Dormitory expansion in Tanzania is slow but keeps girls in school

Every year, the sixth week of classes in Denmark is dedicated to sex education. Over 20,000 teachers and 400,000 students participate in programming that goes beyond the basics to challenge participants to analyze gender norms, sexual rights, and laws in other countries related to sex.

Affordable and flexible child care allows female informal workers to earn more money and frees older children to attend school. One model that works well comes from the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India, which operates 13 centers, each caring for 130-400 children. SEWA offers quality care, pays employees living wages, and boasts high parent involvement.

Child mortality rates in third-world countries are often shockingly high. But they are gradually decreasing due to efforts that target contagious diseases and more widespread health education.

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 Inspire Women, Men and Children (IWMC) youth empowerment group is teaching women and young girls how to construct reusable sanitary pads in an effort to address period poverty and prevent them from missing school and work during menstruation. The group follows up with students to ensure they’ve properly constructed pads with safe materials and also further educates teachers on how to provide support to students who menstruate.

PLAN International is a global organization that works to increase the rights and access to gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly, and inclusive menstrual health management. The organization set up Pad Banks in schools and has also partnered with local advocacy groups to train and educate young women and girls on menstrual health and hygiene, all in hopes to address stigma, misinformation, and period poverty.

Lack of access to menstrual products contributes to the high drop rates among girls between primary and secondary school. A collaboration between civil society and government organizations created the Menstrual Health Component for Primary Schools Project to educate both girls and boys, as well as providing girls with a menstrual health kit that includes reusable pads and a menstrual cup as well as a container to clean them. Over 500 students participated in the program in September 2021 with participants feeling empowered to be able to stay in school.

Leaders from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Port Angeles School District had a vision of creating a go-between space for students while school buildings were closed. Within the span of a month, this small community managed to create one.

English language learners in Cleveland, Ohio are getting the help they need to get through school through bilingual learning pods. Esperanza Inc., a local non-profit, opened up centers for Spanish-speaking students catch up on their remote learning lessons, but the crucial part was staffing the center with bilingual staff. The centers currently have a waitlist and serve anywhere from 40-50 students.

The San Antonio Independent School District developed an app to help combat the Covid-slide among its students, including English Language Learning students. The app tracks interactions, class attendance, and completed assignments, but also correspondence and in-person interactions. Administrators took the data collected on its close to 50,000 students and developed strategies to direct special attention or make contact with students with decreased engagement. Out of 48,000 students, only 142 didn't have a contact log.