Press Release
D2L, a global learning company, and Open University Society Network (OSUN) today announced their partnership to support OSUN’s Hubs for Connected Learning model in the Dadaab refugee camp. Specifically, D2L is joined by the Baker Family Foundation, named after D2L’s CEO, to support 150 refugees to access a new pilot project led by The OSUN Hubs, titled, “A Pipeline Strategy for Youth Affected by Forced Displacement”. This “Pipeline” pilot will equip students with the necessary critical thinking, analysis, and digital literacy skills in preparation for higher education and labor pathways.
OSUN has built deep relationships with several large refugee camps in various countries, and they maintain a strong network of collaborators in the education ecosystem to support these learners. The model used to support these learners is referred to as ‘the Connected Learning Hubs model’, which suggests that youth learn best when they are interested in what they are learning, they have peers and mentors who share these interests, and their learnings are directed toward opportunity and recognition. Within the Connected Learning Hub Model, OSUN will run a pilot program to scale the Refugee Higher Education Access Program (RhEAP) in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. The Hubs have been operating in Dadaab since 2021 and have identified clear partners and learning centers, and the needed relationships to expand programming. And yet, there are barriers to this expansion such as learning centers equipped with the needed hardware and internet connectivity to ensure a sustained connection, a consistent number of students in each cohort, and regular and sustained staffing to ensure full student engagement.
D2L and the Baker Family Foundation join OSUN’s pre-existing multilateral pledge of Achieving 15% Enrolment by 2030 to Expanding Refugee Access to Higher Education and Self-Reliance by investing resources, technology and time to support OSUN’s Pipeline Pilot in Dadaab refugee camp. In addition to financially supporting pilot project participants, D2L commits to working with OSUN and Pipeline partners to refine and study this model of connected learning that allows for refugee pathways to education and employment.
“Building more accessible human connections in education is at the heart of what moves us at D2L,” said John Baker, CEO at D2L. “We have made it our mission to support initiatives that extend the reach of learning—and this project can empower youth in this refugee camp to surpass their aspirations by creating new pathways to higher education. Through this project, we will work with OSUN to learn how to build a successful model that can be scaled to help many more achieve more than they dreamed possible.”
“Aligning with organizations that have the same passion for education and inspiring change in youth is critical to helping us get one step closer to achieving our 15by30 pledge” said Rebecca Granato, Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at Bard College, representing OSUN. “We are thankful to D2L and the Baker Family Foundation for committing their time, resources and technology over the course of the next 3 years to help ensure the academic development and success of 150 students in our project.”
With a mission of transforming the way the world learns, D2L is committed to improving access to education, and philanthropic work focuses on improving support for refugees. Collaborating with OSUN in this pledge is one part of D2L’s support for the broader education ecosystem. D2L is joined by the Baker Family Foundation to commit financial resources over the next 3 years to support 150 refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.
About D2L
D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
About OSUN
The Open Society University Network (OSUN) is a global network of educational institutions that integrates learning and the advancement of knowledge—in the social sciences, the humanities, the sciences and the arts, on undergraduate and graduate levels—across geographic and demographic boundaries, promotes civic engagement on behalf of open societies, and expands access to higher education for underserved communities. Learn more at https://opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org/
OSUN Media Contact
Terry Roethlein
OSUN Communications Manager
[email protected]
D2L MEDIA CONTACT
Richard Scarlett or Laurence Cooper
Finn Partners for D2L
020 3217 7060
[email protected]
X: @D2L_EMEA
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