Location and general information
Context
In a world where education is increasingly accessible, it's crucial to look beyond mere enrolment numbers and focus on the quality of experiences within schools.
While strides have been made in getting more girls into classrooms worldwide, there's still work to be done to ensure that education reaches beyond attendance to personal growth and empowerment.
Gender norms often limit girls’ opportunities for socialisation and personal development, leaving them with less leisure time and fewer chances to explore their potential. Boys, too, can be left behind by aid initiatives that primarily target girls' education.
PFP believes in creating inclusive spaces where all children can thrive. It has created the PFP Boys and Girls Clubs initiative, a convenient and effective way of supplementing traditional education. The clubs offer a holistic approach to education, encompassing everything from sports and physical health to digital literacy and environmental stewardship.
Project goals
- Set up 15 PFP Clubs in three schools, leading to improved pupil attendance and attainment.
- Engage school staff as teacher ambassadors who will offer mentorship and encouragement, increasing teacher and pupil engagement.
- Recruit and train 30 student ambassadors (ten in each school) who will improve their leadership skills.
- Enable 900+ pupils across the three schools to participate in an extra-curricular club offering them informal learning opportunities, peer support, personal development and improved physical and mental health.
- Connect the participating schools to foster shared learning opportunities.
Project content
PFP Clubs will be set up in three schools to provide opportunities for boys and girls to develop personal leadership skills and learn essential life skills, like decision-making and communication. The clubs will provide safe and supportive spaces for young people to discuss issues they say are important to them: menstrual and sexual reproductive health, mental health, sports and physical health, environmental stewardship and digital literacy. They will learn to challenge gender norms and advocate for equality.
Each club will have two student ambassadors who will have access to a leadership and personal development programme. They will be tasked with developing and implementing a year-long programme to engage other pupils in activities. They will be given a small budget to manage, creating opportunities to take responsibility and be accountable to their school and their peers.
Regular online calls will connect pupils and teachers in the three participating schools so that they can learn together. The programme will culminate in an annual innovation prize to foster student-led solutions to the challenges they have identified.