Ethiopia, Wolaita Zone; 2026-2027; Boeing Foundation
Girls in Ethiopia, particularly those in remote rural areas, face unequal access to quality education and are significantly under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects and careers.
Building on a successful pilot and a decade of investment, this project represents the next phase of Link Education Ethiopia’s partnership with Boeing, building on strong evidence from previous investments in STEM induction and numeracy improvement in Wolaita Zone. While the 2025/26 project focused on expanding access to STEM induction, the 2026/27 project will deepen impact by strengthening classroom practice, institutionalizing approaches within government systems, and creating a sustainable, scalable learning model.
The 2026/2027 project will add two new secondary schools, bringing the total to 10 schools, The two new schools will be established as ‘learning exchange centres’ adopting the most effective practices from the eight existing schools while piloting new, higher-impact innovations based on learning from 2025/26.
Key Facts
First we have to believe that girls have equal chances, and equal opportunities as men.
Universities and Colleges representative (STAGES Baseline 2018)
Key Activities
- System Strengthening & Institutionalization: building leadership capacity of STEM department heads.
- Advanced Teacher Professional Development (Classroom Practice Improvement): continuous, school-based coaching and mentoring of teachers.
- Expanded Student Engagement (Peer Learning and Knowledge Transfer): active student participation in STEM learning through Social and Emotional Learning-driven induction sessions for girls and new students, formation of Student STEM Teams, STEM exhibitions and cross-school learning workshops.
- Strengthened Community & Gender Norms Work: community dialogue sessions, female STEM role model visits, and meetings with community-school bodies to build awareness and reinforce supportive environments for girls’ education.
- Improved Use of Technology and Simulation: integration of digital tools and structured use of STEM simulation tools to enhance experiential and interactive learning in classrooms.
- Monitoring, Learning & Evidence Use: strengthens data-driven decision-making and learning across participating schools.
- Scaling and Sustainability: institutional ownership of project results.