Our work
How we work
WUSC and its partners deliver projects that support access to inclusive, high-quality, relevant, and rewarding education and economic opportunities for young people.
What motivates us
We believe all young people should have the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and create their own futures. To help achieve this goal, we develop initiatives that:
- Deliver lasting, measurable impact
- Are powered by partnerships across the globe
- Stay true to our core programming principles
- Respond to the priorities and aspirations of the people with whom we work
How we drive action and achieve results
We influence systems change, and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable sustainable and equitable education and economic outcomes at scale for young people.
Drive innovation and improve performance
We support system actors to drive innovation and improve performance by providing timely, targeted, and strategic support. This includes sharing expertise, offering grants, and making repayable investments.
Build models, replicate, and scale
We foster partnerships, conduct research, and translate findings to enhance cooperation, drive system-wide learning of what works, and develop actionable policy recommendations for greater impact.
Transform norms, attitudes, and behaviors
We engage with communities to drive lasting change, through public dialogue and peer-to-peer exchanges. And we work with partners to challenge and transform social norms that perpetuate exclusion and discrimination.
More than 250 partners across more than 30 countries
WUSC and its global network of partners deliver initiatives that contribute to our vision of a world where all young people can thrive and belong. In cooperation with like-minded local, national and global organizations, we reach a network of over 200,000 people who share our commitment to improved education and economic opportunities for young people—a partnership which is at the heart of change.
How we design and implement our programs
Our work follows five programming principles to realize our mission and vision.
Contextual relevance
We adapt interventions to local realities and ongoing changes to deliver the most relevant, effective, and timely solutions to overcome the root causes of poverty.
Inclusivity
We take an intersectional approach to enable broader inclusion through our programs and better ensure no one is left behind.
Sustainability
We design and implement our initiatives so that their benefits have a long-lasting impact and can be carried forward by others.
Scale
We influence change at a scale that is commensurate with the scale of the challenges youth face.
Quality
We strive for quality in all that we do by grounding our work in evidence and learning to make the greatest possible contribution toward a better world for youth.
Where we work
WUSC and its partners operate in 31 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. These include Canada, Barbados, Belize, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Grenadines, Guyana, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.