How young volunteers are advancing digital learning in Sao Tome and Principe
Learning Passport STP
Sao Tome and Principe is located on the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It is a small Portuguese-speaking country with around 200,000 inhabitants, composed of the island of Sao Tome and the island of Principe.
The Learning Passport was introduced in the country in 2022 as an educational platform by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences, as part of the National Program for Digital Learning. Since then, Learning Passport STP has provided access to students and teachers to textbooks and teaching materials, while also helping to increase their knowledge of pertinent extracurricular subjects such as Gender Equality, Children's Rights, Digital Literacy, and others.
As part of the implementation strategy for the National Program for Digital Learning, engaging young people was a priority from the very beginning; not only for their individual training and development, but also as a way of propelling digital learning in the country through youth volunteering in pilot schools. Thus, in a joint effort between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Youth Institute, with support from UNICEF-STP (Education and Adolescents Development and Participation Programs), a youth volunteering program was created to support digital learning.
A workshop consisting of 3 modules - Digital Literacy; Learning Passport STP, Digital Learning Platforms and Blended Learning; Ethics and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse – was held for young volunteers to enhance the quality of their intervention in schools. The initial training took a total of 10 hours with continuous training ongoing with the support of the UNICEF team and school management. Volunteers are conferred a certificate at the end of the school year after successfully completing the 3 modules and fulfilling a minimum number of volunteering hours in schools.
“As a digital learning volunteer in Sao Tome, I was able to follow and oversee the ongoing development of young people and teachers' knowledge and use of the Learning Passport platform. Given the low connectivity in the country's pilot schools, there was a great deal of engagement and use of the platform in small training sessions and awareness-raising sessions with the young volunteers and the educational community.” (Josimar Menezes, UNV, who started as a Young Volunteer in Sao Tome)
In the present school year, more than 250 young volunteers have already been trained by UNICEF-STP to support the country's 17 Learning Passport pilot-schools. Most of them are students aged between 16 and 24. Moreover, there are young people out of school who are interested in volunteering and who, through this network of support and mentoring, are redefining their academic and professional goals.
“As a United Nations volunteer, I faced challenges when implementing the Learning Passport in Sao Tome, but it resulted in a revolutionary initiative for education in the country." (Katy Nascimento, UNV Learning Passport, who started as a Young Volunteer in Sao Tome)
Every day, young volunteers provide teacher support in class, school management support in the use and distribution of equipment, and peer to peer support in studying with the Learning Passport. They create a cascade effect, transferring their knowledge and skills to other young people, and raising awareness about the National Program for Digital Learning in their communities, schools and universities.
“The Learning Passport platform has the potential to be a crucial catalyst for improving teaching and learning in Sao Tome and Principe and other countries, promoting inclusion, equality and educational excellence.” (Eliana Nobre de Carvalho, former Young Volunteer in Sao Tome, currently studying in Brazil, with a scholarship)
The engagement of young volunteers is more than just one pillar of the National Program for Digital Learning in Sao Tome and Principe – it is a foundational element in building a brighter future for young people in the country.
