For more than 30 years, AED has worked to increase access to quality K-12 education in more than 30 developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. AED's efforts have focused on improving teaching and learning, involving parents in schools, creating more opportunities for girls, and integrating technology into education strategies.

The Afghanistan Higher Education Project (HEP) portal provides faculty in Afghanistan with learning resources and networking tools to support professional development. The portal has an online library, hosts workshops, and has many valuable resources and information.

Alam Simsim is a co-production of Sesame Workshop and AlKarma Edutainment in Cairo. Active support and involvement comes from Egyptian education, media, film, television, and artistic communities, as well as with cooperation from Egypt’s Ministries of Education and Information, and a grant from the United States Agency for International Development.

Alfalit International is a nonprofit educational organization that offers literacy and basic education programs in 25 countries.

Alfasol is a Brazilian civil society organization that relies on education coordinators, usually women, to negotiate with local authorities for classroom space and other start-up issues. Educators, who must come from the local community, are chosen then trained for one month by local institutions for higher education.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. It has a mandate to support sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world.

Established in the year 2000, The Family Literacy Project in South Africa (FLP) focuses on mothers, as the first and most important educators of their children. As part of the program the mothers are taught literacy and given basic skills training.

The French Development Agency (AFD) is a financial institution that is at the heart of France’s Development Assistance policy. Its mission is to finance development.

The Institute for Popular Education is an association of community educators working to develop alternative approaches to grassroots education in Mali.

IRA was founded in 1956 as a professional organization for those involved in teaching reading to learners of all ages. The members are dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

The Islamic Development Bank is an international financial institution established in pursuance of the Declaration of Intent issued by the Conference of Finance Ministers of Muslim Countries held in Jeddah in Dhul Q'adah 1393H, corresponding to December 1973. The Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Governors took place in Rajab 1395H, corresponding to July 1975, and the Bank was formally opened on 15 Shawwal 1395H corresponding to 20 October 1975.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) was established by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in May 1987. ISESCO is one of the largest international Islamic organizations and specializes in the fields of education, science, and culture. According to the ISESCO website, its objectives include strengthening and promoting cooperation among Member States (OIC) and consolidating it in the fields of education, science, culture, and communication;, developing applied sciences and use of advanced technology within the framework of the lofty and perennial Islamic values and ideals; consolidating understanding among Muslim peoples; and contributing to the achievement of world peace and security through various means, particularly through education, science, culture and communication.

The Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (regulated by Law 49/1987) is an integral part of Italian foreign policy and is aimed at international goals of socio-economic development.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is advancing its activities around the pillars of a field-oriented approach, human security, and enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, and speed.

The Arab League or League of Arab States is an organization of predominantly Arab states (compare Arab world). Headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, the League's charter states that the League shall coordinate economic affairs, including commercial relations; communications; cultural affairs; nationality, passports, and visas; social affairs; and health affairs. The Charter of the Arab League also forbids member states from resorting to force against each other

People in the broader Middle East seek greater freedom and opportunity, and a growing community of reformers in the region has emerged with new energy and ideas to make these aspirations a reality.

The United States strongly supports the reformers who are working to build a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East. One tangible demonstration of support is the Middle East Jordanian girl reading book from My Arabic Library Partnership Initiative, which helps democracy to spread, education to thrive, economies to grow, and women to be empowered.

Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) funding goes directly to partners such as non-governmental organizations, businesses, and universities. Since 2002, MEPI has devoted more than $480 million to over 450 projects in 17 countries and territories through its offices in Washington, Tunis , and Abu Dhabi . MEPI investments are in addition to billions of dollars in bilateral assistance the U.S. provides annually to the Middle East.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice describes transformational diplomacy as the use of both diplomatic power and foreign assistance to help citizens better their own lives and build their own nations. MEPI is transformational diplomacy in action.

MEPI is structured to focus on the following in areas: political, economic, education, and women's empowerment. Read more about the goals for these focus areas and read some of our regional stories.

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) is a U.S.-funded research and development center focused solely on adult learning. NCSALL's efforts are dedicated to improving practice in educational programs that serve adults with limited literacy and English language skills, and those without a high school diploma.

The National Institute for Literacy, a U.S. federal agency, provides leadership on literacy issues, including the improvement of reading instruction for children, youth, and adults. In consultation with the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, the Institute serves as a national resource on current, comprehensive literacy research, practice, and policy.

The National Literacy Trust, founded in 1993, is an independent charity dedicated to building a literate nation. The importance of literacy has long been recognized: it underpins all educational achievement and is central to economic advancement; it helps develop human potential and raises self-esteem. The National Literacy Trust’s vision is of a society where literacy is a valued part of everybody's life and all have the reading, writing, and communication skills required to support their goals. The National Literacy Trust is dedicated to keeping up to date with research and to disseminating findings to academics, practitioners, and policy-makers. This site provides comprehensive information on specific subject areas.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an inter-governmental organization grouping fifty-seven states. These states decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts, and speak with one voice to safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of their peoples and those of other Muslims in the world over.

The Program for Literacy and Training in Burkina Faso addresses the problem of primary school dropouts and illiterate adults by providing literacy training as well as training in technical skills.

ProLiteracy Worldwide is a nonprofit international literacy organization based in Syracuse, New York, USA, that was formed by the 2002 merger of Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.

REACH is a women’s health and literacy initiative working to overcome the effects of war and an oppressive regime that has long denied most Afghan women and girls the chance to learn even the most basic skills.

Reach Out and Read, an American nonprofit literacy organization, was developed by pediatricians and early childhood educators to help children start school ready to learn, with a special focus on children growing up in poverty.

A multilingual learning network for educators worldwide, the Global Learning Portal’s more than 5,500 members in over 130 countries share teaching materials and quality educational resources through user-friendly portal tools. GLP supports country-level and regional education projects to link teachers, ministries, and educational organizations by creating online content libraries, space for virtual collaboration, and distance learning modules. GLP members can store and share resources, and participate in online learning and communities of practice. GLP is a global alliance composed of regional groups, international organizations, private-sector entities, and non-governmental organizations. There is no fee for membership.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the U.K. government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to eliminate extreme poverty.

UNESCO was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United Nations agency, it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to publish scientific breakthroughs. Education, social and natural science, culture, and communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency that provides economic, development, and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States.

The U.S. Department of Education, or ED, was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED's 4,200 employees and $68.6 billion budget are dedicated to:

• Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
• Collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research.
• Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
• Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Not a bank in the common sense, the World Bank is made up of two unique development institutions owned by 185 member countries—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).