Meet Issa, One of Mali Rising's Newest Students

Last week we announced some great news -- a surprise gift to help us build our 23rd school! It will be located in the village of Kafara, where the children and parents alike are celebrating. Today I wanted to share just one story of a student who will benefit from the new school, Issa. Issa may look more serious than your typical 9th grader but...well, frankly he probably is a bit more serious than your typical 9th grader.

The Mystery of the Fluctuating DEF Scores

The DEF exam in Mali tests 9th grade students as they graduate from middle school. If students pass the test, they are eligible to continue on to higher education. If they fail, they must repeat 9th grade until they succeed. This reality combined with the fact that the DEF test results are the only quantitative measure we have of how much our students are learning means that it’s incredibly important to us to have strong pass rates. Frustratingly, DEF pass rates fluctuate greatly from year to year. Why?

Applications Now Open for Youth Ambassadors

I'm proud to say that through this job I've met some of the greatest young people, both in Mali and in the United States. Lately, I've had the pleasure of working with Roshini, who inspired a whole new project at Mali Rising. Today, with the help of Roshini and four other high school students who make up the Youth Ambassadors Advisory Council, we're pleased to open applications for 18/19 school year Youth Ambassadors.

Diving Beneath the Data

I love working with the data because it shows us where we’re at, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. It’s exciting to track our progress over multiple years, to dig into whether we’re improving or not and why. But as much as data is able to tell us, there is a lot that it can’t tell us, and a lot that is misleading with careful review. 

An Egg & Spoon Race in Mali? Sure Thing!

Just like here in the U.S., students are out of school for the summer in Mali. At the end of each school year but before the students scatter, we hold a celebration in each of our three Girls Project pilot villages. We use the parties for serious goals (collecting feedback, engaging parents, etc.), but they are also just plain fun. I'm sharing some pictures here from the party in Kolimba, a tiny village a few hours of dusty, bouncy dirt road from the nearest pavement. 

We're Looking For A Few Outstanding High School Students

Sometimes you meet a young person who just inspires you. Such was the case for me when I met Roshini. In addition to raising funds for scores of menstural kits for our girls, Roshini inspired us to launch a new Mali Rising Project -- the Youth Ambassadors. Now we need a few more bright high school students to help make it happen.

What Our Girls Want To Be When They Grow Up...

It is such an annoying grownup question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But it is an important question for young people as they enter middle and high school. The question is on my mind because one of many questions we ask girls participating in our Girls Project at the beginning of each school year and again at the end of the year.