Context and Problem

Uganda faces one of the highest youth unemployment rates, reaching nearly 62% at the time of writing. This is due to a young population and limited formal employment opportunities. Moreover, the education system currently relies on memorization, which does not prepare students for the industry, which requires skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. Despite integrating entrepreneurship as a secondary school subject in 2002, the curriculum lacked practical application, leaving students without the tools to bridge the gap between education and employment. The “Educate!” program was founded in 2009 to address this gap and aims to empower youth with 21st-century skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, and workforce readiness while transforming education systems to be more experiential and practical.

Solution

The Educate! Experience is an 18-month school-based intervention targeting secondary school students, teachers, and policymakers, and it focuses on a few aspects. First, student-centered training and mentorship, where scholars are selected through a competitive process, students engage in student business clubs where they design and operate small businesses, students receive mentorship on business planning, financial literacy, leadership, etc. Mentors provide hands-on guidance and participate in a fellowship program that includes training and financial support. Second is teacher training and capacity building, where teachers participate in Experience Associations to gain skills such as teaching methods and project-based learning. Third, policy advocacy and systemic change involve collaborating with Uganda’s Ministry of Education to reform the national curriculum and introduce a skill-based entrepreneurial aspect to the curriculum. Fourth, monitoring, evaluation, and technological integration, which involves a robust monitoring system to track 20 performance indicators using SMS and smartphone tools for real-time data collection and also measuring student performance improvement through surveys and controlled trials. Lastly, scaling and cost optimization can be achieved by having schools pay a nominal fee to sustain the program, ensuring accountability and local investment.

Impact

Over 100,000 students annually in Uganda across 350 secondary schools get access to this intervention, 12% of the nation’s total secondary schools. Moreover, 94% of graduates have a business or job or attend university. Moreover, 64% are more likely to own a business and 123% more likely to lead community projects than peers. In addition, average income among graduates increased by 105%, with female participants seeing a 120% income rise.