INEE, USAID, and LEGO respond to COVID-19, and beyond

We are thrilled to announce renewed INEE COVID-19 response efforts, thanks to generous contributions from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The LEGO Foundation!

Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been swift and comprehensive, recognizing its compound effects in contexts where education is already under threat. The truly global impact of COVID-19 has meant new challenges for the education in emergencies (EiE) sector, but we were not wholly unprepared for this. We have spent the past few decades learning how to ensure the right to education in crisis contexts, with INEE being instrumental in coordinating, convening, and codifying the collective wisdom. So, for the past four months, we have faced COVID-19 with confidence in the hard-earned experience, knowledge, and standards we hold dear.

The ongoing INEE COVID-19 response includes: curating resources; amplifying voices via webinars and blogs; providing technical and advocacy support for practitioners, governments, donors, and communities; and sharing information via our website, newsletters, and social media channels. And all of this in five languages! - English, français, español, português, and العربية.

The contributions from USAID and The LEGO Foundation will help take our COVID-19 response to a whole new level, while also supporting an array of related priority activities, including:

• Establishing a new technical support mechanism to respond to COVID-19 requests
• Establishing a new network space on distance education in crisis contexts
• Developing a ‘virtual center’ on distance education that includes a database of resources and a multilingual peer-to-peer discussion platform
• Developing new technical guidance on distance education in emergencies
• Developing new advocacy resources on learner-centered approaches, such as The LEGO Foundation’s ”Learning through Play” (LtP)
• Producing case studies on delivering and measuring PSS-SEL during COVID-19 
• Supporting the planned update of the INEE Minimum Standards
• Supporting the Teachers in Crisis Contexts roundtable event 
• Expanding multilingual support and engagement opportunities for INEE members

USAID and The LEGO Foundation understand the importance of partnerships in emergency response efforts, as evidenced both by the joint nature of the new funding as well as their collaborative approach in working with INEE to identify sector needs. The new contributions follow years of engagement by both donors in EiE activities, including active participation in INEE’s network spaces and initiatives. 

When public and private partners come together and leverage the power of networks like INEE to ensure access, quality, and equity in education in emergencies, more children and youth benefit. This cooperation reinforces INEE’s capacity to lead the EiE sector in facing and learning from crises, and, specifically, to take the lessons of COVID-19 with us into the future.

INEE is grateful for this support and looks forward to sharing further information as the initiatives come to life.