Refugee status can severely impact a child’s education. The chaos of fleeing, the absence of caregivers, and the struggle to meet basic needs can result in significant gaps in learning and development.
To address this issue, Yuri Milner’s non-profit initiative Tech For Refugees is funding aprendIA, a new AI-driven education platform. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), the organisation behind aprendIA, has been a Tech For Refugees partner since February 2023.
A Revolution in Education for the Humanitarian Sector
The IRC has designed aprendIA with the expertise of its Airbel Impact Lab. The platform provides interactive two-way learning and AI personalisation so children, parents, and teachers can access engaging educational experiences.
aprendIA delivers educational content over messaging platforms like SMS and WhatsApp. As refugees often already use these platforms, the IRC can deploy aprendIA rapidly and at scale, without expensive hardware or software.
Aside from providing content in various formats, like videos and PDFs, aprendIA gives feedback, instructional ideas, and personalised prompts. The platform can help communities prepare for future educational disruptions without burdening overstretched and under-resourced educators and services.
aprendIA already supports pilot programmes in Nigeria, Colombia, and Bangladesh. Early feedback indicates that these prototypes have helped learners engage more, reduced teacher workloads, and enhanced learning outcomes.
Pioneering A Training Tool in North-East Nigeria
Using the aprendIA platform, the IRC is developing a training tool for teachers in North-East Nigeria. This tool will ensure teachers have the skills and knowledge to use Talking Books and Pens from Mavis Computel, a Nigerian edtech startup, with their students.
The IRC has partnered with Mavis Computel to pilot its innovative digital pens and books in non-formal school centres. These centres are part of the Opportunity to Learn project, which the IRC established with Plan International and other partners.
The training tool uses the aprendIA platform to teach educators about Talking Books and Pens through their mobile devices. Users can message the Mavis FAQ Chatbot via WhatsApp and choose topics from a menu. The chatbot then provides related videos and other resources in English and Hausa, the local language.
The IRC plans to add a dashboard and additional training content, such as pedagogy, to the training tool.
Tech For Refugees’ Other Humanitarian Work
Education is a key focus of Tech For Refugees’ humanitarian efforts. In June 2023, the non-profit partnered with UNICEF USA to bring vital educational assistance to Ukrainian children. The country’s educational challenges are critical, with hundreds of thousands of students unable to access in-person schooling.
Aside from education, Tech For Refugees supports programmes that provide people in crisis with aid supplies, shelter, and transport. The non-profit also helped finance Welcome Connect, a digital platform that enables U.S. citizens to connect with refugees seeking sponsorship.
Learn more about Tech For Refugees’ innovative programmes.
About Yuri Milner
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Yuri Milner founded Tech For Refugees in 2022 after seeing the struggles of families fleeing Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. The non-profit supports humanitarian relief efforts that use technology to improve the lives of refugees.
Tech For Refugees is an initiative from Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Foundation. He and his wife Julia launched the Foundation in 2012 to help realise their Giving Pledge. The Foundation also supports the Breakthrough Prize and organises the annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
A deep concern for the long-term future of humanity underpins Yuri Milner’s philanthropic work. He believes a shared mission to explore and understand our Universe can unite humanity and improve the lives of people everywhere. In 2021, the entrepreneur wrote a short book, Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation, expounding on his vision.
