Africa will be 40% of the world by 2100—its population is expected to grow from 1.2 to 4 billion and the continent could have more youth at that time than the total population of the United States. As many as 90% of African youth are projected to work in the informal sector. These demographics, along with a scarcity of jobs, have led to dramatic rates of youth unemployment. Education systems in Africa already face challenges meeting young people’s needs–current curricula and teaching methods don’t consistently prepare students for what’s to come following graduation. Despite an eagerness and commitment to learn, even students who finish secondary school often find themselves lacking the skills needed for the few available jobs, leading to unemployment and underemployment. 

Educate! believes that by transforming secondary education we can equip youth with the skills to disrupt this systemic problem of youth unemployment. Educate! works in two ways: 1) Educate! delivers leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness training directly in secondary schools. 2) Educate! partners with governments to integrate skills-based education into national education systems and support national curriculum reforms.

By creating a new educational model that reforms what schools teach and how they teach it, Educate! is empowering teachers and youth mentors to equip students with the business and 21st century skills to drive measurable change. Educate!’s experiential model teaches the “hard skills” of business including planning, budgeting, savings and market research. Educate! complements these skills with the “soft skills” demanded most by both employers and students themselves, such as teamwork, public speaking, networking, critical thinking, self-confidence, and creativity. Educate!'s goal is to make this practical, skills-based model part of national education systems across Africa.

In 2019, Educate! is partnering with the government to pilot in 60+ schools in Kenya, working in 175+ secondary schools in Rwanda and 800+ schools in Uganda (25% of the country) reaching over 44,000 students intensively and 545,000 more broadly. Two rigorous external evaluations, including a randomized controlled trial, found that towards the end of secondary school, participants of our program earn nearly DOUBLE the income of their peers and are 44% more likely to launch a business. Girls achieve even greater results.