Amal Alliance Inc

THE ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING DISPLACED AND DISENFRANCHISED CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN BOTH INFORMAL AND FORMAL EDUCATION SETTINGS. WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ALL GLOBAL CITIZENS WITH A SOCIAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS NEEDED TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. WE SEEK TO ENGAGE SYSTEMS THAT AFFECT DISPLACED AND DISENFRANCHISED CHILDREN BY OFFERING HOLISTIC, EVIDENCED-BASED INTERVENTIONS. OUR WHOLE CHILD APPROACH STIMULATES THE MIND AND BODY THROUGH EDUCATION AND INTEGRATION PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND ADDRESS TRAUMA AT ITS ROOT CAUSE. THESE PROGRAMS ALLOW CHILDREN TO FIND INNER STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE DESPITE THEIR CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES.

COLORS OF KINDNESS IS AMAL ALLIANCE'S INNOVATIVE EDTECH SOLUTION THAT AIMS TO (1) IMPROVE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND WELLBEING; (2) CREATE EVIDENCE BASED FINDINGS THAT MEASURE CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS IN RELATION TO THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE; (3) INCREASE ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT WITH DISTANCE LEARNING; AND (4) BUILD A SCALABLE MODEL THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW SEL SKILLS CAN BE INTRODUCED TO NATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS. ALIGNED TO THE GLOBAL COMPACT ON REFUGEES AND THE REFUGEE EDUCATION STRATEGY FOR 2030, COLORS IS DESIGNED TO HOLISTICALLY REENGAGE BOTH MIGRANT AND HOST COMMUNITY LEARNERS TO ACCELERATE THE LEARNING LOSSES PRESENTED BY THE DISRUPTION TO THEIR EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM WAS APPROVED FOR NATIONWIDE SCALE IN GREECE, AND WE WERE IN THE INITIAL SCALING PHASES IN 2023. FLYING COLORS IS A NEW INNOVATIVE PROJECT THAT ENABLES LEARNERS TO MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE WITH DIGITAL LEARNING MATERIALS WITHOUT REQUIRING THE INTERNET. IT BRINGS TOGETHER PLAYFUL, ACADEMIC, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL TO SUPPORT OUT-OF-SCHOOL AND VULNERABLE REFUGEE AND HOST COMMUNITY LEARNERS (AGES 8+) IN PALABEK REFUGEE SETTLEMENT WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE ENROLLED AT THE EQUIVALENT OF PRIMARY GRADE LEVELS P3 AND P4. IT BUILDS UPON TWO EXISTING INITIATIVES: AN OFFLINE-FIRST LEARNING PLATFORM (KOLIBRI), ADAPTED TO ENABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH BOTH SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) MATERIALS (COLORS OF KINDNESS) AND ACADEMIC, PLAY-BASED LEARNING MATERIALS WITH EDUCATOR SUPPORT. IN ITS INITIAL PILOT AND TESTING WITH FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE LEGO FOUNDATION THROUGH MID-AUGUST 2023 AND LEARNING SUPPORT FROM INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION, FLYING COLORS REACHED AROUND 600 VULNERABLE AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL LEARNERS OF P3-4 EQUIVALENT (AGES 8+), IN LINE WITH UGANDA'S 30:70 PRINCIPLE. THIS PROGRAM IMPROVES LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A SCALABLE, COST- EFFECTIVE INNOVATION. IT ADDRESSES GAPS IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, SUPPORTING REFUGEE AND HOST COMMUNITY LEARNERS WHERE THE INTERNET IS LIMITED, AND/OR WHERE EDUCATORS MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PLAY-BASED LEARNING PREPARATION OR LEARNING MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS. FOR VULNERABLE AND OUT-OF- SCHOOL CHILDREN IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, THERE IS A CRITICAL AND URGENT NEED TO STRENGTHEN COGNITIVE, INTERPERSONAL, AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS. IT DOES THIS THROUGH A NEW CURRICULUM CALLED THE "FLYING COLORS BUNDLE," WHICH FOCUSES ON ENHANCING LEARNING THROUGH PLAY, AND CREATING JOYFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES. IT INCLUDES MATERIALS FOR LEARNERS AND EDUCATORS, INCLUDING COLORS OF KINDNESS, MATERIALS FROM THE KOLIBRI CONTENT LIBRARY TARGETED AT BUILDING FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS IN NUMERACY AND LITERACY (FLN), AND NEWLY CREATED LESSON PLANS AND GUIDANCE ON INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS TO SUPPORT PLAYFUL LEARNING. FLYING COLORS WAS EVALUATED BY IPA AND THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED IN LATE 2023. BY LEVERAGING THE EVIDENCE BASE, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ADVOCACY WAS CONDUCTED. THIS INCLUDED PITCHING AT THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE GREENHOUSE, AND ALSO PRESENTING AT THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE UNIVERSITY. AMAL ALSO PRESENTED AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY EVENTS, CIES, AND UKFIET. AS PART OF THE WHO AND UNHCR'S GROUP OF FRIENDS LEADERSHIP, AMAL SIGNED A PLEDGE SPEARHEADED BY THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION AIMED TO SERVE DISPLACED CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. AMAL ALSO SIGNED ONTO THE CHILD RIGHTS PLEDGE, AND LAUNCHED THEIR OWN PLEDGE WITH NUMEROUS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO SERVE EVEN MORE VULNERABLE CHILDREN. ADVOCACY: GIVEN AMAL'S EVIDENCE BASE, THE ORG WAS INVITED TO SPEAK AT MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES. THIS GAVE COLORS OF KINDNESS MAJOR EXPOSURE WITHIN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES. EVENTS & ROLES INCLUDED: A.EDUCATION CANNOT WAIT'S HIGH LEVEL FINANCING CONFERENCE (GENEVA, SWITZERLAND) O SPEAKER: ADDRESSING HOLISTIC NEEDS THROUGH EDUCATION B. CIES (WASHINGTON, DC) O SPEAKER: SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN CRISIS CONTEXTS C. CLINTON GLOBAL UNIVERSITY (NASHVILLE, TN) O SPEAKER: EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION D. UKFIET (OXFORD UNIVERSITY) O SPEAKER: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) IN SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING E. CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE GREENHOUSE (NEW YORK, NY) O SPEAKER: INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH COHORT F. UNGA (NEW YORK, NY) - ADVOCACY ACROSS EVENTS G. UNHCR GRF (GENEVA, SWITZERLAND) O MODERATOR FOR HIGH-LEVEL PANEL: ACHIEVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOR ALL: STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS AND MENTAL HEALTH & PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR REFUGEES AND HOST COMMUNITIES UNHCR GRF PLEDGES: MARKING 4 YEARS FROM THE INAUGURAL GRF, AMAL ALLIANCE WAS INVITED TO RETAKE THEIR SEATS ACROSS SEVERAL UN TASK TEAMS (ECD, EMERGENCIES, AND PRIMARY) IN PREPARATION FOR THE DEC 2023 CONVENING. "A MULTISTAKEHOLDER PLEDGE WAS SIGNED THROUGH AN INITIATIVE SPEARHEADED BY THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, & EUROPEAN COMMISSION. MANY KEY PLAYERS LIKE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO), UNHCR, (INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM), JAPAN, UNICEF. "AMAL PUT FORWARD A MULTISTAKEHOLDER PLEDGE OF THEIR OWN THAT EMBODIED 10 PARTNERS.