Educate! (nonprofit)

Educate! is a U.S.-based nonprofit, educational organization in Uganda serving secondary school youth. It is based on an experience-based education model involving leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness training and employs practically trained mentors and provides students with experience starting a business. It works to integrate this model into national education systems across sub-Saharan Africa.^[1]

Educate! uses mentorship programs, practical skills training, and student business clubs to teach pupils in Ugandan and Rwandan secondary schools to solve local problems by starting social enterprises and community projects.^[2] Educate! is partnering with governments schools to foster a culture of entrepreneurship among youth by tailoring an innovative and cost-effective education model to the skill requirements of the job market.^[3]

Programs

Educate!'s programs aim to address the mismatch between education and employment opportunities in Uganda. The program focuses on three areas: student skills development, teacher training, and advising on national policy. It provides a group of secondary school students, called Educate! Scholars, skills training in leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness, along with mentorship to start real businesses at school.

Instruction is provided by young entrepreneurs, called Mentors. As part of their work in schools, Mentors are also engaged in a business accelerator program, where they receive advanced business support and capital for their enterprises.

The program includes teacher training intervention, which gives teachers practical training in student-centered teaching methods designed to help develop students’ skills in critical thinking, problem solving, confidence building, and resource mobilization.

Educate! also advocates for skills based education methods being integrated into Uganda’s national education system, as well as in the education systems of other Sub-Saharan African countries.^[4]

Awards and Recognition

• 2016 Sustainia Top 100 Solutions ^[5]
• 2016 Clinton Global Initiative Member ^[6]
• 2015 WISE Award Winner ^[7]
• Co-Founder Angelica Towne wins Mulago Foundation Rainer Fellowship ^[8]
• Forbes 30 Under 30 two time winner ^[9]
• 2009 Echoing Green Fellow ^[10]
• Brookings Institution Millions Learning case study ^[11]
• Results for Development Institute case study ^[12]

Funders^[13]

• MasterCard Foundation
• Bohemian Foundation

References