Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA)

  • R Research Project/Report/Study

I Inactive

Key Information

Commissioned to address this issue, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Uganda-funded Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA), implemented by RTI International, developed a unique approach to combatting and preventing violence of all forms in schools based on the following logic model: If life at school is characterized by a positive and supportive school climate, a violence-free environment, and effective instruction, then students enjoy learning and participate in class without fear of humiliation and punishment, remain in school throughout the primary cycle, and succeed in their school work. As such, the LARA team produced Journeys, an innovative approach to eliminating violence in schools, which was informed by research on school climate and social and emotional learning; known mediators of SRGBV, such as cultural norms related to gender and power relations; adult experiential learning models; Ugandan educationist views and expertise; SRGBV prevention and intervention case studies; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Presencing Institute U-Model(link is external). The Journeys approach is unique in that it applies awareness-building social technologies, such as guided reflection, and prototyping to allow individual and collective actions for social change to emerge naturally rather than conducting any form of direct training or “sensitization.” Recognizing that the gender norms and power relations that produce and maintain SRGBV are entrenched throughout schools and communities, the approach is designed to engage all of the key actors in school change: teaching and non-teaching school staff, community members, and students themselves. Journeys is implemented through a set of three activity handbooks (Journeys Activity Handbook for Teachers and School Staff, Journeys Activity Handbook for Community Members, Journeys Activity Handbook for Pupils), each of which is specifically designed to provide a facilitator with a set of activities that guide reflection, stimulate dialogue and promote idea generation related to building a positive and supportive school, where violence cannot thrive.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Uganda

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2015 - 2020

Partner(s)

Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports

Ministry Affiliation

Minister of Education and Sports, Uganda

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary completion

Other skills

  • Social and emotional learning

Quality

  • School quality
  • School-related gender-based violence
  • School violence

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Other academic performance-related

Cross-cutting areas

  • Community sensitization
  • Gender equality
  • Other cultural practices
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs
  • Violence (at home, in relationships)

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys in school, Community leaders, Girls in school, Teachers - female, Teachers - male, Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary

Other populations reached

  • Other community members - female
  • Other community members - male
  • Parent-teacher associations/school management committees
  • School administrators

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • Community mobilization
  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Curriculum/learning

  • Gender-sensitive curricula

Learning while working

  • Apprenticeship/internship

Life skills education

  • Gender, rights and power
  • Negotiation skills
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills building

Other

  • Other activities to address/end violence (not captured above)

School-related gender-based violence

  • Anti-violence policies and codes of conduct
  • Safe and welcoming schools
  • Safe channels/mechanisms for reporting violence
  • Training of school personnel (including teachers)
  • Violence prevention curriculum/activities for students

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Group activities with students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Work with community leaders

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy
  • Teaching materials (e.g. lesson plans, curricula)

Women's empowerment programs

  • Leadership training

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Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased literacy
  • Increased primary school completion
  • Increased years of schooling
  • Reduced absenteeism

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved understanding of sexual harassment, coercion, and consent
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • More equal power in relationships
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV)