We will be volunteering with the Institute for Popular Education (IEP). This is an association of community educators working to develop alternative approaches to grassroots education in Mali. IEP began as an adult literacy program in 1994, focused on six issues identified as critical to the community: education, gender, community development, rights, economics, and reproductive health. Today, IEP has expanded its mission to include formal education systems. They run a community school, which emphasizes gender equity to both girls and boys in contrast to the realities of home and society. A key feature of the program is the mobilization of the community and parents as advocates and decision makers in basic education. In addition, the increased involvement of women in managing their children’s schooling has resulted in greater educational access and retention rates. IEP has expanded to serve 150 rural communities in three regions. Participants range from preschoolers to adults. Over 9,000 people have participated, and the program continues to attract growing attention as Mali seeks to change the way its people learn, and how they put their learning to use.
(adapted from: http://www.globalliteracy.gov/poped.html)
