Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA)

Calling all Early Childhood Development researchers based in Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa! ESSA and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre, with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, are offering grants to strengthen Early Childhood Development research across sub-Saharan Africa. Apply now to drive impactful, policy-relevant change!    📅 Deadline: 28 February 2025  🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/er5kFXKi Join us on 23 January 2025, from 10.00AM to 11.30AM (GMT) for an informative webinar about the grant. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable insights. To participate, express your interest and submit any questions in advance to researchenquiries@essa-africa.org. Lucy Heady Izel Kipruto Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Rose Sandra Baxter Daniel Hawkins Iddrisu Eunice M. Williams Samuel Asare, PhD Pauline Essah, PhD Tom Vandenbosch Chris Foy Patrick Dunne Krista Cecille Samson Rexford Akrong Stephen Acquah

Discover how strengthening the capacity of African researchers can transform education policy and investment in early childhood development. In this UKFIET - The Education and Development Forum blog, Stephen Acquah, Samuel Asare, PhD, and Lucy Heady share insights from projects funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which engaged researchers to identify their training needs. Led by the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre and ESSA, the findings highlight critical areas for capacity building, such as grant writing and research methodologies, emphasising the role of African universities in supporting early career researchers through mentorship and training. Read the full blog to learn more about our findings and the organisations making a difference: https://lnkd.in/ezey_x7d Leaders of Africa UbuntuNet Alliance Mawazo Learning Exchange INASP Echidna Giving Imaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation Southern Hemisphere Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Izel Kipruto Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Krista Cecille Samson Rexford Akrong

We are sharing some insights from our partners in the EERA project from Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) sharing inspiration for 2025. Together, Southern Hemisphere and ESSA have been working hard and creatively with African Education Researchers over the last 18 months to identify the system level interventions that will change the field of education research in Africa. The concept notes have just been released - https://lnkd.in/ehiqs9Bh - launch to follow in 2024. We hope these inspire people wanting to improve education in Africa and beyond.

What a year it has been! Our CEO, Lucy Heady, has just shared an inspiring end-of-year message reflecting on our achievements in 2024 and our plans for 2025. "In 2024, we focused on strengthening our existing partnerships and developing new ones that increase the impact of evidence and data from Africa on education. This approach proved successful in delivering our highest impact year to date, most notably in our work providing direct support to education researchers in Africa." Read the full message here: https://lnkd.in/ezsMDQvm Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Izel Kipruto Rexford Akrong Melinda Sarpong Omanyo D Woulamé OUDJIM Laté A. Lawson, Ph.D Krista Cecille Samson Eli Tsegah Joshua Opey Nii Lankwei Lamptey Stephen Acquah Jonathan Ane Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD Nancy Matimu Founder and TechPreneur Chris Foy Prof. Hellen Inyega Iwiire Nasser Rashid Divine Kpe, MEd. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Imaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation Echidna Giving African Centre for School Leadership Southern Hemisphere Dena Lomofsky Inter-University Council for East Africa PRB Association of African Universities African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Tom Vandenbosch

#ThrowbackThursday Last month, ESSA CEO Lucy Heady and Daniel Omanyo, our Research Policy Manager for East Africa paid a courtesy visit to the Principal Secretary, the State Department for Higher Education and Research, Ministry Of Education, Kenya (MOE), Dr Beatrice Inyangala. The discussions centred on the alignment of ESSA work with the National Education Sector Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and how ESSA can collaboratively work with the Ministry and it's agencies to strengthen the quality of higher education through data and evidence, supporting education research and researchers, including early career researchers and women. We presented the Policy Brief for Kenya which was developed as part of the ongoing Demographics of African Faculty in the East African Community study. [Explore the policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/eB9wiKQB] This study is a collaborative effort with the Inter-University Council for East Africa, ESSA, the Association of African Universities, and the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) with funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Learn more about the study: [https://lnkd.in/eki8jMvf]

Our Big Give #ChristmasChallenge has officially ended, and we couldn’t be more grateful! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated, supported, and shared in our mission to ensure that young graduates are more likely to successfully transition from education to work. Stay tuned for updates! #ChristmasChallenge Big Give Reed Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Izel Kipruto Rexford Akrong Melinda Sarpong Omanyo D Woulamé OUDJIM Laté A. Lawson, Ph.D Krista Cecille Samson Eli Tsegah Joshua Opey Nii Lankwei Lamptey Stephen Acquah Jonathan Ane Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD Nancy Matimu Founder and TechPreneur Chris Foy Prof. Hellen Inyega Iwiire Nasser Rashid Divine Kpe, MEd. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Imaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation

For just a few more hours, every single contribution will be MATCHED, amplifying your support for young people's futures. We are on a mission to bridge the gap between education and employment, empowering the next generation with essential skills to thrive in today's challenging job market. Your generosity will transform potential into opportunity. Don't miss this chance to make DOUBLE the difference! Donation link: https://lnkd.in/efyk3vTd #ChristmasChallenge Big Give Reed Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Izel Kipruto Rexford Akrong Melinda Sarpong Omanyo D Woulamé OUDJIM Laté A. Lawson, Ph.D Krista Cecille Samson Gladys Ofei, EMBA Eli Tsegah Joshua Opey Nii Lankwei Lamptey Stephen Acquah Jonathan Ane Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD Nancy Matimu Founder and TechPreneur Chris Foy Prof. Hellen Inyega Iwiire Nasser Rashid Divine Kpe, MEd. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Imaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation

For just a few more hours, every single contribution will be MATCHED, amplifying your support for young people's futures. We are on a mission to bridge the gap between education and employment, empowering the next generation with essential skills to thrive in today's challenging job market. Your generosity will transform potential into opportunity. Don't miss this chance to make DOUBLE the difference! Donation link: https://lnkd.in/efyk3vTd #ChristmasChallenge Big Give Reed Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Izel Kipruto Rexford Akrong Melinda Sarpong Omanyo D Woulamé OUDJIM Laté A. Lawson, Ph.D Krista Cecille Samson Gladys Ofei, EMBA Eli Tsegah Joshua Opey Nii Lankwei Lamptey Stephen Acquah Jonathan Ane Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD Nancy Matimu Founder and TechPreneur Chris Foy Prof. Hellen Inyega Iwiire Nasser Rashid Divine Kpe, MEd. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Imaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation

We are so excited to be participating in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. Between 3-10 December, every donation received through the Big Give campaign will be matched, meaning your contribution will be doubled.    Donations through the Big Give campaign will support ESSA as we work on bridging the gap between higher education and employment in Ghana, by providing data-driven insights from African researchers. This Christmas, we want to equip young people with the skills they need to navigate an ever-more difficult job market, and we hope you can join us. 🔴 To give the gift of empowering young people in Ghana into secure and fulfilling employment this Christmas, donate here: https://lnkd.in/efyk3vTd #ChristmasChallenge Big Give The Reed Foundation Patrick Dunne Lucy Heady Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Pauline Essah, PhD Samuel Asare, PhD Izel Kipruto Rexford Akrong Melinda Sarpong Omanyo D Woulamé OUDJIM Laté A. Lawson, Ph.D Krista Cecille Samson Gladys Ofei, EMBA Eli Tsegah Joshua Opey Nii Lankwei Lamptey Stephen Acquah Jonathan Ane Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD Nancy Matimu Founder and TechPreneur Chris Foy Prof. Hellen Inyega Iwiire Nasser Rashid Divine Kpe, MEd. Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationImaginable Futures Jacobs Foundation

Really exciting updates. Enjoy the read!