Let Me Learn and Liberian-based The Less Privilege have launched a new pilot program regarding student engagement in schooling—marking the first time Let Me Learn will have a presence on the continent of Africa.
Since 2016, The Less Privilege has been working with kids to achieve their dream of receiving an education—through fundraising efforts to pay for school fees and providing additional help with their schoolwork. The Less Privilege offers its services to other schools like Triple A, Good Shepherd, and Nation Builder International, all located in Brooklyn Community, Gbarnga City, Liberia. This year, they are working with 75 children attending those schools.
The pilot study will be working with about 20 children this Spring and expanding to more students in the follow school year. Initially, the study will measure the impact on children’s attitude toward learning and schooling when they understand themselves and how they learn. The study will involve the children:
- completing an internationally-validated inventory which measures the degree to which they use each of their Learning Processes;
- building their own Personal Learning Profiles based on those results; and
- Utilizing strategies focused on the combination of their Learning Processes for various academic topics.
Mr. Jacob Sumo, director of The Less Privilege, found out about Let Me Learn through a message from Theirworld, an international organization focused on accessible education. In September 2022, Theirworld launched their Global Summit and #LetMeLearn campaign at the United Nations. The title of their campaign came about because it was the most common phrase children used when asked about what they wanted their leaders to know about them and their limited access to education.
When asked about the pilot program with The Less Privilege, Let Me Learn Executive Director, Joel T. Johnston said, “I am very excited about this opportunity. Since my graduate thesis was on Liberia, I was eager to respond when I received Mr. Sumo’s email. This is a real opportunity to make a difference in a part of the world for which I have genuine interest and affection.”
When asked about how the initial step of the pilot went, Mr. Sumo responded, “It was so exciting to see smiles on the faces of the children. It was a resounding process of awakening their minds.”