Literacy Program Expansion across Dhaka, Bangladesh

Room to Read will expand its proven Literacy Program into primary schools in the urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh to transform the lives of children through quality educational resources and opportunities. The goal of Room to Read’s Literacy Program is to ensure that all primary school children become independent readers with the skills and habit of reading. Room to Read’s theory of change is that when the program is implemented in government schools, supported by trained teachers, and tracked through an effective monitoring system, children’s reading levels will significantly improve. This comprehensive Literacy Program focuses on providing the following: school infrastructure conducive to learning;; regular access to quality reading materials;; teachers skilled in literacy instruction and building reading habits;; engagement opportunities with family, community and schools;; and research, monitoring, and evaluation efforts.

A key initiative that came out of Room to Read’s 2014 Strategic Plan was the goal to deepen and broaden program impact to reach more children, more quickly with quality educational opportunities. Room to Read is doing this through the launch of a technical assistance unit, called Room to Read Accelerator, to complement the direct delivery of the Literacy Program. Staff will train organizations and government institutions to implement programs focused on literacy and gender equality in education. Assistance will consist of training, coaching, and providing access to programmatic materials and resources, and will be tailored to the needs of each client organization. This Literacy Program expansion in Dhaka will allow Room to Read to scale the program through direct implementation to gain experience in urban Bangladesh, leverage partnerships with the ministry of education, and continue to build the organization’s reputation in the country. Knowledge gained through implementing the program in this highly populated, urban region will inform Accelerator work, allowing for exponential growth into other regions and countries in the future.

Vision

Transforming Lives Through Education

Room to Read believes that if all children can pursue a quality education, they can access opportunities providing better employment, higher wages and healthier lives for themselves and their children. Room to Read’s innovative model focuses on deep, systemic change within schools that can be replicated and sustained by governments. Additional funding would allow Room to Read to scale faster.

Room to Read

Literacy Program Expansion across Dhaka, Bangladesh

Model and Strategy

Impact

Leadership

Erin Ganju

Rakhi Sarkar