech comes in. With carefully selected and designed apps, that are mastery based, gamified, with integrated assessment and adaptive learning, we can create a learning environment that addresses our limitations. Ed-Tech helps us create specialized curriculum and learning materials that suit each child's needs and build knowledge and skills that will serve them well in life—all in English, the language of opportunity.

Our mission goes beyond helping refugee kids in Malaysia, or creating another new app. It's about creating a learning ecosystem to meet the special needs of refugee children everywhere, combining compassion with innovation.

At Equal Start Education we embody a spirit of collaboration and community empowerment. Our diverse team of over 25 members reflects the cultural richness of our local environment, comprising international members, local Malaysians, and most importantly, members from the refugee community itself. Our leaders, program developers, teachers, and volunteers all share first-hand understanding and empathy of the challenges faced by refugee families.

Our journey began during the COVID-19 crisis when we provided emergency aid to refugee communities. Through direct engagement with refugee leaders, we learned their most pressing concern: the education of their children. Fewer than 25% of refugee children in Penang have access to any form of schooling. We were determined to find a workable solution.

Central to our approach was the meaningful involvement of the community. We conducted extensive visits to learning centers, listening attentively to the struggles of teachers and leaders, and observing the limitations of existing approaches. It became clear that scaling quality education for all out-of-school children in Malaysia required a transformative solution.

We embraced technology as a cornerstone but understood that it alone wouldn't suffice. Thus, we established a diverse exploratory group, collaborated with solution providers locally and internationally, and forged strong partnerships with learning centers nationwide. Our UNHCR registration as an education provider underscores our commitment to this endeavor.

Three years ago, we initiated our pilot program, introducing Kit Kit School, and X-Prize award-winning learning app to a local refugee learning center. While the children's engagement was encouraging, we quickly realized the indispensable role of teachers in guiding learning and addressing gaps. EdTech, therefore, became a tool to empower teachers.

Two years ago, we took the next step by establishing our own learning centers. This daily immersion in the lives of our students has proven invaluable, deepening our understanding of their backgrounds, home environments, and unique challenges. This firsthand experience informs our ongoing development and refinement of learning apps and materials tailored specifically to their needs, recognizing that generic solutions fall short. It underscores our unwavering determination to crafting a solution that authentically addresses the multifaceted challenges of educating refugee children.

Since 2020, we've embarked on a comprehensive journey of conceptualizing, developing, evaluating, and refining our solution. In the initial year, our focus was on gaining a deep understanding of the refugee education landscape. We conducted interviews with community leaders, visited existing refugee learning centers, and collaborated closely with the UNHCR education team to comprehend the current challenges and limitations.

We established a diverse working group comprising industry professionals, community leaders, degreed teachers with international experience, foreign NGO workers, and a refugee school lead teacher. Together, we brainstormed innovative solutions integrating EdTech into the classroom.

In the second year, we started our pilot program, where we introduced an Kit Kit School into an existing refugee learning center. This app, teaching English and Math (in English), was well-received by the children. Additionally, we utilized workbooks developed by a reputable refugee school to complement app learning activities, aligning closely with the kindergarten curriculum.

Notably, our observations revealed significant challenges, such as the limited English proficiency of refugee teachers leading the class and the scarcity of teachers for Year 1-6 students. We identified substantial learning gaps among older students, prompting us to implement EdTech to bridge these disparities.

Despite interruptions due to COVID-19 outbreaks and national school closures, our pilot demonstrated promising outcomes. Older students continued their studies remotely using Google Classroom and learning apps, resulting in varied learning outcomes depending on online engagement levels.

Encouraged by the pilot's success, we planned to establish our own community learning centers post-lockdown, where we could exert full control over the learning environment and curriculum. Over the past two years, we've experimented with various English and Math apps, workbooks, and theme-based learning activities we call Creativity. We integrate SEL and critical based thinking into our learning activities.

The results are promising, with all children experiencing accelerated learning outcomes. On average our older students are completing 2 years of study per year, keeping in mind that they generally start at kindergarten level. Last September we accepted an 11 year old girl who had never been to school, and now 6 months later she can speak, read and write basic English.

We have received positive feedback of school performance from our parents committee and in parents meetings and events. This is indicated by the steady increase in enrollment, primarily driven by word of mouth. Families are starting to relocate to live nearby our learning centers.

Currently, we serve 90 students across two learning centers, with enrollment steadily increasing. While we acknowledge the progress made, we remain in a pilot phase, continuously learning and experimenting to refine our approach. We are preparing for slow program expansion, opening our third learning center in a few months, which will soon double our enrollment.

Being community based, we have the opportunity to meet other needs in the community.  We’ve invited other NGOs to provide free dental care, eye examinations, and medical screening. Our students were invited to attend a science fair at Penang Science Cluster. We continue to expand our connections and reach.

Being a part of the program could benefit our solution and program in several ways:

1.     Access to Resources: Participation in the program could grant us access to valuable resources, including funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities. These resources could support the scaling up of our solution, enabling us to reach more refugee children and expand our impact.

2.     Collaboration Opportunities: Participating in the program would allow us to collaborate with other solution providers, share best practices, and learn from peers, fostering innovation and collective impact. Additionally, it could help us connect with app developers and content creators who share our passion to create learning apps and materials for refugee education.

3.     Visibility and Exposure: The platform offers significant visibility and exposure to our solution, potentially attracting interest from donors, investors, and partners. This increased visibility could facilitate partnerships and collaborations that further accelerate the growth and sustainability of our initiative.

4.     Feedback and Learning: The application process itself provides an opportunity for feedback and learning. Engaging with the Solve community and receiving feedback from experts can help us refine and improve our solution, ensuring it is more effective and impactful.

5.     Validation and Recognition: Being selected for the Challenge would validate the effectiveness and innovation of our solution in addressing educational challenges for refugee children. It would provide external recognition and credibility, enhancing our reputation within the educational and humanitarian sectors.

Our solution stands out for its innovative blend of technology, personalized learning, community engagement, and holistic support, all aimed at empowering refugee children to bridge any learning gaps and reach their full potential despite adversity.

Blended Learning Model: We combine EdTech tools like learning apps with traditional teacher-led instruction and engaging activities, creating a well-rounded learning experience that caters to different learning styles and bridges potential teacher skill gaps. The selected learning apps cover subjects such as English, Math, SEL, and critical thinking, providing interactive and engaging content that resonates with students.

Tailored Curriculum: Our approach focuses on the unique needs of each child, allowing them to learn at their own pace. We accept refugee children just as they are and tailor the curriculum to address their specific challenges. This customization ensures that educational materials are relevant, accessible, and effective in addressing individual learning gaps and experiences.

Focused Intervention: In our classes, half of the students use educational apps while the others work on workbook exercises. This allows our teachers and volunteers to provide individual support, addressing learning gaps. For instance, if a group struggles with a topic like telling time, we use platforms like Kahoot! for small-group instruction.

Holistic Approach: In addition to traditional academic subjects, our program integrates social-emotional learning (SEL) and critical thinking skills into the curriculum. This holistic approach recognizes the importance of nurturing well-rounded individuals who can thrive in various aspects of life, not just academically.

Addressing Teacher Needs: We understand the importance of supporting teachers, even those with limited English proficiency. By providing them with appropriate tools and resources through EdTech, we empower them to deliver quality education. Leveraging the latest technology tools, such as AI, enhances content creation and delivery.

Community Engagement: Throughout the process, we actively seek input and collaboration from parents, the refugee community, UNHCR, and other stakeholders to ensure our program remains relevant and addresses community priorities. Our aim is to foster a sense of ownership and empowerment within the community.

Flexible Learning Environment: Recognizing the challenges posed by disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, our program demonstrates adaptability and resilience. Initiatives like remote learning via Google Classroom ensure continuity of education even in challenging circumstances.

Comprehensive Support: In addition to academic support, our program offers holistic assistance by addressing other community needs, such as dental care, medical screenings, and participation in extracurricular activities like science fairs. This comprehensive approach enhances the overall well-being of our students and their families.

Data-Driven Approach: Our willingness to experiment with different apps, workbooks, and activities reflects an iterative and data-driven approach. We assess the impact and adapt based on what works best for our students.

Continuous Improvement: Our commitment to continuous learning and experimentation ensures that our program remains dynamic and responsive to evolving needs and challenges. This iterative approach allows us to refine and enhance our solutions over time, maximizing impact and effectiveness through ongoing adaptation based on data and community input.

THEORY OF CHANGE

An estimated 66% of refugee children in Malaysia lack access to quality education due to restrictions and limited resources in CLCs.

Desired Outcomes:

1.     Reduced Educational Equity Gap: Bridge the gap between refugee children and their Malaysian counterparts in terms of academic achievement and learning opportunities.

2.     Empowered Learners: Equip children with the critical thinking, communication, digital literacy, and other essential skills needed to pursue their aspirations.

3.     Strengthened Communities: Education empowers individuals and strengthens communities by fostering resilience and preparing future generations for success.

Interventions and How They Lead to Desired Outcomes:

1.     Develop a user-friendly, EdTech-powered learning platform specifically designed for refugee children: This platform will provide a consistent, engaging, and accessible learning environment, catering to diverse learning styles and skill levels. It will also empower teachers and volunteers with valuable tools and resources to deliver effective instruction.

Impact on Outcomes: Increased access to quality educational content, personalized learning pathways, and improved data-driven instruction will contribute to closing the achievement gap (Reduced Educational Equity Gap) and equip learners with essential skills (Empowered Learners).

2.     Provide AI-powered content creation tools for educators to develop engaging multimedia lessons: These tools will streamline curriculum development, allowing teachers to personalize lessons to address specific student needs.

Impact on Outcomes: Relevant and engaging lessons will increase student motivation and participation, leading to improved learning outcomes (Reduced Educational Equity Gap).

3.     Integrate adaptive learning apps to personalize learning paths and address individual learning gaps: These apps dynamically adjust to each student's skill level, ensuring they are challenged appropriately and receive targeted support for areas needing improvement.

Impact on Outcomes: Personalized learning will accelerate progress for overage learners and address individual learning gaps, ultimately reducing the educational equity gap (Reduced Educational Equity Gap).

4.     Develop offline mobile learning apps for areas with limited internet connectivity: Ensures learning continuity even in remote locations, minimizing disruptions to education.

Impact on Outcomes: Offline access will expand educational opportunities and empower learners to continue their education regardless of internet availability (Reduced Educational Equity Gap, Empowered Learners).

5.     Offer training in digital storytelling tools for student self-expression: Storytelling allows students to share their experiences, develop communication skills, and celebrate their cultural heritage.

Impact on Outcomes: Digital storytelling will foster self-expression, cultural exchange, and social-emotional learning, contributing to a more holistic and empowering educational experience (Empowered Learners, Strengthened Communities).

6.     Provide access to curated online educational resources: This will expose students to a wider range of high-quality learning materials, enriching their educational experience.

Impact on Outcomes: Access to diverse learning resources will broaden students' knowledge base and enhance critical thinking skills, contributing to closing the educational equity gap (Reduced Educational Equity Gap).

7.     Utilize online collaboration tools to facilitate communication between students and teachers: This will promote peer interaction, encourage active participation, and foster a more connected learning environment.

Impact on Outcomes: Collaboration tools will enhance communication and engagement, empowering students to learn from each other and fostering a sense of community (Empowered Learners, Strengthened Communities).

Our program's impact goals are centered around empowering refugee children to access quality education, bridge learning gaps, and thrive despite adversities. These goals align with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).

1. Access to Quality Education: Our primary goal is to ensure that refugee children have access to quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. We measure progress towards this goal by tracking enrollment rates, attendance, and academic performance. Additionally, we monitor the availability and utilization of educational resources, such as learning apps, workbooks, and teaching materials.
2. Bridging Learning Gaps: We aim to bridge learning gaps among refugee children by providing tailored learning experiences that address their individual needs and challenges. Progress towards this goal is measured through pre- and post-assessments to track improvements in academic skills and knowledge. We also evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching methods and curriculum adaptations in addressing specific learning gaps.
3. Holistic Development: Our program seeks to promote holistic development by integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) and critical thinking skills into the curriculum. We measure progress in SEL competencies, such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-regulation, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, through qualitative observations.
4. Reduced Inequalities: By providing equitable access to education and support services, we aim to reduce inequalities among refugee children. We track progress by monitoring demographic data to ensure representation and participation from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, we assess the impact of our program on reducing educational disparities and promoting social inclusion within the refugee community.
5. Improved Teacher Capacity: We develop teacher capacity, confidence and effectiveness through mentoring and the use of EdTech tools. We measure progress through surveys, observations, assessments and group discussions.
6. Partnerships for the Goals: Collaboration with stakeholders, including parents, community leaders, NGOs, and government agencies, is essential for achieving sustainable impact. We measure progress in building partnerships by assessing the level of engagement, collaboration, and support from various stakeholders. Additionally, we track the outcomes of partnership activities, such as resource sharing, capacity building, and advocacy efforts.

To measure our progress towards these impact goals, we employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including data analysis, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and case studies. Regular monitoring and evaluation processes allow us to assess the effectiveness of our interventions, identify areas for improvement, and make evidence-based decisions to optimize our program's impact on refugee children's education and well-being.

Our solution integrates an array of technologies, bridging modern digital tools with traditional knowledge systems to provide a robust educational platform for refugee children. Here's a closer look at the core technologies driving our solution:

1. Digital Platforms: We leverage sophisticated digital platforms, such as student information systems (SIS) for secure sign-on and rostering, ensuring seamless access to educational content. Additionally, we employ parental control software to safeguard students' internet usage, allowing for safe and supervised online learning experiences.

2. Mobile Applications: Our solution utilizes mobile applications to facilitate learning both inside and outside the classroom, extending educational opportunities to students in remote or underserved areas. These apps offer access to a wealth of educational resources, interactive exercises, and real-time communication features, empowering students to pursue learning anytime, anywhere, using their mobile devices.

3. Interactive Educational Software: We integrate cutting-edge educational software, including gamified learning apps and coding platforms, to enhance student engagement and foster positive learning outcomes. Through interactive games and coding challenges, students are encouraged to actively participate in their learning journey, developing critical thinking skills and computational literacy in an engaging and immersive manner.

4. Traditional Teaching Methods: Recognizing the value of traditional teaching practices, our solution incorporates a wide range of pedagogical approaches, including workbooks, manipulatives, play-based learning, reading, storytelling, content creation, music, and art. By embracing diverse teaching methods, we cater to varied learning styles and preferences, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed.

5. Community Engagement Platforms: We leverage social media and other community engagement platforms to foster communication and collaboration among educators, parents, and community stakeholders. These platforms serve as virtual hubs for resource sharing, idea exchange, and community building, strengthening the bonds within our learning community and promoting collective involvement in the educational process.

In summary, our solution adopts a holistic approach to education by seamlessly integrating modern digital technologies with traditional teaching practices and community-driven initiatives. By harnessing the power of both digital innovation and cultural heritage, we create inclusive and responsive learning environments that empower refugee children to excel academically, socially, and culturally.

Altogether we have more than 25 people on our teaching team, and are growing at a steady pace.

Our core development team consists of 7 people who have rich experience in business development, business management and education.

Our teaching team employs 6 teachers/facilitators, 4 who are from the refugee community itself. They are supported by 14 part time volunteers. In addition we often have short term volunteer teams from across the globe who assist with individualized tutoring.

Altogether, the Equal Start Education team has been working on the solution for 4 years.

We started our research and formed our exploratory group in 2020. By 2021 we started our first pilot  in an existing refugee learning center, and in 2022 we opened our first two learning centers.

Our Equal Start team is notably diverse, representing individuals from around the world who have settled in Penang, as well as locals from Malaysia, and importantly, members of the refugee community.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our organization's principles. We embrace individuals from various cultures, races, religions, beliefs, genders, and ages, united by our shared goal of making a positive impact on the future of our children.

Our leadership team consists of four women and three men, two of whom are Malaysian, and five are foreigners. Similarly, our teaching team comprises four women and two men, including four dedicated individuals from the refugee community.

Our business model revolves around delivering quality education to refugee children while ensuring sustainability and scalability. Here's a breakdown of our business model:

1. Educational Services: Our primary focus is on providing educational services to refugee children, including structured classroom learning, access to digital learning platforms, and extracurricular activities. These services aim to bridge learning gaps, foster holistic development, and equip students with essential skills for future success.

2. Funding Sources: We rely on a combination of funding sources to sustain our operations. This includes grants from international organizations, donations from philanthropic individuals and corporations, and very affordable student fees.

3. Partnerships: We actively seek partnerships with other organizations, NGOs, government agencies, and educational institutions. These partnerships help us leverage resources, access expertise, and expand our reach. Collaborations may include joint initiatives, shared infrastructure, or co-developing educational content.

4. Community Engagement: Engaging with the local community and stakeholders is integral to our model. We involve parents, teachers, and community leaders in decision-making processes, program development, and implementation. This fosters a sense of ownership, promotes sustainability, and ensures our services align with community needs.

5. Technology Integration: We leverage technology to enhance learning outcomes, improve operational efficiency, and reach more students. This may involve partnerships with tech companies, development of proprietary educational software, or integration of existing digital platforms into our curriculum.

6. Impact Measurement: We prioritize impact measurement and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of our programs and make data-driven decisions. This includes tracking academic progress, monitoring attendance, collecting feedback from stakeholders, and conducting periodic assessments to gauge learning outcomes.

7. Scalability and Expansion: With scalability in mind, we design our programs to be replicable and adaptable to different contexts. As we grow, we explore opportunities to expand into new regions, establish additional learning centers, or collaborate with other organizations to extend our reach.

Overall, our business model revolves around delivering sustainable, high-impact educational solutions to refugee children while fostering community engagement, leveraging technology, and prioritizing scalability and impact measurement.

Our business model operates as a hybrid revenue and partnership model, allowing for flexibility as we scale our solution and extend our reach through additional learning centers.

The first learning center was established in collaboration with a partner organization that shares our vision of building resiliency in the refugee community. In this partnership, our role primarily involves developing the education program, mentoring and training staff, and providing ongoing consulting and support services to ensure program effectiveness and sustainability. Meanwhile, our partner organization handles the operational and maintenance aspects of the facility, as well as staffing.

For the second learning center, we operate independently as an NGO, taking on responsibility for facility management, staffing, and program delivery.

Despite the operational differences, both models share common elements such as the education program, teacher training, and program evaluation.

In our future expansion efforts, we envision establishing new learning centers either independently or in collaboration with partners, including existing refugee learning centers. Our approach will be adaptable, allowing us to adjust our roles and responsibilities to best complement the capabilities and requirements of each partner organization. In certain instances, we may primarily serve in a consulting capacity to provide guidance and support.

We implement a nominal monthly student fee, ensuring affordability for families while also fostering a sense of empowerment through investment in their children's education. Ideally, these fees can cover a significant portion of monthly operating costs. Additionally, we explore income generation through facility rental during non-school hours.

We have a student sponsorship program for families who may need temporary or long-term financial support where the student’s monthly fees are covered by the sponsor.

Our approach has been well received by the refugee community. The parents committee is keenly aware of the need for long term sustainability and provides recommendations for the student fee structure. They also help to identify which families are in need of financial support.

Capital investments for new learning centers are sourced either from partner organizations or through charitable donations to our NGO, depending on specific circumstances. We have corporations who support as part of their CSR program, and other organizations who support as part of their community outreach goals. These efforts strengthen our program delivery as well as enhance community engagement.

To ensure long-term sustainability, we maintain a lean operation and have financial reserves to cover the next two years.

Program development is currently sustained by charitable donations and volunteer efforts, with plans to seek additional support through grants and donations as we expand. Looking ahead, we envision launching micro-businesses to empower the refugee community and create additional income streams to further support our program's growth and sustainability.