Learning Through Play with Technology (LtPT): Girls for Climate Change Education in Rwanda

Partner: Right to Play

Background:

Situated in the Great Lakes Region, Rwanda is vulnerable to climate-related disasters, In response, the government has outlined a strategic vision to achieve a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy by 2050.

In alignment with this objective, Right To Play (RTP) will collaborate with the Ministry of Education to advance Rwanda’s climate education initiatives.

With the $200,000 grant from 60 million girls, RTP Rwanda will contribute to Climate Change (CC) education efforts among school aged children, especially girls. The project will be implemented in 15 schools in the Rubavu District, a district that was devastated by heavy rainfall and landslides. The project will leverage and build upon RTP’s on-going Science and Elementary Technology (SET) project. 60 million girls’ funding will enable RTP to build on these approaches to connect children with technology via the Mobile Learning Labs (MML) and RACHEL, train girls as leaders and participants in CC education while encouraging girl’s interest in STEM fields.

Project Objectives:

Project start date: July 1, 2025
Project completion date: December 31,2026

This project will benefit 15 RTP partner-schools in the Rubavu district both in the classroom and through Girls’ Clubs, Environment Clubs and/or STEM Clubs.  The project expects to reach 7,200 school aged children from 9 to 11 years old with climate change and adaptation education using Mobile Learning Lab (MLL) and RACHEL technology. At least 50% of these children will be girls.

RTP will employ hands-on, play-based approaches which are key to developing creativity, innovation, collaboration and problem-solving skills, to engage students, especially girls in CC education. The project will be implemented in schools already using technology to teach teachers and students skills such as coding and robotics through RTP’s SET project. This project has elevated the education landscape in Rwanda by bridging curriculum gaps in SET education and building teachers’ and students’ confidence to use technology. To the best of their knowledge, RTP is the only organization that is implementing combined play-based learning and coding and robotics in Rwanda and other parts of Africa. As the world transitions to a green economy, teaching girls about climate change and STEM prepares them for emerging opportunities in green industries (Brookings, 2021). These approaches are why the RTP proposal stands out as novel.

Why partner with Right to Play:

This will be 60 million girls’ third project with Right to Play (2013 in Ethiopia and 2021 in Uganda)

This project is an expansion of an on-going project called Plug-in-Play (PiP). The LEGO Foundation has funded this learning through play with technology project since January 2021, funding will end in December 2025. This grant will allow PiP schools to continue to support girls with technology and expand CC education.

The Girls for Climate Change Education project will be a pilot intervention in one district. RTPs intend to replicate its successes in at least two other districts.