On December 10th 2020, during the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) and SchoolNet Africa (SNA), signed a Statement of Intent that will lead to the transfer of managerial and operational responsibilities for the Global Teenager Project (GTP) to SchoolNet Africa (SNA). This is indeed a historic occasion for both IICD and SNA.

The Global Teenager Project (GTP) has been co-ordinated and organised by the IICD based in The Hague, Netherlands over the last five years. During this period, GTP has grown in leaps and bounds and now operates a network with 22 countries participating in the GTP’s high quality Learning Circles. Many local initiatives related to GTP have also emerged which is indeed highly encouraging for IICD.

In an attempt to promote IICD’s commitment to Southern leadership and to foster further growth of GTP, IICD considered a Southern-based partner organisation with a focus on ICT4 Education to take the lead in the co-ordination and management of GTP. Extensive discussions between IICD and SNA led to the transfer of the Global Teenager Project responsibilities under a fortified partnership between the two. Thus, five years after the commencement of the activities of the GTP, the management of the programme returns to the continent where its foundations were built! The objectives of GTP in general, and the working structure will remain the same. The Learning Circles will remain one of the strongest components of the project. In practice, staff at SNA will be the daily contact for all involved in the Global Teenager Project.

IICD will remain the overall owner and play an important role in the project as advisor, strategic partner and main financer. The Statement of Intent (see below) has identified clear objectives for the co-operation.

Objectives: 
• Creating learning opportunities for learners focussing on inter-cultural understanding, new ways of learning and the use of ICT for education.
• Providing opportunity for the growth, expansion and prioritization of GTP through an education-oriented organization with a strong international network.
• Expanding GTP through the SNA pan-African and international networks thus enabling more learners to participate and benefit.
• Provide more opportunities to the African SchoolNets to offer content to their networks.

The ‘physical’ transfer will take place in the first half of 2020. The March Learning Circle will be set up together and run by SNA. An intensive transfer period between dedicated staff from SNA and IICD is currently being planned.

Both IICD and SNA are confident that on the basis of this transfer, GTP will grow from strength to strength.

SNA and IICD
January 19th 2020