EduSpots was created to show that communities themselves can design, lead and sustain transformative learning. By unlocking the knowledge and creativity already present in communities, the model turns education into a shared civic responsibility rooted in local ownership and collective action.
In 2014, young Adu was peering into a locked library in Akumadan — a space that was owned by a private individual, backed by foreign supporters. Across Ghana’s Ashanti Region, learners were not able to access basic educational resources. As Dennis a local Head Boy, explained: "this lack of access prevented me from taking ownership of my own learning."
Further analysis revealed that students were not only unable to access books and digital tools, but lacked the foundational skills to use them. Only 2 out of 20 learners in Dulugu were able to turn on a laptop, with 80% of children in Ghana not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills by the end of primary school (UNESCO; 2022).
Observations showed that while NGOs offered support, communities were rarely placed in the driving seat. Too often, prevailing aid models overlooked the skills, assets, and ambitions of local actors.
In response, a group of students and teachers created the first ‘Spot’ in Abofour in 2015 — a space grounded in community ownership, collaboration, and free access to learning resources. Learners are supported by local mentors ("Catalysts") who connect through digital networks across Ghana and beyond.
EduSpots turns professional and community learning for learners of all ages into a community-driven movement rather than an externally provided service.
This low-cost model has 3 elements, supported via an app & digital networks:
Community Leadership: Through Ignite, Catalyse and Sustain Programmes, Catalysts teams set up and lead learning hubs named ‘Spots’. Overseen by local committees, the training involves a six-step process of community engagement, team building, safeguarding, systems development, digital skills and education training, with Catalysts engaging in monthly challenges supported by peer mentors.
Education Hub: Catalysts lead their own learning journeys, selecting focus areas supported by WhatsApp-based curriculums and peer-led hubs. Learner clubs such as EduKidz, DigiLit, EcoSTEM, and Ignite Equity come alive — blending games, storytelling, and project-based learning to bridge national curriculum goals with real-world relevance. A gamified points system and feedback make learning fun, inclusive, and purposeful.
Keeping Spots Safe: Teams engage in 3-step badges that centre communities in developing localised approaches to ensuring that alls learners are included and safe, dovetailing into school and community structures through imaginative and culturally responsive methodologies.
The result is a self-renewing ecosystem where communities design, deliver and sustain education that is playful, inclusive and relevant.
EduSpots has grown from one Spot in 2015 into a network of 52 community-led learning hubs across 12 regions of Ghana and Kenya, strengthening literacy, digital & leadership skills for 12,000 learners annually. Its spread is powered by peer-led communication, local innovation and community trust.
Communities witness active Spots, see the energy of Catalyst-led clubs and apply to join through an open process grounded in inclusion and readiness, with 25% of new Spots set up by existing Catalysts.
Catalysts learn and collaborate through 20 WhatsApp channels that connect over a 1000 educators through structured participatory curriculums. These hubs host polls, debates and resource exchanges, forming digital communities that keep knowledge moving. The EduSpots App, the first platform of its kind for grassroots educators, enables teams to manage activities, track resources, complete challenges and receive feedback.
Through structured pathways, Catalysts move into peer mentor and staff roles, with 50% of EduSpots’ team in Ghana coming from Spot communities. Our celebrated Patron, Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, champions the network and raises visibility as Ghana’s first female Dean of Engineering.
Through this blend of technology, peer learning and community pride, a 2025 independent evaluation with Expectation State highlighting the model's "potential to make a lasting impact in diverse contexts" with 140 communities queuing up to join.
EduSpots evolves through collaboration, reflection and evidence gathered across its community-led network. Catalysts and Spot Committees identify new priorities and shape wider programme content through feedback, learning circles and network meetings.
As one example, the Ignite Girls strand launched in 2023 responding to a call to support girls' rights. A year later, Catalysts called for boys' inclusion, reframing the strand around gender equity. EduLit, once focused on literacy, became ‘DigiLit’ after Catalysts identified the need for digital literacy and online safety from the basic level.
Training has become more experiential and playful, using games, storytelling and practical group activities that mirror the joyful methods Catalysts apply with learners. Digital engagement has expanded to tailored certificates in AI, Canva & Google workspace, with WhatsApp hubs, voice notes and online courses sustaining peer learning even in low-connectivity contexts. Safeguarding resources and activities have been refined through co-creation, making them more accessible for Catalysts and learners.
The model’s evolution reflects constant iteration within a distributed network, deepening impact while staying rooted in the principle of local ownership and shared leadership. As one Catalyst expressed: “We’re not just implementing a pre-set model. Our ideas and experiences are actively shaping how EduSpots evolves. It’s truly a collaborative effort."
The approach can be adapted independently through 3 guiding principles: local ownership, experiential and inclusive pedagogy, and continuous peer-to-peer learning.
Begin by bringing together a group of community members together who believe in the power of education to shape local futures. Identify a safe and welcoming space to host learning activities. Launch a WhatsApp hub, sharing ideas through structured facilitation.
Engage your team in collaborative training, exploring community engagement, team building and resource management, turning practical ideas into reality as you go, through creating a learning hub in a school or wider community setting.
After developing a Keeping Spots Safe framework and Spot Committee, determine clubs & activities considering the skills young people need to build the futures they want to see — ranging from climate education, to digital skills, to igniting gender equity.
Take a look at EduSpots’ online educational resources which center students’ learning needs, aspirations and ideas. Engage in project-based learning — ranging from authoring plays challenging gender stereotypes to dioramas reflecting the impact of climate change.
Connect with wider teams — by applying to join the EduSpots network (for Ghana-based teams) — or finding aligned community educators across the world. Celebrate with play-based claps & energisers, also building a local communications strategy to engage your community & share local innovations!
