The Mastercard Foundation, together with a group of strategic partners, has initiated a collaborative effort to take stock of progress in expanding access to quality, relevant and inclusive secondary education on the continent and to propose a forward looking agenda.
Application Deadline: 30th November 2017 at midnight.
Eligible Countries: Sub-Saharan African countries
Essay (500 words): Based on your experience, what is the most important challenge you faced in secondary education? How might you raise awareness or mobilize others around that challenge? You could use one or a combination of medium (e.g. essay writing, drawings, video clips, podcasts) to answer the question.
About the Award: The Mastercard Foundation is convening a group of 5 young people from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) representing a range of perspectives who can contribute to this project study, both as contributors and as ‘ambassadors.’ Youth Ambassadors will provide insights, inputs as well as direct contributions at important junctures, from design to completion and dissemination of the project’s products.
The primary focus of this effort is the role of secondary education in preparing African youth for the future of work and for helping youth to acquire the skills, knowledge, and behaviors necessary to compete and succeed in the job market as responsible citizens, including both informal and formal sectors.
This effort, entitled Secondary Education in Africa Today: Preparing Youth for the Future of Work (SEAT), builds on the World Bank’s Secondary Education in Africa Initiative of 2003 to 2008, which was aimed at African policy makers and development partners, and was intended to take stock of the state of secondary education across the Continent and to identify policy options and evidence based strategies for increased support.
The effort will include a process of ongoing consultation, engagement, and dissemination of these knowledge products widely through a variety of formats. It will engage a diverse set of stakeholders, including African governments and policymakers, secondary education experts, bilateral and multilateral donors, private foundations, NGOs, private sector employers, representatives of civil society, and youth. We seek to have young people influence priorities, provide context, review and discuss findings and recommendations and promote dissemination throughout the research process.
The Foundation is partnering with the Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) to engage Sub-Saharan African policymakers and youth throughout this process. ADEA will take a lead role in working with the Youth Ambassadors and facilitating their participation and inputs in the process.
Type: Jobs
Selection Criteria: Ambassadors will be selected by the Mastercard Foundation’s and ADEA’s networks to ensure the full range of diverse opinions. The age limit of the youth who can apply shoul be 35. No degree required but the applicant should have completed the secondary education. As part of the selection process, applicants will be asked to submit an essay (details on the essay question below).The selection will be based on an assessment of the essay and curriculum vitae.
The Foundation seeks balance in the selection of Ambassadors in terms of region, gender, and experience, including experiences with conflicts, disability, refugee status, education etc.
Number of Awards: 5
Value of Award: The Foundation is able to offer a modest stipend to Ambassadors to compensate them for their time in this initiative. Additionally, the Foundation will cover costs of participation, including attendance at meetings (i.e. travel, meals, and accommodation) and other incidental costs.
Duration of Program: Youth Ambassadors will participate over approximately 18months, from January 2018 to as late as March 2019. We anticipate that involvement in the project over the course of this period will be equivalent to approximately 5-8 hours a month, for a totally of 12-15 full days.
How to Apply: The candidate should submit an essay and a CV to applications@adeanet.org no later than 30th November 2017 at midnight (12:00 am) GMT.
Visit the Program Webpage for Details
Award Providers: Mastercard Foundation
