International Day of Education 2024: Spotlight on Cisco’s Education Non-Profit Partnerships

The Social Impact Partner Spotlight series is a new series highlighting various Cisco non-profit organization partners that are helping transform the lives of individuals and communities. This blog features Cisco’s partnership with Code.org, Darsel, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and Science Buddies, in honor of the incredible work these organizations are doing to advance education opportunities globally.

In recognition of International Day of Education today, which was created to campaign for better education reforms and celebrate and advocate for access to education for all, Cisco is proud to spotlight some of its Education-focused non-profit partners that are helping to transform the lives of students and educators globally through their education programs, tools, and platforms.

This year’s theme, learning for lasting peace, underscores the importance of education as a fundamental human right, crucial for sustainable development and innovation.

Code.org

“As we celebrate International Day of Education, let’s focus on what students need to succeed in the future. It is clear that Computer Science (CS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not only the most engaging subjects for students, they are critical for the future workforce. Every school should be offering students exposure to CS and AI education by next year.” 
– Cameron Wilson, President of Code.org

Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to the vision every student in every school can learn computer science in K-12. They expand access to computer science in schools, focusing on increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups.

In their first decade, they created a global movement to teach and learn computer science, leading to almost 100 million students enrolled on their platform and policies changed in 50 U.S. states and 70 countries. With AI already changing the global workforce and education, Code.org aims to drive the next wave of innovation by bringing AI and CS to over one billion students worldwide.

Code.org’s partnership with Cisco has brought its CS curriculum to millions of students, especially from underserved and underrepresented groups, by increasing the number of languages available, building technology to better integrate their platform with the IT infrastructure used by education systems, and enabling offline availability of their courses for students in classrooms with low or no Internet connectivity. Learn more about Code.org.

Darsel

“International Day of Education is an important opportunity to celebrate the progress and promise of education technology, but we must recognize that the benefits of technology remain elusive for the students who need them the most. The digital divide in education not only intensifies global inequalities in education but also impedes global economic development – and we can only overcome it by investing in solutions that are effective in low-resource settings. Our commitment to do so stems from the belief that education can and should serve as a catalyst for equality and prosperity globally.” 
– Abdulhamid Hadir, Founder, CEO Darsel

Darsel is a US-based 501c3 nonprofit organization which is focused on improving math learning outcomes in low- and middle-income countries through innovative education technology solutions that bridges the digital divide. The nonprofit’s core product is a free chatbot that allows students to practice and learn math through simple low-bandwidth channels like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The chatbot, which has been used by over 100,000 students, combines AI and curriculum-aligned content to create an interactive and personalized learning experience for students.

Darsel partners with public school systems and works closely with math teachers to reach and motivate students. Darsel pursued this approach to reach large numbers of vulnerable students, but providing manual support to teachers quickly became a constraint to growth.

Cisco’s partnership with Darsel began in 2022 to address this bottleneck. A Global Impact Grant enabled Darsel to design and develop a teacher platform which streamlined and automated various teacher-facing functions related to data analytics and class management. The platform’s successful launch in 2023 significantly improved the scalability of Darsel’s program in Jordan and allowed it to rapidly grow from under 100 schools to over 2000.

Cisco’s collaboration with Darsel is now focused on replicating its success in other countries, including Nigeria and India where 100-school pilots are ongoing. Darsel’s goal is to meaningfully improve learning outcomes for 100 million students by 2030. Learn more about Darsel.

Science Buddies

Science Buddies reaches over 20 million students, parents, and teachers with resources that reflect the latest research in how to effectively teach science. Highly personalized, we empower students to create individualized learning paths with easy-to-use tools that provide science and engineering projects, frameworks, and guidance. Our real-world, hands-on explorations are not only the best way to teach science, but they also make the subject relevant to students, positively impacting academic achievement and nurturing student interest in science. We make science literacy possible for everyone.

Support from the Cisco Foundation has allowed Science Buddies to develop and deliver innovative new programs, content, and tools that make hands-on STEM learning more accessible for students and educators around the world. We’ve helped millions of students experience the thrill of scientific discovery and develop critical skills for future success. On this International Day of Education, we look forward to continuing to equip students around the world with the skills and knowledge required to become productive and engaged citizens. Learn more about Science Buddies.

Raspberry Pi Foundation

“Young people are growing up in a world where every aspect of life is shaped by increasingly powerful digital technologies. We need to ensure that all young people have opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to participate in and shape their world. Through our programs and platforms like Code Club World and the Code Editor, at the Raspberry Pi Foundation we are delivering technology-based solutions which enable any young person, anywhere, to access high-quality computing education. Together with partners like the Cisco Foundation, we can enable any young person to learn in a way which is right for them.” 
– Phil Howell, Chief Technology and Product Officer, Raspberry Pi Foundation

The Raspberry Pi Foundation enables young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies, reaching millions of learners annually. The Foundation supports young people to build the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to explore computing, engage and create with digital technologies, and use these technologies for social good.

In partnership with Cisco, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has extended its reach to young people who are taking their first steps in learning to code. Through Code Club World, a free platform for learners as young as age 9, over 400,000 learners worldwide have engaged in block-based coding. Learning with Code Club World takes place at home, as well as in an extensive global network of Foundation-supported, free coding clubs in over 40 countries, including India, South Africa and Kenya.

To promote onward progression, Cisco is also supporting the Foundation’s development of a text-based coding tool for Python and HTML/CSS. This Code Editor is designed for young people from the ground up, and it’s optimized for use on mobile and tablet devices to increase access.

Together, Cisco and the Raspberry Pi Foundation will provide thousands of young people opportunities for the future by enabling them to progress their coding skills anywhere, and on any device. Learn more about Raspberry Pi Foundation.

To learn more about Cisco’s non-profit partnerships, please visit the Cisco Foundation web page.

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