Supporting Tools, Techniques, and Models for Institutional Growth

Educaid, located in Freetown, Sierra Leone, is a UK-funded charity aimed at improving the quality of education in Sierra Leone. In line with their agenda, EducAid was a recipient of an Education Collaborative grant in the year 2021. The project the grant will fund is focused on improving employability for post-secondary school students through an intensive employability skills bootcamp. Rolled out in October 2021, the project will equip up to 200 young people with enhanced exposure to a wide variety of employment possibilities by July 2022.

Located in Nairobi Kenya, Riara University is a private institution that aims to provide holistic education to their students. As a post-convening grant recipient, Riara is initiating a work-readiness program to train students and aligns its curricula to job market needs. The project was inspired by the employability track of the 2021 Annual Convening and aims to graduate ethical, entrepreneurial students with relevant soft and hard skills for the world of work.

Cavendish University in Kampala, Uganda, is part of a global franchise that began in London. The university is a recipient of an Education Collaborative post-convening grant and is launching a project to build a digital platform to improve internship listing, job supervision, and skills development for students. The project is focused on improving employability outcomes and will address the unforeseen circumstances students face when seeking internship placements. 

University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) is a STEM-focused university located in Sunyani, Ghana. As a recipient of a 2021 post-convening grant, UENR is launching a Students Employability Clinic. The clinic will support career-service development and improve employability outcomes as it equips students with twenty-first-century skills required for Africa’s job market. The program is expected to run until September 2022.

Davis College is a co-educational higher learning institution located in Kigali, Rwanda. The institution is piloting a dual-learning model for 40 students in their Hospitality and Tourism Management program as a 2021 post-convening grant recipient. The learning model will expose students to the inner workings of industry through access to the facilities and systems used in industry, while receiving the required guidance and mentorship to thrive in hospitality and tourism management. This project is part of Davis College’s effort to improve employability outcomes for its students.

Strathmore University is a chartered university based in Nairobi, Kenya. Inspired by the entrepreneurship track at the 2021 Annual Convening, Strathmore University committed to building the entrepreneurship capacity of 25 community-based school headteachers and another 25 women micro-entrepreneurs in a local community. The project, supported by the 2021 post-convening grant initiative, is underway and aims to enhance the lives of children in selected schools and selected women running small businesses to support their families, making them better equipped to succeed. 

University of Embu is a Kenyan chartered university located in Embu, Kenya. Focused on improving entrepreneurship outcomes, University of Embu committed to a twelve-month entrepreneurial program to develop Innovative, Design, Enterprising, Agility and Leadership (IDEAL) skills among university students. The program will enhance student idea-generation capabilities through training and coaching on the design thinking approach.

Located in Burkina Faso, the Burkina Institute of Technology, a 2021 Post Convening Grant recipient, is developing an experiential learning opportunity for student entrepreneurs in the form of internships and an on- and off-campus program across neighboring West African economic centers. The project is part of BIT’s effort to create a holistic entrepreneurship ecosystem while leveraging already-existing initiatives.

No, all institutions you should have attended the 2023 June Convening online or in person. 

Yes, you qualify to apply. However, your project must align with the learnings and outcomes from the Convening.

Yes, all institutions that attend the 2023 June Convening are eligible to apply. The caveat here is the proposed project, and targeted beneficiaries must impact educational institutions.

Yes, you are eligible to apply. However, should the same representative or project lead be involved in 2022 and this year’s project, they will need to indicate how they will effectively work on the two projects simultaneously.

The institution should be accredited in the country where they are located. A paradigmatic example is, higher education institutions in Ghana need to be accredited by the National Accreditation Board.

No, all applicants are expected to apply through their institution. No individual can apply without consent or decision from their institution. 

Institutions can receive a grant of up to $5000.  

The Education Collaborative will call for proposals a month before the 2023 June Convening. The call for proposals will provide details about the grants, including the eligibility and evaluation criteria, funding guidelines, proposal submissions and timelines to note.

Call for proposals will be opened a month before the 2023 June Convening. Applicants must answer all questions in the proposal template and submit by August 15th, 2023. Successful applicants will be notified in November 2023. 

Projects should focus on the learnings from the 2023 June Convening and aim to introduce practical solutions to address fundamental issues in African higher education leading to positive impact and student-focused growth.    

All projects must align with the learnings and outcomes of the 2023 June Convening across at least one of the four Tracks; Careers and Employability, Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership and Faculty Development and Research.  

An institution can submit a maximum of two proposals. However, the project focus and implementation leads should be different for each project.     

The project should not last more than 12 months in implementation.  

All applicants are expected to hear back by the end of August on eligibility. Final decisions will be communicated in November 2023.  

Institutions will need to provide a monitoring and evaluation plan. The Education Collaborative will also monitor and evaluate the funded projects to ensure they meet their intended goals and positively impact African higher education.