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DOT-COM Activity: Haiti - Interactive Radio Instruction
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DOT: dot-EDU
Country: Haiti
Funder(s): USAID/LAC
Short Description: EDC has been working to improve education in Haiti since the early 1990s, starting with primary formal education in Creole and Math. As of September 30, 2005, at-risk and out of school youth aged 6 to 11 and 12 to 18 have also been targeted. In addition to math and Creole, these audiences learn about civic education, health and environmental issues through interactive radio instruction (IRI) programs broadcast five mornings a week by three radio stations.
Phase/Type of Activity: Signed Award Status: Active
Start date: September 01, 2002 End Date: September 30, 2006
Partners:
Person(s) to contact
Contact
Kit Yasin , Director
Education Development Center
Email:
Tel: (202) 572-3700
Full Description: The Haitian Diaspora as well as philanthropic and religious organizations will be key to a new mechanism in which those who wish to support a school in Haiti will be able to pay the minimum fee of print materials and the fee for the schools teacher to attend two days of teacher training. They may also choose to purchase a radio, such as a wind-up radio which will not require batteries. Schools will then be able to tune in and follow more effectively the programs throughout the years to come at no cost.
The project is reaching a total number of 352 schools, 45,000 students divided among 23,100 boys and 21,900 girls. The project works with a number of sponsors such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Save the Children, and with local organizations (University of Quisqueya, Association des Paysans de Vallue, the Ministry of Education (MENJS), Fonds Parrainage, Projet dÉducation Intégrée en Aribonite), Fondation Haïtienne de lEnseignement Privé (FONHEP), Hope for Haitis Children (HFHC) and three radios stations (Xaragua, Abriko and Voix Port a Piment).
Listening to the IRI programs, students and teachers are able to enjoy two, 30- minute programs that enable a teacher to lead a lesson in which students are interacting with each other, the teacher and even the characters on the radio. Thus, the same solid instruction takes place in all types of schools; the playing field is leveled in that even the poorest schools are able to benefit from engaging and effective lessons. Even in times of political instability, distance learning is helping Haitians improve their access 9to education and information. Since 1990s, during every academic year, the Formation à Distance (Distance Learning) education programs are broadcast regularly on the radio so that students and teachers, unable to return to school during civil unrest, could hear the lessons from home.
Update 1 (As of June 2004):
Social and political turmoil has affected project activities since December 2003 through the early months of 2004. The field office in Haiti remained closed due to local uprisings intermittently throughout January and February as well with activities and school attendance returning to normal by March. As a result, programming from the early part of March and onward was subsequently aired starting April 12th, with the last lesson aired on June 18 instead of May 28 to accommodate the extended school year. Since the end of the school year, activities have resumed to normal with production in full swing throughout the summer months in preparation for the coming school year. Monitoring and Evaluation was conducted in July.
Update 2 (July-Sept. 04):
Activities were disturbed by hurricanes and continued political unrest. The project negociated with the mission for a year-long extension in recognition of the difficulties encountered during the life of the project.
Update 3 (January-March 05):
Activities have focused on preparations for scriptwriting, IRI training for local organizations, distribution of books and educational materials, as well as efforts to set up new mechanisms for IRI program sustainability, marketing and expansion.
Update 4 (October - December 05):
EDAs key achievements for year One, 2002 2003
In July 2002, USAID, under the Dot-Com Alliance, signed a two year cooperative agreement with Education Development Center (EDC) to provide technical assistance and services to achieve the following:
- Conducted a satellite technology analysis
- Provided support to FONHEP to begin the development of an IRI model for 12 to 18 out of school youth
- Pre and post tested a sample of 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students receiving the IRI program
- Worked with FONHEP in the to development of their training plan for capacity building
- Chaired the Steering Committee
Year 2, 2003-2004, aimed at building upon the groundwork laid during year 1 to achieve a significant intensification of activities
- Expansion of the IRI program
- Public sector participation in IRI activities
- Support to FONHEP for the development of an IRI model for 12 to 18 out of school youth
- IRI pilot for children 6 to 11 in difficult situation
- Community radio support for IRI broadcast
- Monitoring and Evaluation of IRI in-school programs
FY 2004 2005:
Despite constant instability and a dangerous working environment, EDC with its partners the programs has achieved the following:
- The program was offered to 274 schools and 34241 students of whom 16757 were girls and 17484 were boys.
- 358 female teachers and 628 male teachers as well as 54 school directors (female) and 190 school directors (male) have been re trained in IRI methodologies. Only struggling teachers and new teachers participate in IRI training sessions
- IRI Support Material distributed: A total number of 63,276 books and notes have distributed to schools through EDC sponsors.
- Sponsors experimentation with new ways of implementing the IRI program: This year, the sponsors tried to experiment with innovative and cost effective ways to implement the program. They are fully aware that in order for the IRI program to survive, school communities must get involved. Sponsors conducted sessions to inform the school communities of the importance of the IRI program in improving the quality of education and the role they must play to sustain the program. Not all of the sponsors obtained the same results.
- EDC continue to provide technical assistance to FONHEP for the completion of Level 1 scripts for the 12-18 OOSY program: Two workshops took place, one to finalize the curriculum and the other to define the core and structure of the program.
Development Sector(s): Basic Education
ICT Intervention(s): Radio
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