UNESCO-Pearson Initiative for LiteracyImproved Livelihoods in a Digital World

A partnership between UNESCO and Pearson to examine and highlight how inclusive digital solutions can help people with low skills or low literacy levels use technology in a way that supports skills development and, ultimately, improves livelihoods.

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Background

 

The Education 2030 agenda devotes renewed attention to the importance of literacy by aiming to ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030.

Digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way people live and work, learn and socialise today. However, still 750 million adults in the world, including 102 million youth, lack the basic literacy skills needed to fully participate in increasingly digitised societies and economies.

The UNESCO-Pearson Initiative for Literacy: Improved Livelihoods in a Digital World examines how to strengthen skills and literacy levels of low literate and low skilled youth and adults through inclusive digital solutions.

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About Project Literacy

Founded and convened by Pearson, a digital education company, Project Literacy is a global movement that aims to make significant and sustainable advances in the fight against illiteracy so that all people – regardless of geography, language, race, class, or gender – have the opportunity to fulfil their potential through the power of words.

Project Literacy brings together a diverse and global cross-section of people and organizations to help unlock the potential of individuals, families and communities everywhere so that by 2030, no child will be born at risk of poor literacy.

More information: www.projectliteracy.com

About the partnership

 

The UNESCO-Pearson Initiative for Literacy: Improved Livelihoods in a Digital World was launched in 2016 as a research and advocacy partnership for digital solutions to advance inclusion within the context of lifelong learning and the Sustainable Development Goals.

This partnership aims to spread awareness of current digital solutions and spark further innovation to help low-skilled and low-literate youth and adults participate more effectively in the digital economy and knowledge society and, in the process, develop their skills and literacy.

Through key learnings from a landscape review of digital inclusion, a collection of case studies and a set of guidelines, the UNESCO-Pearson Initiative will inform the work of digital solution providers, development partners and governments that strive for skills and literacy development as part of the global sustainable development agenda.

The UNESCO-Pearson initiative aims to generate new ways of thinking about the challenge of

closing the global literacy gap by researching and sharing a diverse range of proven and

promising digital services for agriculture, health, the environment, government and

displaced populations.

The initiative investigates the skills required and barriers to be overcome for low-skilled and

low-literate people to fully participate in and benefit from increasingly digitized societies.

By examining different approaches to digital innovation, the development of more

inclusive technology solutions to benefit low-literate and low-skilled youth and adults can be

supported.

The initiative has Three key outcomes

Produce a landscape review of the intersection of digital solutions, livelihoods and people with

low-skills and low-literacy levels, to contribute to the understanding of how to design,

develop and implement more inclusive digital solutions.

Publish a series of 14 in-depth case studies, including innovative approaches and lessons learned,

of projects that offer inclusion and skills development through digital solutions.

Create a set of guidelines to inform and support digital solution providers, development partners

and governments to create more inclusive digital solutions that develop the skills of low-skilled

and low-literate users and improve their livelihoods in a 21st century economy.

Main areas of action

© Eileen Burke/Save the Children © Medic Mobile / Lester Ng

The UNESCO-Pearson initiative aims to generate new ways of thinking about the challenge of

closing the global literacy gap by researching and sharing a diverse range of proven and

promising digital services for agriculture, health, the environment, government and

displaced populations.

The initiative investigates the skills required and barriers to be overcome for low-skilled and

low-literate people to fully participate in and benefit from increasingly digitized societies.

By examining different approaches to digital innovation, the development of more

inclusive technology solutions to benefit low-literate and low-skilled youth and adults can be

supported.

The initiative has Three key outcomes

Produce a landscape review of the intersection of digital solutions, livelihoods and people with

low-skills and low-literacy levels, to contribute to the understanding of how to design,

develop and implement more inclusive digital solutions.

Publish a series of 14 in-depth case studies, including innovative approaches and lessons learned,

of projects that offer inclusion and skills development through digital solutions.

Create a set of guidelines to inform and support digital solution providers, development partners

and governments to create more inclusive digital solutions that develop the skills of low-skilled

and low-literate users and improve their livelihoods in a 21st century economy.

• 3-2-1 Service - Audio-based local-language livelihoods information in a number of African countries.

• ABALOBI – Co-designed self-management system for small-scale fishers in South Africa.

• Chipatala cha pa Foni - Linking rural communities in Malawi with health systems via mobile.

• Crop Specific Mobile Apps - Agricultural information, videos and reminders for farmers in India.

• Farmer Training App – Mobile training modules for sustainable farming practices in Central

America.

• hearScreen – Smartphone app for early detection of hearing loss, administered by community

members with low literacy and digital skills around the world.

• Hello Hope / Merhaba Umut - Translation, language learning and essential information for Syrian

refugees living in Turkey.

• Khushi Baby - Mobile health and wearable technology for maternal and child health support in

India.

• Medic Mobile - Community-based care by frontline health workers in Nepal.

• MIRA Channel - Health information and edutainment for pregnant women and mothers in India,

Afghanistan and Uganda.

• Mobile Vaani - Community-media and civic engagement platform for offline populations in rural

areas of India.

• MOPA – Citizen reporting and monitoring platform for waste collection in Maputo, Mozambique.

• Nano Ganesh - Mobile phone-based remote control and monitoring system for agriculture water

pumps in India.

• Talking Book Programme – Ruggedized audio player for agricultural and livelihoods education in

deep rural areas in four African countries.

In response to a call for proposals, for which UNESCO received 130 applications from 60 countries around the world, 14 initiatives were selected for deeper review as case studies.

14 case studies from around the world

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UNESCO Education SectorEducation is UNESCO’s top priority because it is a basic human right and the foundation on which to build peace and drive sustainable development. UNESCO is the United Nations’ specialized agency for education and the Education Sector provides global and regional leadership in education, strengthens national education systems and responds to contemporary global challenges through education with a special focus on gender equality and Africa.

The Global Education 2030 AgendaUNESCO, as the United Nations’ specialized agency for education, is entrusted to lead and coordinate the Education 2030 Agenda, which is part of a global movement to eradicate poverty through 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Education, essential to achieve all of these goals, has its own dedicated Goal 4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The Education 2030 Framework for Action provides guidance for the implementation of this ambitious goal and commitments.

Stay in touch

Section for Youth, Literacy and Skills Development 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris France

ICTliteracy@unesco.org

en.unesco.org/themes/literacy-all/pearson-initiative

www.facebook.com/unesco

@UNESCO