Academy for Educational Development
Connecting People - Creating Change

AED and EFA

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) is particularly pleased to have the opportunity to co-sponsor this issue of TechKnowlogia, which is devoted to the Education For All activities leading up to the EFA World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in April. Providing the opportunity for a quality education for all is the cornerstone of development in all countries.

In support of the meeting in Dakar, AED has prepared the U.S. assessment report, Education For All: A Global Commitment, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and U.S. governmental agencies. The AED report details U.S. progress during the past decade at home and its assistance to other nations in reaching the goal of universal primary education set at Jomtien. The report is available in print from AED directly by mail, or through AED’s website site, www.aed.org, and through the EFA web site www2.unesco.org/wef/.

While great progress has been made, the education divide between industrialized and developing nations is growing.  The World Education Forum provides an extraordinary opportunity to build upon the great strides that have been made in broad, systemic education reform and development to ensure that a quality education is available to all within the decade ahead.

AED's Focus

AED is an independent nonprofit organization committed to solving critical social problems in the United States and throughout the world through education, training, social marketing, policy analysis, and innovative program design.  The Academy is dedicated to improving people’s lives by increasing knowledge and promoting democratic and humanitarian ideals.  Since its founding in 1961, AED has been devoted to providing specialized assistance to more than 100 countries and to communities throughout the United States to develop innovative solutions to the challenge of providing quality education for all.

AED draws upon an international staff for education planning, management information systems, in-service and pre-service teacher preparation, assessment of needs for curricular changes, and application of broadcast and digital technologies for effective delivery of education programs.  Much of the Academy’s work is focused on ensuring educational opportunities for girls, people in rural areas, and other disadvantaged populations.

The Academy provides its services on a nonprofit basis by entering into agreements with governments, communities, schools, and donor institutions to assist ministries of education and educational institutions in improving their own skills and meeting their educational goals.  The AED Global Higher Education Policy Center is helping colleges and universities worldwide to identify and apply alternative approaches to funding and development in light of the urgent need to offer opportunity for the increasing number of secondary school graduates who have little or no access to higher education in many countries around the world.   Another AED Center,  Ready to Learn, emphasizes early childhood development assistance.

In addition, the Academy provides services that address youth development, health improvement, communication and technology applications, and educational and cultural exchange and international training.  During the year 2000, AED is placing special emphasis on improving child survival from preventable diseases through the use of education and communication programs that help parents to adopt new methods and technologies at the community and village level.

AED extends its appreciation to the many representatives of countries and educational institutions, of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies and foundations, and to educators around the world who support the Academy’s work.

More Information

A complete list of countries served and the descriptions of projects undertaken by the Academy are available at the Academy’s web site: www.aed.org.

Or write to:

AED
Office of the President
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.  20009
Tel:  202-884-8000
Fax:  202-884-8400
Email: admindc@aed.org