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II. Phase 2: Engage PTCs and community members in key education promotion activities to encourage community acceptance and support of formal education Engaging PTCs and community members in various education promotion activities allows them to see the positive aspects of education, with the goal being to increase both male and female student enrollment and attendance. Key activities used and found to be promising include exposure visits and community-based education promotion events. A) Exposure Visits
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Exposure visits... provide tangible motivation for participants to value education.
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Exposure visits, as described in the first section, provide tangible motivation for participants14 to value education. These visits are strengthened by proper planning and strong coordination with host communities and education department official(s). Effective exposure visits showcase impressive host community achievements that help mobilize PTC members and education department officials to replicate the same in their respective districts.
Step 1: Preparing for the exposure visit Prior to the exposure visit, it helps if NGO management identifies appropriate program staff to facilitate the exposure visit. For participant selection from targeted communities, consider including a demographic cross-section of the PTC and community, approximately four PTC members (teachers and PTC members) and at least one religious leader per community plus one or two education department officials; consider the age and health of participants to ensure they are fit for travel; consider birthplace and/or attitude of individuals to avoid problems during the visit. For example, in Pakistan it can be sometimes unsafe for a person from a particular ethnic group or religious sect to travel in some areas. The purpose of the exposure visit—to be exposed to the host community’s education achievements and to return with new ideas, motivations, and strategies for strengthening education promotion/services in their own communities—needs to be shared clearly with all participants. * See “IPP2, Part 1” for additional guidance. NGO members and field staff are encouraged to suggest that exposure visit participants host a community and/or key stakeholder meeting upon returning to their village to report on their experience and share ideas for education promotion. Prior to the visit, NGO representatives and partner staff should visit the selected site(s) and work with community leaders to design the visit agenda. It is important to be very clear and 14 In the case of Northern Pakistan, exposure visits are usually limited to male participants due to religious practices which restrict women’s movement to other communities. That said, we would encourage women’s participation in these visits if/ when appropriate.