Basic Digital Literacy for Learning by AREAi

Status: Closed

Country: Nigeria

Partner: Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi)

Impact goal: 300 people

About the project

The Basic Digital Literacy for Learning Program is a digital literacy development program targeted at adolescent school girls aged between 13 and 18 years. With learning content drawn inclusively from Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), AREAi have created a globally adaptable knowledge framework content with contextually relevant learning content that can be rapidly deployed across 13 weeks with 13 distinctive learning sessions. They are one of the only organizations providing digital literacy curriculum that has been internally translated to Hausa language and externally validated for widespread adoption in Northern Nigeria.

Results

As anticipated, the project achieved the projected aim and objectives. The qualitative and quantitative impact assessment revealed a 100% accomplishment as evidenced by the survey results. AREAi successfully scaled the program reach to over 400 beneficiaries in 10 schools across the facilitator training.

400 girls benefitted from the project across 10 schools in the facilitator training. By enhancing their basic digital skills, the program improved their access to digital resources and overall efficiency. The beneficiaries gained increased knowledge and improved digital skills, and improved awareness of how to leverage digital technologies. This project has therefore contributed to developing a new generation of digitally literate young women who can confidently participate in and contribute to the digital economy, fostering innovation and closing the gap in representation across technology-related fields.

Although the implementation timeline spanned two school terms, the results compared to the baseline assessment showed significant improvements among all participants in the skills training. These outcomes demonstrate that the training inputs were impactful and the curriculum effectively tailored to the context.

AREAi encountered some scheduling challenges during the program, primarily with timing. As they had little control over the duration of learning sessions, they worked within the existing school timetable, which often provided time slots that were too short. Moving forward, they recommend that school administrations allocate longer sessions—ideally 3 hours per training—to allow beneficiaries adequate time to practice and apply what they are taught.

About the partner

Founded in 2014, Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi), is a non-profit, grassroots organization committed to addressing educational disparities in under-resourced schools and marginalized communities. Our mission is to leverage technology, innovation, and collaboration to close learning gaps, tackle digital inequity, and ensure skill development for poor and vulnerable children, particularly girls and youth from low-income families. Over the last 10 years, we have designed, coordinated, and scaled a series of mass literacy, digital literacy, and economic empowerment programs to transform the learning experience and employment opportunities of over 500,000 direct beneficiaries in 60 communities across 18 Nigerian states. Our long-term goals as an organization is to educate and empower 1 million out-of-school children and youth, leveraging innovation, collaboration and technology in creating multiple alternative and informal learning and empowerment opportunities.