Closing the Gaps: Expanding Literacy and Technology Access for Students in Ivory Coast
At Impactful Education, we believe that education is the foundation for opportunity. While more than 3,000 students benefit from our minimum one-hour weekly library lessons, focusing on foundational literacy and technology skills, we recognized that many still needed additional support to bridge the gaps in literacy and digital education. This realization led to the launch of the “Closing the Gaps” program, an extracurricular initiative designed to strengthen students’ reading, writing, and technology skills beyond the classroom.
What is the “Closing the Gaps” Program?
The “Closing the Gaps” program provides students with three specialized clubs aimed at enhancing literacy, fostering creativity, and building essential technology skills:
📖 Literacy Club – Strengthening reading, writing, and communication skills.
💻 Technology Club – Providing digital literacy and programming opportunities.
📰 Newsletter Club – Blending writing and graphic design to enhance storytelling.
Additionally, we are proud to be the first organization in Ivory Coast to introduce the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s “Code Club,” giving students free hands-on coding experience and the opportunity to develop computational thinking skills.
Four Months of Impact: What We Have Achieved So Far
Since launching, over 200 students now participate in these clubs weekly, and we are already seeing remarkable progress:
📖 Literacy Club: Fostering a Love for Reading and Writing
- Over 350 books are read in just four months, with students engaging in both group and individual reading sessions.
- Writing workshops encourage students to explore topics they are passionate about or relevant to their academic curriculum, enhancing critical thinking and writing skills.
- French and English: Since we operate in a French-speaking country, the club offers support in French grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, as well as basic English learning, including everyday conversation skills, sentence structure, and key vocabulary building.
- Monthly debates allow students to research and discuss key topics, helping them build public speaking confidence and general knowledge.
💻 Technology Club: Bridging the Digital Divide
Many students start this program with little or no experience using computers, making digital literacy a crucial focus.
- Basic digital skills training: Internet browsing, typing, word processing (Microsoft Word & Google Docs).
- Advanced technical skills training:
- Graphic Design: Canva, GIMP, Photoshop.
- Coding: Scratch and HTML & CSS.
- Productivity Tools: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite.
- More than 65% of participants spend at least two hours per week on computers, improving their ability to navigate technology efficiently and build essential skills for future professional success.
- Over 50 students are now creating coding games, animations, and interactive stories using Scratch, marking an important milestone in their digital education journey.
📰 Newsletter Club: Merging Creativity with Digital Skills
The Newsletter Club serves as a bridge between literacy and technology, allowing students to apply their writing and digital skills in a real-world format:
- Students develop journalistic writing, research, and storytelling skills.
- They gain experience in digital content creation, including graphic design, layout structuring, and digital publishing.
- With 15 dedicated students, the club is currently working on an end-of-year digital magazine, combining interviews, research, and creative writing. This project is led by students with guidance from our field volunteer, giving them ownership over their work and a platform to share their voices.
Why “Closing the Gaps” Matters
By providing these extracurricular learning opportunities, we are ensuring that no student is left behind, whether in literacy, digital literacy, or creative expression. Our goal is to continue expanding these clubs, equipping even more students with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
We are proud of the progress made in just four months and look forward to seeing these young learners grow, innovate, and lead the way toward a brighter future.
📢 Want to support our mission? Reach out to us to learn how you can contribute to empowering students through literacy and technology!