Location: Low-income Private Schools in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Status: Active Since March 2021
In-School Language Labs represents a collaborative initiative between the Worldwide Education Foundation (WEF), USA, and its project delivery partner, Foundation to Empower Students (FES), operating in Pakistan. Functioning as tangible educational spaces, these Language Labs, established by WEF, aim to impart high-quality English language skills to students attending low-income private schools in Chitral Pakistan.
The chosen schools serve as dedicated hubs for the installation of English Language Labs and Career Counseling and Coaching Resource Centers. WEF/FES facilitates the provisioning of essential technology and internet-based content, obtained through licensed agreements with platforms such as Fluent U, Lingua Phone, and similar proprietary sources. Qualified English Language Facilitators, recruited and trained by FES, spearhead the delivery of English language instruction and career counseling resources within these labs. Importantly, these facilitators also play a pivotal role in training existing English language teachers at the schools, empowering them to assume leadership roles within the lab environment.
The primary focus of these language labs is to enhance the listening and speaking skills of students in primary and secondary schools. By fostering an environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and questions, the labs provide students with insights into the thoughts and actions of their peers in the broader world. Additionally, these labs serve as valuable resources for local teachers who may lack sufficient classroom time to address these aspects of language learning and face challenges in accessing relevant educational materials.
Current Impact:
At present, there are 5 language labs operational at low-income schools in Chitral where we have around 1250 students enrolled who are being trained by 100 school teachers and 5 facilitators with the language skills needed to pursue higher education, vocational training, and improved career prospects.
