Mobile Education Program Expands to Tanzania

Primary school teachers in rural Tanzania will soon be accessing educational videos and text content ‘on demand’ with the aid of a mobile phone. Through the Bridgeit program, mobile phones will be equipped with a software catalogue and player that downloads educational content directly from the server to a TV in the classroom.

Initially launched in the Philippines where it has benefitted more than 100,000 5th and 6th graders, Bridgeit in Tanzania is being supported through a $2 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the International Youth Foundation (IYF). IYF is implementing the pilot program in close partnership with the Tanzania Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Nokia Corporation, and Pearson Foundation.

Over the next two years, the project will target a minimum of 1,000 primary school teachers and 10,000 rural and urban primary school students with educational content focused on math, science, and life skills.

The Bridgeit program in Tanzania has three objectives:

• To increase learning gains among Standard Five and Six students in math, science, and life skills in Bridgeit classrooms, with a particular emphasis on girls.
• To improve teacher performance, with an emphasis on greater interaction between teachers and students and improved learning in the classroom
• To launch and expand Bridgeit in Tanzania and integrate it into the education system, at low cost, in order to reach the greatest number of children and teachers possible

During an initial pre-pilot phase, the project will test videos, technology, and lessons in 20 schools representing four districts: Temeke, Kimono, Bagamoyo, and Lindi. Each district has chosen five schools to participate. An additional 180 schools in other districts will be reached during the pilot phase which starts in January 2009.

To learn more about Bridgeit, read the ShareIdeas case study or visit the International Youth Foundation website.