LAHORE – The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), on Tuesday the Pakistani project “Technology-Based Deaf Education” as a winner of the 2018 WISE Awards.
Each year, the WISE Awards recognize and promote innovative projects from across the world that are addressing global educational challenges, says a press release issued by the organisation in Doha.
The project is developed under the Family Educational Services Foundation’s (FESF) Deaf Reach Program, active since 1995, and aiming to improve the quality of education for deaf children across Pakistan.
The tech-based initiative provides all schools and communities that work with deaf children with digital learning resources in Pakistan Sign Language (PSL), free of cost. These resources include the first-ever PSL dictionary, developed by FESF, as well as numerous tutorials and literacy programs.
Technology-Based Deaf Education is represented by Mr Richard Geary Horwitz, who explained why the need for such a program is pressing: “For deaf children in Pakistan, an underserved silent minority, PSL educational resources tailored to their special needs are pivotal. Less than 5% of Pakistan’s deaf children attend school and become literate, with the rate being much lower for deaf girls. Many are socially marginalised, and lack sufficient skills for employment or resources to improve their quality of life.”
Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, congratulated the winners: “This year we have received 413 applications for the WISE Awards program. The rigorous selection process has succeeded in finding six excellent and innovative projects addressing a diverse mix of educational challenges from around the world. This demonstrates that there are existing global organizations and individuals who share our passion for tackling education challenges with innovative solutions. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Awards jury members who did a thorough job in evaluating the projects.”
The five other 2018 WISE Awards winners are Safe Spaces Clubs for Girls (Nigeria), One Village One Pre-School (China), Generation (USA), Partners for Possibility (South Africa) and 1001 Nights Life Skills and Citizenship Education Program (Canada).
Other pressing educational issues tackled by the 2018 WISE Awards winning projects include girls’ education, early childhood education, the refugee crisis, cultural exchange, citizenship values, youth employment; entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities, enhancing teacher motivation, and stimulating critical and creative thinking.
The awards winners are evaluated according to strict criteria. They must be established, innovative educational projects that have already demonstrated a transformative impact on the individuals, communities, and society of their context. They also need to be financially stable, have a clear development plan, and be scalable and replicable.
The projects will be celebrated on September 22 at WISE@NY in New York, USA. In addition to publicity and networking opportunities, each will receive $20,000 (US).
