USAID Middle East Education Research, Training, and Support (MEERS)

Goal:

The Middle East Education Research, Training, and Support (MEERS) activity is a five-year, $6.3 million initiative designed to support research, training, and other analytical activities that address some of the most pressing education issues in the region, with a strong focus on the various crises and their effect on learners, teachers, education systems and education outcomes. Activities are being used to generate discussions, analyze regional trends, and inform strategic thinking and programming in the region. MEERS research is creating new data and analyses that can are being used to inform key partners’ education plans for increasing equitable access to higher quality education for all children in the region, with a particular focus on marginalized children and youth.

Activities:

Investigate ways to mitigate the effects of the various ongoing crises in the region and their impact on the education sector, in addition to supporting ongoing programmatic technical needs to improve the quality and relevance of education in the region;
Gather relevant and updated information and develop durable solutions that increase both equitable access to and quality of safe education opportunities for all children and youth affected by the crisis or in vulnerable circumstances;
Support strategic thinking for professional development and programming, and develop and train USAID staff and partners on demanded technical support needs.

Results:

The MEERS activity support services that advance and sustain equitable access to quality education in the Middle East and North Africa region including expanding data and knowledge on increasing access to education and improving learning outcomes, particularly in crisis and conflict settings. The MEERS activity generated research, assessments, analytical, strategic, training, and capacity building support services that advance thinking and increase data and analytics with regard to the MENA education context as demanded. It examined education systems, teacher performance, student outcomes, and other prioritized needs. It supported efforts that built a strong foundation for data-driven and innovative potential solutions for meeting the needs of the many marginalized children and youth in the region.