OSC delivers strategic communications for education development initiatives in challenging learning environments around the world. OSC works with stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and civil society to effectively communicate key messages for education, raise awareness on issues affecting students, and build the capacity of local groups to advocate for education reform.
In Afghanistan, OSC has worked with school-aged children, youth councils, and youth associations to hold events and organize campaigns emphasizing the importance of education for young people as well as peace and stability at the community level. Among these initiatives was a community “Peace Wall” mural event for 30 school children in Farah Province, a volleyball tournament in support of school registration and attendance with the Badghis Youth Association, a soccer tournament promoting resistance to drug abuse, and a school cleaning campaign involving almost 500 students, teachers, and parents. In Serbia, OSC trained student leaders to conduct peer education and discussion sessions with classmates on RH/FP in terms that were relevant and appropriate for their age. On the Integrated Health Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, OSC strengthens existing and forms new youth associations to serve as proactive community change agents that promote health-seeking behaviors. OSC’s capacity building and ETL trainings has led to the formation of 20 new youth groups dedicated to preventing HIV/AIDS, and 1,156 youth taking in ETL awareness-raising sessions related to reproductive health. On the SUPPORT II program, OSC conducted a comprehensive gender evaluation of USAID’s Early Grade Reading and Math (EGR/M) activity, which aims to improve education in Afghanistan, particularly reading and math skills for Grade 1-3 students. OSC’s experts analyzed the results of this evaluation, producing a set of key findings and recommendations related to publishing of gender-sensitive learning materials, teacher trainings, improving gender equitable supervision of girls’ schools, and improving accountability for the provision of quality and equitable education to girls and boys.