The British Council is pleased to announce a new five-year partnership with Microsoft aimed at improving quality and access in education and training around the world. The announcement was made at Microsoft's Partners in Learning Global Forum 2011, in Washington DC.
The project will build 80 digital hubs at schools across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria, and provide a cascade model of professional development for teachers and school leaders. For each digital hub, teachers will be trained in leadership and innovative teaching practices, including how technology can support teaching and learning, and help students become global citizens. Those teachers will then in turn train other teachers, who will work together to disseminate their newfound skills through their own schools and communities.
Over the next two years, the British Council and Microsoft will each invest $1 million (Kes 93 million) in the project, plus staff and in-kind resources.

"I welcome our new partnership with Microsoft which will enable us to create opportunities for millions of educators and students around the world," said Martin Davidson, Chief Executive, British Council, an international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations. "By working together to harness technology for education and training, we can make a powerful contribution to preparing young people throughout the world for life and work in the 21st century."

The digital hubs in schools will be used for teaching and learning during the day, and by the wider community for skills training afterhours. Where schools are off the grid, the digital hubs will be supported by solar power and long range Wi-Fi.

The project expects to train over 20,000 school leaders and teachers, and provide over 100,000 learners and communities with digital access, while promoting literacy throughout the region.

"This is about equipping young people with the skills that will serve them throughout their lives: leadership, self-confidence, creativity, ambition, and a desire to connect and contribute to the wider world", said Joe Lemaron, Project Manager British Council and Microsoft Project in Africa.

The partnership between the British Council and Microsoft builds on both organizations' complementary expertise in education, technology and cultural relations. Launching the partnership, British Council Trustee Claire Ighodaro CBE said: "I am delighted that the first project in the new British Council – Microsoft partnership will happen in Africa, where we have the experience and connections to work effectively with educators and leaders on the ground to really make a difference."

The project was inspired by similar work already underway in Africa by the British Council, where 40 digital hubs have already been established in 17 countries and a commitment made by Microsoft and other partners at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2010 to build labs in 40 schools in Haiti.