Academy for Educational Development

NEW AED INITIATIVE SEEKS BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS IN EDUCATION

Washington, D.C., January 10, 2007 — In an effort to collect and distribute the most effective, cutting-edge strategies for promoting teaching and learning in developing countries, the Academy for Educational Development created the “Breakthrough Ideas in Education” initiative.

“We strongly believe that there are innovative, effective education strategies that need to be made known so the world can better meet the goals of Education for All,” said Mary Joy Pigozzi, senior vice president and co-director of the AED Global Learning Group. “To that end, we are soliciting ideas from all corners of the globe and giving special recognition to the ten best.”

An idea is considered “breakthrough” when it is a proven education innovation, method, or approach that results in measurable, replicable, scaleable, and sustainable improvements in learning.

“An example would be the method employed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Yunis, founder of the Grameen Bank to provide credit to the poor, which has been successfully replicated around the world, helping millions of people,” said Patrick Fine, senior vice president and co-director of the AED Global Learning Group.

To solicit ideas, AED is reaching out to individuals and organizations around the world and has placed an advertisement in the current edition of The Economist magazine. A copy of the advertisement and more information can be found at www.aed.org/Education/.

Up to ten of the most promising ideas will be awarded $1,000 each. In addition, AED will post all ideas submitted on the Global Learning Portal, a Web-based network of educators from around the globe. AED will also publicly recognize the selected breakthrough ideas at the annual conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, to be held in Baltimore, Md., Feb. 25 – March 1.

All of the information on how to submit an idea is available on the Global Learning Portal at www.glp.net.
Founded in 1961, the Academy for Educational Development (www.aed.org) is a nonprofit organization working in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on improving education, health, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world.

The Global Learning Portal is a partnership between U.S. Agency for International Development, Sun Microsystems and AED. This free, non-commercial Internet portal offers an infrastructure for educators worldwide to create discussion groups that can provide support, tips for explaining complex lessons, advice on dealing with disciplinary issues and best practices. The site also has a wealth of educational materials that can be adapted to suit individual classrooms, schools, or countries.

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