Community-Led School Brings Education and Hope to Rural Uganda

Educational Talent Search provides personalized college and career counseling to first-generation and low-income students. Counselors work with students from 8th grade through high school graduation, offering one-on-one support with college applications, financial aid forms, scholarship searches, and career planning. The program has seen nearly 90% of seniors enrolling in post-secondary education, far above its 56% target.

The KNOSK secondary school is working to reduce the number of out-of-school youth in Nigeria by providing students with a quality education for a daily fee much lower than other school options. The school offers various payment plan options and gives the students uniforms, lunch, and sanitary products.

High school students in rural areas show lower rates of college degrees and have fewer opportunities such as not having a dual enrolment program that allows them to take college courses while in high school. Ohio Appalachian Collaborative involves rural schools working together to fight for grants and opportunities for the students in rural areas, and so far the statistics show that more students are going to college and are more engaged in high school.

Akshar Forum accepts plastic waste as tuition and pays students in points for vocational training and peer teaching. This has reduced both plastic pollution and school drop-out rates while equipping students with marketable skills—a model now being replicated across 100 government schools in the state.

Schools in Adamawa State are increasing the number of female teachers, which is inherently increasing the number of female students attending school. Previously, over 50% of girls in the area had not been in school, or dropped out, but with the increase of female teachers, the number of girls in school has dramatically increased.

The Campus Babe Initiative helps girls in Nigeria who are not attending school because of teen pregnancy get back in school. The initiative provides financial support, school materials, and information. It also holds informational workshops to help prevent teen pregnancies.

TreeHouse, a nonprofit in Washington state, achieved an 89 percent five year graduate rate for the hundreds of high school students in the foster care system it serves. This figure is a stark contrast to a 2010 statistic that found only 36 percent of foster students in King County and Seattle were completing high school. By providing the missing resources and guidance to students, TreeHouse hopes to expand the model to all Washington state counties.

Far too many students in Philadelphia are not successfully completing their university degrees. A new program at Community College of Philadelphia involves high school freshman taking the equivalent of two years of college courses to obtain an associate's degree, while also obtaining their high school diploma. The hope is that this will encourage students to go on to complete their university degree.

In 2011, the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI), an education advocacy and research organization, launched the Colorado Legacy Schools project. The program funded innovative ways to increase the number and diversity of students taking AP classes. Instead of applying for funds to train teachers and subsidize test fees, Paonia High teamed up with two nearby schools to more than triple their collective AP offerings. It’s a promising model for rural, resource-limited schools trying to bring more college-prep opportunities to their few students.

Brilliant Footsteps International Academy implemented an integrated education model that combines Islamic studies, vocational training, including barbing, calligraphy and culinary arts and hands-on STEM learning. The school uses problem-based, student-led projects to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while also focusing on gender inclusion in a region where girls are typically excluded.