2-183 - Youth-Led Early Childhood Care and Education Programs: Characteristics and Potential Impact Across Multiple Global Contexts

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) offer a framework in support of intergenerational programming. We conceptualize these programs as those that address the educational and developmental needs of young children while concomitantly promoting leadership, development and professional opportunities for youth. The symposium features three examples of youth-led early childhood care and education (ECCE) programming from South Asia (Pakistan and India) and Africa (Liberia). The first paper outlines the formative research leading to the design of the Youth Leaders for Early Childhood Assuring Children are Prepared for School (LEAPS) program in rural Pakistan. The paper highlights findings from a randomized controlled trial of LEAPS, emphasizing program impacts on child participants. The second paper utilizes a mixed-methods approach to examine the impacts of the LEAPS program on the community youth leaders who delivered program services. The third paper explores the design of the Gandhi Fellowship in India, which places youth in communities to enhance ECCE services. The paper emphasizes the program rationale and presents the proposed evaluation framework. The fourth paper showcases the Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (EPAG) program in Liberia, which incorporates ECCE practitioner training as a Job Skills training track. Findings from a pilot of EPAG launched in 2016 are presented. This paper symposium contributes to the knowledge base regarding youth-led ECCE programs by highlighting: (1) contextual barriers and enablers; (2) elements associated with program uptake and efficacy; and (3) evidence of impacts on early childhood and youth outcomes.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Liliana Angelica Ponguta, The Yale Child Study Center

Individual Presentations

• Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial and Process Evaluation of the LEAPS Program in Rural Pakistan - Presenting Author: Aisha Yousafzai, Harvard University; Non-Presenting Author: Muneera Rasheed, Aga Khan University; Non-Presenting Author: Arjumand Rizvi, Aga Khan University, Karachi; Non-Presenting Author: Fariha Shaheen, Aga Khan University; Non-Presenting Author: Liliana Angelica Ponguta, The Yale Child Study Center; Non-Presenting Author: Chin R. Reyes, Yale Child Study Center

• Supporting professional development among youth in rural Pakistan through a youth-led early childhood education program - Presenting Author: Emily Franchett, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health; Non-Presenting Author: Aisha Yousafzai, Harvard University; Non-Presenting Author: Muneera Rasheed, Aga Khan University; Non-Presenting Author: Saima Siyal, Aga Khan University; Non-Presenting Author: Chin R. Reyes, Yale Child Study Center; Non-Presenting Author: Liliana Angelica Ponguta, The Yale Child Study Center

• Scope of youth engagement in influencing ECCE within the public elementary school system - Presenting Author: Tripti Vyas, Kaivalya Education Foundation - A Piramal Initiative; Non-Presenting Author: Monal Jayaram, Kaivalya Education Foundation- A Piramal Initiative; Non-Presenting Author: Nandita Raval, Kaivalya Education Foundation - A Piramal Initiative

• World bank Liberia Program: Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (EPAG) - Presenting Author: Frances Bowen, World Bank Group; Non-Presenting Author: Amanda Devercelli, World Bank Group