Tanzania is currently undertaking ambitious reforms to transform learning through competency-based education. The government recently signed a six-year memorandum of understanding establishing Educate! as technical advisers on the new secondary school subject of Business Studies, which is expected to be a core required subject for all three million youth in lower secondary.

Initially launched in Rwanda in 2016, Educate!’s approach to co-designing an employment-focused subject in secondary school is going national. Building on a strong policy foundation, our intensive two-year teacher training model is now reaching every secondary school across the country. In close partnership with the government, this approach will deliver education that builds practical skills, reflects the labor market and represents meaningful systems change.

As a budding and ambitious entrepreneur, you can hear the energy in Sheila’s voice as she talks about her growing business, young family, and eagerness to support women in her community. But as she recounts her journey, Sheila’s tone changes. Her path to get to where she is today hasn’t been easy.

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced a $12 million investment towards Educate!’s Vision for 2025 – our bold $44 million plan to increase employment and economic opportunity for 400,000 new youth and expand Educate!’s annual impact by 400%.

In 2015, the United Nations set an ambitious new global goal, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), to ensure relevant, inclusive, and quality education for all youth by 2030. But with just seven years left on the agenda, SDG 4 feels further from reach.

Over the past ten years, I’ve been proud to design and direct the implementation of our programs in schools in East Africa. 2019 marks an exceptional milestone for our team – a decade of operating our flagship Educate! Experience program in schools across Uganda. Taking this opportunity to reflect my own journey with Educate!, I’ve identified a few key lessons that have informed my personal approach to design.