EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world. 

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.     

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Project Description

Started in January 2019, the USAID Let’s Read Project is a 6-year, $48.9 million project in the five target provinces of Eastern, Muchinga, Southern, Northwestern and Western Zambia that works to improve reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children attending Grades 1-3, providing appropriate teaching and learning materials; continuous professional development; and tracking learner performance through standardised assessments as a means of supporting the Ministry of Education’s Primary Literacy Programme (PLP)  reading interventions in Zambian public and community schools.

The Reading Coordinator (RC) will provide technical direction and leadership for literacy strategies at the provincial level including working with the Reading Specialist and Senior Reading Director to conduct trainings, oversee and organize the work of the District Reading Coaches, and work with the Community Outreach Specialist and Field Officers to finalize key messages and roll-out training for PTAs/PSCS and Reading Corps volunteers.

Essential functions include, but are not limited to:

• Contribute to the design and implementation of teacher training, coaching, and other technical materials to improve local language literacy from ECE to Grade 3;
• Travel as necessary for training, coaching and monitoring of activities;
• Support a diverse group of stakeholders for effective implementation of project activities;
• Support the  effective utilization of technology for in-service teacher professional development and the use and input in to the Performance Tracking System;  
• Support stakeholders to improve and expand access to instruction for learners with special needs;
• Support selection and preparation of Supplementary Reading Materials in the Mother Tongue;
• Collaborate effectively with Provincial, Zonal, and District education officials;
• Ensure linkages and synergy around reading and writing instruction across project activities and objectives;
• Contribute to quarterly and annual reports, success stories and other communications; 
• Support ME&L staff in tracking, monitoring and evaluating activities in the assigned region; and
• Other duties, as assigned.

Reporting and Organizational Relationships:

The Reading Coordinator reports to the Provincial Manager. 

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in a field relevant to education.

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience;
• At least 4 years of experience in work specifically to improve education programming at the early primary grades;
• Proven experience developing effective teacher professional development materials for reading and writing instruction in Kikaonde, Lunda, Luvale and in English as a Second Language; and
• Proven experience implementing teacher professional development activities.

 Language:  

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of (and proficiency in) Kikaonde, Lunda and Luvale language is highly prefered.