Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE)

August 19, 2025 - In Values-based Education By ALiVE Admin 0

Mainstreaming Values in Special Needs Education: Insights from Kenya’s VbE Baseline

As part of Kenya’s national Values-Based Education (VbE) initiative, a targeted effort was made to include 16 Special Needs Education (SNE) institutions in a broader baseline survey and capacity-building program, spanning 19 counties. This inclusion reflects a growing recognition that learners with special needs deserve equal opportunities to experience values-based learning environments that foster moral development, character formation, and holistic growth. In the Central and Eastern SNE cluster, over 200 learners across four institutions—Raimu Integrated School (Kirinyaga), Tumu Tumu School for the Hearing Impaired (Nyeri), Isiolo School for the Deaf (Isiolo), and Ikuu Special School (Tharaka Nithi)—participated in the study. These schools provided rich contextual insights into how values are expressed and reinforced among learners with hearing and intellectual disabilities. One of the most striking findings was the critical role of non-teaching staff, including dormitory matrons, caregivers, and patrons, in modelling and nurturing values such as empathy, respect, and responsibility. Learners consistently referenced support staff as central figures in shaping daily behaviour, particularly in unstructured settings or when teachers were not present. This underscores the importance of adopting a Whole School Approach (WSA) that recognizes every adult in the school environment as a values educator. While formal learner-leadership structures and co-curricular activities were present across all schools, the hidden curriculum, transmitted through daily interactions, emerged as the most influential source of values learning. However, gaps remain. Although values are embedded in curriculum frameworks, the intentional practice of values within the classroom and school culture remains limited. Visual cues promoting values were notably absent, and many educators reported that values education tends to be implicit rather than purposefully designed. To address this, a two-day training for 24 educators, heads of institutions, and curriculum support officers was held in Tharaka Nithi County, introducing participants to the WSA as a systemic strategy to embed values across all facets of school life. For many, this was their first exposure to the framework, and it prompted reflection on missed opportunities to model values consistently and meaningfully. A teacher from Tumu Tumu School reflected, “I’ve come to realize how our everyday interactions among staff become models for learners, we are always teaching, even outside the classroom.” A learner at Isiolo School for the Deaf echoed this sentiment: “Support staff shape how we behave every day, especially when teachers are not around.” Learners at Kuja Special School for the Deaf (Migori) draw maps representing population densities during a Social Studies lesson. These insights reinforce the need for a deliberate, inclusive, and system-wide approach to values education in SNE contexts, one that honours the diverse ways in which learners understand and internalize values, and that empowers all members of the school community to participate in the moral development of every child. In Western Kenya, ALiVE and KICD teams visited 4 special needs education institutions across four counties namely: Kuja Special School for the Deaf (Migori), Chekombero Primary and Junior Special School for the Hearing Impaired (Vihiga), St. Oda Primary and Junior Special School (Siaya) and Nalondo CBM Special School for the Physically Handicapped (Bungoma). These visits included classroom observations, focused group discussions with learners, and interviews with teachers and school leaders, to assess the integration of values within the SNE learning environments. While many learners demonstrated awareness of core values such as kindness, respect, and honesty, their ability to articulate or apply these independently remained limited. This was particularly evident among learners with hearing impairments, who often showed hesitation to participate in class discussions, highlighting the need for more inclusive and adaptive pedagogical strategies. Teachers emphasized the importance of patience, empathy, and inclusive communication when delivering values education to learners with disabilities. Practices such as positive reinforcement, role-playing, and experiential learning activities emerged as highly effective in helping learners internalize values. These findings underscore the need for capacity-building approaches that are grounded in both inclusive pedagogy and values integration. In the Coastal region, additional insights were gathered from Christ the King Maktau Special School in Taita Taveta County, where structural barriers—such as poor infrastructure and environmental hazards—further complicate the delivery of quality education. One teacher shared how classes are routinely interrupted by the threat of wild animals crossing the school grounds, putting mobility-impaired learners at risk and forcing staff to prioritize safety over learning. Despite these challenges, staff remain committed to embedding values into daily teaching, even under resource-constrained conditions. The baseline survey and the consequent monitoring established some disparities in communicating with SNE learners. Most of the VbE-focused materials shared to schools had the values written and explained using words. However, it was established that some SNE learners like those with mental and hearing impairments, would benefit more from visual messages like drawings. Similarly, those with visual impairment would also benefit more with braille-typed materials. Customized materials would not only enrich the learners interaction with values, but also reduce the burden of coding the values and their indicators from the shoulders of teachers and caregivers. At the conclusion of the visits, each school developed tailored action plans focused on four key areas: teacher training, mentorship, parental engagement, and community involvement. Participants emphasized the need for ongoing professional development, including peer learning opportunities and the consistent presence of sign language interpreters to ensure inclusive participation in future engagements. This phase of the VbE pilot illustrates a central truth in values education: success depends not only on structured lessons or curriculum design, but on creating inclusive, value-rich environments where every adult in the school community serves as a living model of the values we aim to cultivate in learners. In SNE contexts especially, intentional, inclusive, and context-responsive strategies are essential to ensuring that no learner is left behind in the journey toward holistic development. @walteronyango1, @karani15701, @polo_raynor

August 19, 2025 - In Values-based Education By ALiVE Admin 0

Madaraka Learners’ Experience of Values in Everyday Interactions

At Madaraka Comprehensive School—aptly named after the Kiswahili word for prestige—a vibrant Grade 5 Mathematics class is in full swing. On this warm afternoon, Teacher Joy facilitates an engaging session on fractions. Learners take turns working through problems with confidence and collaboration. The class reflects Kenya’s social diversity, with students from nearby informal settlements learning alongside peers from different nationalities. Despite their varied origins, each learner is equally encouraged to participate, reflect, and demonstrate their understanding. Beyond academic achievement, Madaraka offers a compelling lens into how values are nurtured and expressed in daily school life. Following the Math lesson, a small group of learners—boys and girls—engaged in a focused group discussion led by Nelly Machu of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). This was part of a three-day baseline study on Values-Based Education (VbE) aimed at assessing learners’ understanding, experiences, and practice of core competencies within the school setting. The insights were both candid and instructive. “It’s hard to help classmates who fight a lot,” one girl shared, drawing from her experience as a prefect. “We try to show them that violence doesn’t solve anything—that dialogue is better. But sometimes, when someone is angry, it’s not easy for them to remember the values we’re taught.” Such reflections offer critical evidence of how deeply learners are engaging with the values embedded in Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). As the VbE baseline concluded, students not only articulated the values they strive to live by—such as peace, empathy, and responsibility—but also proposed ways to embed these more sustainably in their school culture. These learner voices reaffirm the importance of system-wide efforts to integrate values into everyday teaching and learning. They serve as a powerful reminder that when children are trusted and guided, they not only absorb knowledge—they shape it, live it, and carry it forward. @polo_raynor

August 19, 2025 - In Values-based Education By ALiVE Admin 0

Beyond the Classroom: Values in Action at Madaraka Comprehensive School, Kenya

At Madaraka Comprehensive School in Nairobi County, a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) practical lesson unfolds with rich, experiential learning at its core. In this cookery class, the air is filled with the aroma of grilled chicken and freshly kneaded chapatti, while the setting buzzes with learner-driven activity. Adorned in aprons and hats, some creatively improvised from shopping bags, students prepare meals in teams, showcasing both innovation and resourcefulness. This is more than a cooking lesson; it is a live demonstration of values-based education in action. Learners organize themselves and assign each other roles. Some are preparing ingredients, others are cleaning, while there is someone assigned to track the recipes. They are exhibiting high levels of communication, cooperation, empathy, and respect. In the process, they cultivate essential life skills such as turn-taking, responsibility, and appreciation for diversity in abilities while recognizing each other’s contribution. The moment of shared joy comes when the food is ready. “We don’t often eat chicken or fish at home,” one learner remarks. “But when we all contribute, we get to share and taste something special together.” Another proudly adds, “I didn’t know how to cook chicken before. Now I can, and I’ll be the chef at home this Christmas.” This vignette captures the essence of Kenya’s bold shift toward a more values-driven, learner-centred education system, one that recognizes that personal growth, social-emotional development, and ethical grounding are as essential as academic achievement. It demonstrates how curriculum reform, when intentionally infused with values, creates inclusive spaces for learners to thrive both in and beyond the classroom. @polo_raynor

August 19, 2025 - In Values-based Education By ALiVE Admin 0

ALiVE Joins Hands with KICD to Champion Values-based Education

In recognition of the central role that values play in shaping learners’ character and enabling them to thrive in diverse contexts, the Government of Kenya is institutionalizing Values-Based Education (VbE) across all levels of the education system. Grounded in the principles of competency-based education (CBE), this effort aims to integrate values such as integrity, empathy, responsibility, and respect into formal, informal and non-formal learning spaces. In March 2025, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Zizi Afrique Foundation, and the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiated a strategic partnership to support the systemic rollout of VbE. This collaboration leverages ALiVE’s expertise in the assessment and progression of life skills and values, alongside KICD’s leadership in curriculum design and implementation. The partnership has co-created a suite of instructional and training materials—including VbE resource books for teachers and school leaders, guides for parents, a training manual, and public-facing communication materials. These resources are designed to support teachers in embedding values meaningfully into daily classroom practice and to equip institutions with tools for character formation. A joint baseline study conducted ahead of the national pilot brought together a wide array of stakeholders, including teachers, learners, parents, curriculum support officers, Ministry of Education officials, the Teachers Service Commission, Kenya National Examinations Council, and civil society partners. The study included classroom observations, focus group discussions, and interviews to assess how values are currently reflected in learning environments. The findings informed the pre-pilot phase, which has so far reached over 1,000 learners in 80 schools, including both regular and special needs institutions across 19 counties. More than 400 teachers have been trained, and over 200 education officials sensitized. These efforts have laid the groundwork for a national pilot targeting Grades 4, 5, and 6 in Term 2, with participating schools receiving tailored VbE resources. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to embedding values at the heart of education reform in Kenya. It also demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen the capacity of systems to deliver not just academic outcomes, but also the ethical and social foundations learners need to navigate and contribute to the world meaningfully. I would challenge all of us leaders, parents, teachers, learners and caregivers, to prioritize the values and preach it everywhere we go. Let us show it more in our character and speak about it in every gathering we are part of. Prof. Charles Ong’ondo CEO – KICD @polo_raynor

July 25, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

ALiVE Breathes Values and Life Skills into Kenya’s Pastoralist Communities

Aridity may plague their surroundings, but their enduring resilience tells their stories beyond the scorched borders. Their cultures still weave in values and life skills albeit the domineering digital disruptions. They are open to talk and open to learn. This is a highlight of ALiVE’s community dialogues aimed at promoting life skills and values in Isiolo, Kenya. In the heart of Isiolo County resides the heat of the sun. It shines too bright and too hot as to crack the ground! Therefore, a large indigenous tree shade makes for a conference hall in mid-March. Even so, nothing is certain with regards to the weather patterns. We arrive at Kambi ya Juu Integrated School with the rain that disrupts an otherwise grounded meeting with community members (parents and education leaders). We all run to one of the classrooms and camp there until the rain subsides, just enough to let us hear our voices, under the yelling iron sheet roofs. When we settle down, one truth sinks in: modern realities present unique challenges in nurturing and promoting life skills and values, even in this conservative community. “Mobile phones have taken over family conversations. Nowadays, everyone hibernates to their devices in the evening to catch up with the rest of the world, while losing out on family dialogues that we grew up enjoying and learning life through,” laments a mother. “Through the same phones, young people are exposed to evil. Alcohol and substance abuse are coated in appealing content, and this misleads our children. You don’t know who is talking to your child anymore, or what they are watching or reading. Besides, the children themselves do not feel free to share their lives with adults. How then do you nurture values?” asks a father. Such unsettling realities justify the relevance of the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa, (ALiVE) initiative. ALiVE’s core business is to support education systems and communities, to enable children and adolescents to acquire core competencies (generic skills/life skills and values) that help them navigate life through school and beyond. ALiVE Regional Summit 2025 In March 2025, ALiVE held its second regional summit in Isiolo, Kenya. It brought together key system actors in education from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania mainland, and Zanzibar. The summit sought to unpack ALiVE’s theory of change to make meaning of the connection between national-level change and school or community-level changes that directly impact children. The overall message was that life skills and values drive success and help individuals and societies coexist and progress meaningfully. Skills like problem solving, collaboration, digital literacy, and the values like responsibility, respect, and love, are very important for our children. They drive success. Therefore, we support public education systems so that they can deliver on both the academic curriculum and nurture life skills for a more holistic learner development. Dr. John Mugo ALiVE Principal Investigator The summit also gathered government officials from across East Africa. “We live in a society where integrity has cracks. So how do we build values such as accountability in our children? We must not only teach them but also model them so that our children can copy them along. At the end of the day the character of our children impacts all of us. You will not enjoy riding your car with a child who has lost their values and comes to steal your phone. You will not enjoy your home when somebody breaks in and robs you of your property because they have lost their minds to drugs. It is therefore our collective responsibility to shape our children’s character. I want to thank the collaborative efforts through ALiVE initiative, because of the changes we are seeing so far.” said Dr. Grace Baguma, the Deputy Executive Director of the National Curriculum Development Council in Uganda. ALiVE Principal Investigator Dr. John Mugo speaks during one of the community dialogues in Isiolo. The weeklong regional summit was the climax of the celebration of the key milestones which ALiVE has achieved in its 5 years of operation, including: stronger relationships with system agencies; the finalization of frameworks, tools and materials for embedding life skills and values in education curricula, teacher training and assessment; and the training support to 818 system actors to institutionalize these competences. The notable achievements also include significant knowledge sharing and policy influence at national and global events; leadership development through a distributed leadership model and staff transitions, gender programming, the institutionalization of RELI Africa, and securing more funding. Collaborating to promote core competencies across East Africa ALiVE’s collaborative approach positions it to work with both government and non-governmental organizations. This is aimed to support education systems in East Africa, to embed as well as assess core-competencies within their respective education curricula. “Our approach is to work with government institutions because there are various institutions that oversee the CBC implementation. We do not believe in blame games, but we take the approach of cocreating and collaborating with government agencies to ease the implementation of CBC. For instance, we are working with teacher educators, to develop content that integrates life skills and values. This will enable the trained teachers to embrace core-competencies and be able to nurture and assess them once they are deployed,” noted Dr. Mugo. ALiVE thrives in co-creation to build ownership and foster learning, in the journey of core-competencies (also known as life skills and values). We appreciate the fact that skills cannot be assessed the same way as academic work is tested. That is why ALiVE develops tools and build capacities of teachers, trainers, parents and community leaders, so that they can sustainably nurture as well as support the assessment of life skills and values. Khadija Shariff ALiVE Co-PI, Assessment Shift ALiVE exists to generate and share evidence that would enhance the implementation of competency-based education across East Africa. “The evidence and data that ALiVE co-creates and shares forms part of the critical pillar needed to support a shift towards a competency-based curriculum that delivers value-based education,” said Dr.

July 25, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

My Turbulent yet Triumphant Trip to the ALiVE Summit 2025

I was just two months into my internship when the second ALiVE regional summit came calling. I was eager to meet the regional teams whom I had only known but through emails. I wanted to understand life skills and values deeper. I desired to interact with policy players and sieve into the ALiVE team’s wisdom into systems shift. My many miles journey began with a mess, but I missed nothing in the end. My name is Janet Musyoka. The dream Journey Roosters crowing, skies rumbling, and me, bright-eyed and ready to conquer the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) Summit in Isiolo. I thought I had it all figured out. I got a call from my team leader, cool as ever, saying, “We’ll pick you up at Makutano junction, please be there in time.” A golden chance! I thought to myself, “This is my moment to shine. I would be early, waiting with a smile, to be picked,” I promised. Then, the storm hit hard! It started raining. The kind of rain that does not fall, it pounds! The drenched Mwea roads know no matatu. When it rains even motorbikes disappear. It took forever, but I finally flagged one down. The rider looked at me like I had just asked for directions to Mordor, nonetheless we set off. Eventually, I roved into Makutano junction; muddy, sweaty, and not at all the punctual hero I had envisioned. My team was already there, giving me that look of concern and probably thinking, “Did she wrestle a camel on her way here?” I learned patience and respect as the team leader calmly allowed me to board. I noted with a ton of remorse that some of the passengers in the bus had begun their journeys at midnight only to come and camp at Makutano, waiting for the late intern! I should have called to state my state. I should have communicated clearly without offering uncertain hope of my arrival time. Problem-solving 101, score zero! I should have arranged to be picked up on the second trip. Despite the chaos, the ditches, the rain, and the drain, the ALiVE Summit was worth it. Arrival at Isiolo Just when our journey had left us weary, the natural world stepped in to rejuvenate our spirits. The summit was hosted at a hotel in the middle of the Buffalo Springs National Reserve and the sight of the wildlife quickly erased any traces of exhaustion. As our team gathered to witness the stunning sights: a cheetah gracefully patrolling its domain, gazelles bouncing across the plains, towering giraffes nibbling at treetops, and playful waterbucks frolicking in the distance—their tired faces lit up with wonder. It was nature’s own energy boost, a wild reminder of the beauty that exists even when life’s journey gets murky. Then Came the Summit! From the moment I set foot in the conference hall on the morning of March 11,2025, I knew this summit was going to be more than just another professional gathering. It felt like a movement. The Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) had organized its second regional summit in Isiolo, Kenya. The summit brought together a dynamic group of civil society organizations (ALiVE partners), researchers, policymakers, and community advocates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. The discussions were focused on the pressing issues in translating systems change to impact on children and communities. The summit also celebrated the five-year milestones of the ALiVE initiative. The present powerhouse of minds unpacked ALiVE’s theory of change and explored how national-level shifts trickle down to real impact in schools and homes. Dr. John Mugo, ALiVE Principal Investigator and the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, made the introductory remarks. He stated a four-point purpose of the summit: take stock, align, bond and celebrate. Isiolo County’s Deputy Governor who officially opened the summit, welcomed participants to Isiolo and challenged us to ensure that education addresses the needs of local and pastoralist economies. He also lobbied for deeper collaboration between ALiVE and other agencies, “ALiVE will be alive not to leave anyone behind. If you’re alive, you should be in ALiVE,” he said. With the vibe set, we had dived into group reflections, celebrating the gains and pains through ALiVE’s half a decade of operation. Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, ALiVE Co-Principal investigator and the Executive Director at Uwezo Uganda, grounded us in ALiVE’s systems change model. She likened it to a four-legged stool – held up by curriculum, assessment, teacher training, and parental involvement. “Take one leg out and the stool gets wobbly!” She noted. The power panel praised milestones and poked gaps while presenting possible partnership areas around life skills and values (also known as core-competencies in Kenya and generic skills in Uganda). “For a long time, we only valued basic research. We are not taking serious research on practice,” noted Prof. Jackline Nyere of Kenyatta University. ALiVE embraces a collaborative approach in working with government and other education stakeholders. “Collaboration with government implies aligning to the mandate of the targeted institutions. It is useful for non-state actors to align their planning with the national government budgetary cycle,” emphasized Dr. Purity Ngina, the CEO, National Gender and Equality Commission. A community dialogue session in which ALiVE engaged parents on nurturing life skills and values Day two of the summit opened in the field. We visited Elsa Primary School located just a few kilometres outside Isiolo town. After the warm performances, the learners settled down in class while we spoke with the parents. “We appreciate the support from ALiVE and other stakeholders who contribute to real change, not just in the learning outcomes but in our learners’ attitudes,” observed a teacher. The values lessons flow between school and home. “We teach our children responsibility at home; like washing their own uniforms and helping in the kitchen garden. It’s our way of supporting what they learn in school,” said a parent. It was a powerful reminder that while assessments matter,

July 24, 2025 - In Blogs‚ Explore and Learn By ALiVE Admin 0

Why we Need to Rethink Collaboration: Lessons from Utrecht

How can people from different parts of the world come together to profoundly change education systems not just on paper, but in real life? That was the big question at the Global Partnerships for Life Skills Education Conference, held in June 2025 at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands. I was lucky to be part of this gathering, where educators, researchers, funders, and policymakers from across Africa and Europe came together. We did not just talk about life skills, we talked about how we work together, who leads, who listens, and how to build partnerships that matter. This was no ordinary conference. It was an open pot of conversations, sometimes hot and uncomfortable, yet full of big ideas about how to shift power, build trust, and make education more meaningful for young people, especially in Africa. Moving Past Old Models of Collaboration One of the most powerful sessions of the conference included a honest conversation about how international partnerships often work and how they need to change. A number of issues, concerns and proposals emerged from these deliberations. One of the concerns that emerged was that, too often, big ideas in education are crafted in Europe or North America, then simply sent over to African countries. Local experts are asked to “adapt” or “implement” these ideas but rarely lead the work themselves. This top-down model is outdated, and frankly, unfair. Secondly, the researchers reminded us that African countries have the knowledge, experience, and creativity needed to lead their own education reforms. Consequently, what they need are equal partners not just donors or advisors. We also spoke about the challenges of working through partnerships. That, different partners often have diverse ways of working. And that sometimes, they may use different terms, have different expectations, or follow different timelines. But these challenges can be solved if there’s clear communication and mutual respect. Funding, Publishing, and the Problem of Recognition. Of course, research hinges on resources. However, getting funding for African-led work remains a challenge. Many global funds still flow through institutions in the Global North, and African organizations often end up as sub-partners instead of leaders. Recent analysis by the Education Sub-Sahara Africa (ESSA) established that, research is grossly under-funded in Africa and accounts for just two percent of the global output, with dismal output level from women and early-career researchers. Only 10 percent of the accessible research is funded, and even this is funded from external sources. The situation constrains research training and progression of young researchers. Publishing is another issue. African researchers struggle to get their work into top international journals. These journals often do not value locally driven or community-based research. To fix this, we discussed setting up our own journals or pushing for special editions in existing ones (those that center African voices and ideas). We also reflected on how research success is often measured using tools like the H-index or impact factor. These were developed in Western academic systems and do not always reflect what is valuable in African contexts. Instead of asking how many papers someone has published, we need to ask the extent to which the work changed lives? The ALiVE Experience and What Lies Ahead. Dr. John Mugo the Principal Investigator of ALiVE presents at the conference For our team at Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiative, the conference was a great chance to share what we have been doing and to connect with others working on similar goals. We spoke about how we have been collaborating with different stakeholders including government agencies to better understand and nurture life skills and values in our education systems. The sessions gave us innovative ideas on how to move forward. We are now exploring ways to co-author research papers with international partners and even launch peer learning simulations. Most importantly, we came away with a renewed belief that African voices must not just be included, they must lead. A New Way of Working Together In conclusion, one of the things that made this conference different was its spirit. It was not just about networking or presenting research ideas. It was about rethinking how we work together. My key takeaway was that, collaboration is not just about signing agreements or organizing meetings. True collaboration means sharing power, building trust, and creating space for everyone’s voice. It means seeing African partners not as “beneficiaries” but as co-creators. At a time when global funding is shifting and institutions like USAID are pulling back, we need to find new ways to sustainably support each other. That might mean building regional alliances, designing locally funded programs, or simply listening better. The future of education, especially life skills education depends on this. Not just what we teach, but how we come together to make it happen. By David Alelah – Regional MEL Coordinator, ALiVE

June 20, 2025 - In ALiVE Academy By ALiVE Admin 0

First Book, First Time Authors!

ALiVE seeks to build a community of experts in many spheres that regard life skills and values. Even in this publication, ALiVE brought together 25 contributors who co-authored different chapters of the book. Notably, more than half of them are first time authors. Here is a highlight of their experience in developing content for the book. So far, the ALiVE book has registered nearly 40,000 downloads and multiple citations from across the globe. Download free copy here https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-51490-6. We thank those who have used this book, our evidence, reports and tools that we continue to freely share on /ALiVE Open-Source Platform . Read more on https://www.alive-reli.org/articles-books/

June 20, 2025 - In ALiVE Academy By ALiVE Admin 0

The ALiVE Book

The Contextualization of 21st Century Skills: Assessment in East Africa Another first from ALiVE is the publication of a book entitled, The Contextualisation of 21st Century Skills: Assessment in East Africa. This book provides readers with a pragmatic yet technically robust process for undertaking large scale assessment program designed to inform policy. It is a rich resource that demonstrates how to build agreed understanding of 21st century skills. It highlights the intersection of culture, values, and believes with the 21st century skills. Fundamentally, the book tells three stories: Contextualisation The first 6 chapters of the book immerse the reader in the process of contextualisation adapted by the ALiVE program, the contextual definitions of the 21st century skills by East Africa and a comparison to the global understanding and conceptual frameworks. Assessment Using Scenario-based Tools From the contextual definitions, ALiVE developed scenario and performance-based tools and used the tools to assess 45,000 adolescents aged 13-17 years old in East Africa. The book investigates this journey of tool development while allowing the reader an opportunity to interact with a sample of the tasks and the findings of the assessment in East Africa. The Education Policy in East Africa The chapters help readers to appreciate how East Africa’s education systems have evolved to include the 21st century competencies, the challenges faced in the implementations but also the opportunities that exist from the ALiVE findings. The book was officially launched at the Comparative International Education Society (CIES) conference 2024 in Miami, Florida. The CIES Conference brings together more than 4,000 participants annually, including education researchers, policymakers, multilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, analysts, practitioners, and students from across the globe to share evidence and explore educational issues. Conversations in the book cover early childhood and primary school to secondary and higher education, as well as non-formal education and lifelong learning. For ALiVE, the climax of CIES 2024 conference was the launch of the ALiVE Book, Contextualisation of 21st Century Skills: Assessment in East Africa. The book seeks to share lessons from the ALiVE project implementation experience since 2020. The book is yet another milestone for a project which was seeks to check if and how values and life skills could be nurtured and assessed in the East African context. The ALiVE book also reports on the levels of these core competencies among some 45,000 adolescents, from a household-based assessment conducted in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. This may arguably be the largest such assessment ever carried out withing the East African context. The results describe how adolescents vary in proficiency by region, age, and other factors, providing a resource for national education ministries to factor into policy decisions. This open access book is written for educators and policy makers who seek to empower young people with competencies necessary for meaningful lives in the 21st century. The book has been lauded as another first by ALiVE initiative. During its global launch, a participant noted, “ALiVE has done what no one else has accomplished in the world.” In May of 2024, ALiVE team hosted a global X-space conversation around the book. Over 350 participants joined in and many more have since followed through the conversation which is also available via these links: https://youtu.be/uhIltJeYXHw and https://youtu.be/1HTmfjH9YVQ. The ALiVE book was co-edited by Prof. Esther Care, Dr. John Mugo and Dr. Mauro Giacomazzi. We are pleased to release this book to the global education community. This may be the first book that is written by people who are rooted in the context of education in East Africa. We are showing that people that are working in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa can themselves develop and conduct assessment. This book gives them a voice. A voice to tell the African story in African voices – and publication. Dr Mugo ALiVE PI The ALiVE book provided the rationale and the concepts behind assessment of life skills and values specific to East Africa. In that sense, the book provides a framework for moving to the next step, which is about the multiple ways in which these competencies can be embedded coherently into a system. It is at this next step that the ALiVE Academy members are increasingly involved in their jurisdictions, although they also remain focussed on methods for assessment of the skills and the development of learning progressions which will help identify expected proficiencies of learners Prof. Care Technical Advisor Front L – R: Some of the Co-Authors: Martin Ariapa, Samuel Otieno, Khadija Shariff, Devotha Festo, David Alelah and Stella Rose Akongo. Back: Co-Editors Dr. John Mugo and Prof. Esther Care at EAC HQ in Arusha ALiVE Book was later honoured at the inaugural East African Community (EAC) Education Conference in Arusha, Tanzania. The conference took place in August 2024.

June 20, 2025 - In ALiVE Academy By ALiVE Admin 0

Horine Kinoti, Scholar

I am Horine Kinoti. I joined the ALiVE Academy in 2024 to assist in capturing insights from the sessions, for posterity. The idea is to be able to have local experts run the Academy in terms of transferring knowledge gained to future cohorts thereby reducing over-reliance on global experts. Amazingly, I got immersed in the Academy, participating in all sessions, Academy activities, research on life skills and values. That is how I graduated into an AA Scholar! The sessions, though intense, are usually very interactive and interesting. I think when ‘I grow up’ I need to have such facilitation skills such as the ones exhibited by Prof. Esther Care. Armed with knowledge from the Academy, I am proud to be among the local experts leading system change work here in Kenya. For instance, I have successfully facilitated workshops on life skills and values for teacher education in both Eregi and Machakos Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs). During the workshops, we engaged in unpacking the core competencies and values as per the CBC. Beyond that we developed assessment frameworks, performance indicators, criteria and assessment tasks and rubrics. In addition, I have been contributing as an expert in developing values-based education materials which were co-created with experts from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). I have also participated in developing training manuals and information materials for parents, for nurturing national values. This was done alongside officials from the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values in Kenya. The gains from the ALiVE Academy also enabled me to participate and facilitate the development of 13–17-year-old scenario-based and performance-based assessment tasks. The tasks were used during the April 2024 pilot assessment. I really appreciate the ALiVE leadership for according to me this chance to be member of the ALiVE Academy. As a knowledge manager dealing more with software, I never imagined myself in the education sector making a difference and contributing to the common futures that ALiVE envisions, future where children and youth are living, thriving and navigating social, work and life challenges. I am proud AA Scholar! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my41B-RN8Ig