Innovative approaches in humanitarian contexts: Using nonformal, play-based learning to reach young children in crisis

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session (English)

Proposal

Nonformal learning is the concept of learning that is unstructured and takes place away from traditional learning settings such as a formal classroom. Particularly in humanitarian contexts, education often must be delivered in a manner that is creative, flexible, and/or can be rapidly adapted to contextual changes. This panel covers IRC, BRAC, Sesame Workshop, and Room to Read’s learnings from their experiences creating nonformal educational content for Ahlan Simsim and Play to Learn, two groundbreaking programs that deliver early learning and nurturing care to children and caregivers affected by conflict.
The panel will include the following presentations:
1. IRC’s presentation, “Together We Achieve: How collaboration with different sectors and government partners is bringing play-based learning to Iraq’s most vulnerable” will cover how IRC has creatively collaborated with stakeholders across the country to ensure children have access to high-quality, nonformal play-based learning as a part of the Ahlan Simsim program.
2. BRAC’s presentation, “Delivering Nonformal and Play-based Learning through the BRAC HPL Model” will explore how BRAC has used a participatory approach to create a rich, culturally relevant play-based curriculum as a part of the Play to Learn program in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
3. Sesame Workshop’s presentation, “Mass Media as Edutainment in Humanitarian Contexts,” will examine how Sesame Workshop has used mass media as a tool to reach the world’s most vulnerable populations with nonformal “edutainment, using Ahlan Simsim in the Syrian Response region as a case study.
4. Room to Read’s presentation, “Storybooks as Nonformal Learning” will explore how Room to Read has worked with Sesame Workshop and IRC to create culturally relevant, trauma-informed storybooks for use in a variety of flexible program models as a part of the Ahlan Simsim program in the Syrian Response region.

Sub Unit

• Education, Conflict, and Emergencies SIG

Individual Presentations

• Together We Achieve: How collaboration with different sectors and government partners is bringing play-based learning to Iraq’s most vulnerable - Aymen Taha, Early Childhood Education Coordinator – Ahlan Simsim, IRC; Mackenzie Matthews, International Rescue Committee

• Delivering Nonformal and Play-based Learning through the BRAC HPL Model - Manjuma Akhtar Mousumi, BRAC Institute of Educational Development, BRAC University; Sarah Tabassum, Head of Communications, BRAC IED

• Mass Media as Edutainment in Humanitarian Contexts - Shanna Kohn, Sesame Workshop

• Storybooks as Nonformal Learning - Janet Pagliuca, Illustrator and Designer, Room to Read; Alicia Berger, Global Children’s Book Publisher, Room to Read

Discussant

• Kim Foulds, Sesame Workshop