August 26, 2023
On July 24 and August 3, All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) hosted two virtual ACR EdTech Expos for the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Europe regions.
The Grand Challenge is concluding its 12-year initiative to advance EdTech to increase literacy for children in low-resource contexts in September. The Expos showcased ACR GCD-funded EdTech solutions, research, resources and lessons aimed at supporting education officers, implementers, policymakers and other stakeholders in their understanding and use of EdTech to advance equitable and inclusive early grade reading efforts.
During the expos, participants delved into the potential for EdTech to help attain their aspirations for inclusive education, incorporating Universal Design for Learning, and reaching children with disabilities. They explored tools and solutions to support pre-primary teachers and caregivers and learned from implementers who had successfully scaled or integrated EdTech in education programming. In addition, ACR GCD and School-to-School International, the Grand Challenge’s external evaluator, shared findings on EdTech for literacy, emphasizing successful strategies along with pitfalls. Closing the events, founding parters—USAID, World Vision and the Australian Government—outlined their post-ACR GCD goals and vision for EdTech and literacy.
Expos attendees also engaged in demos showcasing EdTech in crisis settings and for children with disabilities, learning and gaming apps, book creation software, digital libraries and more. They also honed their expertise and skills in workshops focused on creating sign language storybooks, accessible reading assessments, and accessible books.
A final Expo will be held in person in Washington, D.C on September 12.
View the recording of the Asia/Pacific event here. To learn more about the final Expo and how to register, visit AllChildrenReading.org/Events.
ACR GCD is a partnership between USAID, World Vision and the Australian Government.
