Call for Expression of Interest

Call for Expression of Interest

1. Introduction

Founded in 1993 by filmmakers David Wilson and Bill Leeson, along with social entrepreneur Willemijn Verloop, War Child was established in response to the violence and ethnic cleansing witnessed in Bosnia. Over the past three decades, War Child has expanded globally, delivering programs that strengthen the resilience of children and youth affected by conflict and violence. In 2024, War Child UK, War Child Holland, War Child Sweden, War Child Germany, and Children in Conflict united to form the War Child Alliance, enhancing their collective impact through shared resources and unified advocacy for children's rights in conflict zones.

War Child in Lebanon
War Child is active across all governorates of Lebanon, currently working in more than 40 locations, including the most vulnerable areas of the country. Our psychosocial support, education, and child protection projects target Syrian and Palestinian refugee families as well as host communities. We strive to ensure that all children, including those with disabilities, have equal opportunities in life. By partnering with local NGOs and grassroots organizations, we co-create our projects and build local capacity. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible through our programming, including parents and caregivers, and to strengthen the resilience of those affected by the ongoing crisis.

2. CWTL Overview

At War Child, we believe in the transformative power of technology to enhance education in challenging contexts. Through the Can’t Wait to Learn (CWTL) program, we aim to support NGOs, CBOs, INGOs, and other partners working on education projects in conflict-affected and low-resourced settings by integrating innovative, cost-effective solutions into their existing programs. Central to this approach is our commitment to Digital Personalized Learning, an adaptive, child-centered methodology that tailors educational content to each learner’s pace and level, ensuring more equitable, engaging, and effective learning outcomes even in the most difficult circumstances.

Launched in Lebanon in 2017 with MEHE, Can’t Wait to Learn has reached over 40,000 children in 30+ locations. Partnering with 20+ international, local, and community-based organizations, it was implemented as part of an integrated education, child protection and mental health and psychosocial support response. Research showed significant improvement in children's mathematics scores over time. War Child Lebanon, positioned as a sector lead, supported MEHE in 2018 to develop and finance the national Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) curricula. In addition to that, in 2020, CWTL was adapted for remote learning during COVID-19.

3. The Opportunity

Through our partner-led approaches with government and local civil society organizations, we aim to scale the CWTL program and support over 100,000 children in the upcoming 3 years (2025-2028). We will do this while iteratively optimizing implementation models through rigorous research. This is an exciting opportunity for organizations to contribute to a global education initiative and scale the impact of CWTL in areas where it is most needed.

We invite interested NGOs, CBOs, and other organizations actively working to support children’s education to reflect on the following:

1. How  could CWTL  complement your existing and upcoming education programs?
2. How does CWTL align with your strategic goals and ongoing education initiatives , especially for children affected by conflict or displacement?
3.  In what ways could digital personalized learning and interactive content enhance the educational experience and outcomes for the children you serve?
4. What are your motivations for integrating CWTL into your work? Consider the impact it could have on your ongoing efforts and what motivates you to explore this opportunity.

We are offering capacity-building support to integrate CWTL into your education programs, including the provision of tablets to facilitate the use of the program. However, please note that there is no direct funding attached to this initiative. This is an opportunity for you to integrate CWTL in your ongoing/upcoming education programs, improve children’s learning outcomes as demonstrated by research, enhance your educational approach, access new tools, and expand your impact.

To learn more about the CWTL program, please visit this link.

4. Application Details

Who is invited for this opportunity?
This call is open to NGOs, CBOs, and other organizations actively working to support children’s education. We are particularly interested in partners with experience in education.