Education has been one of the hardest hit of the SDGs during the crisis in 2020. Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for UNICEF in the Middle East and North Africa, has advocated the need for an innovative reform of education systems in the region to counter this damaging disruption. One Young World Ambassador Yaakoub Benarab has been doing just that for Algeria and the surrounding countries. Yaakoub, as the CEO and Co-founder of SNAI3I, aims to enhance the imagination of the next generation, by leading an organisation that provides education beyond that which schools and formal institutions offer. Said education has the purpose of providing children who participate with the necessary skills and abilities to prosper in the future economy and wider society.
SNAI3I’s curriculum is designed to offer high-tech, innovative courses to achieve this goal. However, education is technical, but also teaches more fundamental aspects of education. It involves the essential education of “how to think and learn”, which is crucial in creating the leaders of tomorrow. Content for these courses is sourced from and guided by a selection of teachers, who are paid to take the lessons and help design the materials.
Children who participate are aged between 8 and 16 and are aimed at students from lower-middle-income families who would not normally afford private tuition. The course costs an estimated 30 EUR per student. The students take part in weekly classes over a two-month period in groups of 10, exploring topics such as AI, robotics, and 3D printing. These remote classes have been vital in continuing children’s education amidst school closures. The aim is to implement a means-tested system with free sponsorships to ensure it is accessible to all, expanding its reach further through the MENA region.
