Ruby Joseph, MPA, an associate in research in the Department of Child and Family Studies, and her team recently published the results of their work in Liberia titled "Addressing Unmet Family Literacy Needs in Monrovia, Liberia" in the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) Journal. As part of the Family Literacy Initiative/Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (FLI/HIPPY), Joseph and her team provide preschool educational services and an adult literacy program to some of the poorest families in Monrovia, Liberia.
Preschool children receive educational materials and instruction from the researchers.
The program addresses the educational needs of preschool students in one of the poorest countries in the world with an over 50% illiteracy rate (World Bank 2024). In this international collaboration, researchers implement the educational program and provide technical assistance and evaluation support to FLI/HIPPY. To date, the program has served 1,714 children.
Joseph and her team partner with multiple organizations, including WE-CARE, a local non-profit educational organization in Liberia that serves as the lead agency. WE-CARE currently serves five Liberian communities and is in its ninth year of operation.
The team also collaborates with HIPPY International, a company whose goal is to make the HIPPY early learning program available to as many families as possible worldwide, and Friends of Liberia, a US-based non-profit organization that supports education in Liberia.
The COABE Journal is a peer-reviewed publication intended to be a primary learning and inspirational resource for adult educators.