Think Creative Fall 2023

Creative Life

a mission-driven community

Leland Kruvant, center, met with key officials in Sokoto to reconfirm their mutual commitment to educating children in Nigeria.

Cory Heyman, who leads Creative's education work, smiles at children during a visit to Nigeria.

Creative has implemented education programs in Nigeria for a decade.

Continuing a legacy of progress

Creative’s leaders visit programs promoting education, peace and economic growth

Creative was all in on Nigeria as Creative Pres ident & CEO Leland Kruvant lead a team on a one-week visit with LEARN to Read, REWARD II and the West Africa Trade Hub. Kruvant – along with Fernando Reimers, Ph.D., Professor fromHarvard University and Creative’s Advisory Board Member, Chief of Staff TimKernan and Vice President Cory Heyman – were in Abuja and Sokoto from July 22 to July 28 for meetings with USAID, high-level Nigerian officials and educators to promote Creative’s nearly two decades of programming success in the country. In Sokoto, Creative continues its longstanding education work through its Leveraging Educa tion Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) to Read program. Sokoto’s Governor said that Creative’s implementation of USAID-funded programs have made a remarkable difference in educational outcomes in the state. “We thank you most sincerely for all the assistance and access to basic education for our out-of-school children,” said Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto. “We also thank you for your pol icies and guidelines for different programs by USAID. Be rest assured that this collaboration will continue. The Sokoto state is fully commit ted to partner with our development partners for the progress of our state.” Progress in Nigeria The USAID-supported LEARN program is a

step in a new direction, moving from direct implementation to technical assistance. Creative previously implemented USAID’s Northern Education Initiative and NEI Plus projects in Sokoto and Bauchi states that were touted as enormous successes. The projects provided teaching and learning materials, teacher training, and monitoring and assis tance of school support officers. The uptake of new student-centered, struc tured lessons was high, and early grade reading

Fernando Reimers, Ph.D., a Harvard professor and Creative Advisory Board Member, joined the delegation to discuss pressing education issues.

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We thank you most sincerely for all the assistance and access to basic education for our out-of-school children.” - Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto

assessments showed substantial improvement in student reading achievement before COVID. The formula for reading instruction in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and English was working — reliably replicable with larger numbers of teachers and schools. “It made sense to shift the next project, LEARN, toward technical assistance,” says Creative’s Vice President of Education Heyman. LEARNwould help the Ministry of Education and receptive state ministries adopt the historically successful approach. n

Creative President & CEO Leland Kruvant went back to school and joined students in a classroom.

Photos by Randy Haniel

28 | Think Creative | Fall 2023