Investing in SocietyUKTI October 2008

Investing in young people

• Syria’s development: knowledge economy, private sector, civic society, global relationships

• 40% of Syria’s population <15 years old; 60% <25• 61% of Syria’s unemployed are <25 years old• 4% have personal access to a PC, <1% of all web content is

available in Arabic• Current education system encourages knowledge rather than

competences• Shortage of basic business skills• Shortage of non-formal learning opportunities for young people

• NGOs: Shabab, Massar, Rainbow

Massar

• A Syrian initiative using international expertise• Part of The Syria Trust for Development• NGO, not-for-profit• Targets 5-15 year-olds• Provides non-formal learning opportunities through multiple

channels• A national programme, open to all• Works with government (national and local)• Develops competences (life skills), “the habits of citizenship”

Touring programme

• Launched July 2005• c100 children each session • To date 105,000 children nationally• 1.5% special needs• Show, story, dig, debate

Regional centres

• 13 local activity hubs, c500m2 in area• First centre opened September 2007 in Lattakia• Inter-active exhibits, displays, activities, resources• Partner programmes: business and ICT skills• Planned centres – Homs, Aleppo

• Massar web portal soft launch summer 2008• User-generated content• Collaborative on-line learning programmes• E-volunteer programmes• E-debate

Web and ICT

• Opens end 2010• Location in centre of Damascus• 13,000m2 facility in new 16-hectare public park• Architects Henning Larsen, Denmark• Landscape Martha Schwartz, USA/UK• Working with local partners

Discovery centre

" it opens up the eyes of children to the larger world and helps them explore and become self-dependent” - parent

" we felt free to put our thoughts into words and I felt that my opinion was being heard and respected” - teenager

" now I know about the importance of antiquities and why we should preserve them” - 8-year-old

" children remember the information they have gathered themselves much more than that passed to them through conventional teaching” - teacher

" now that we have Massar I no longer feel we are less privileged than children in the west” -14-year-old

Responses

Massar