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Educational Excellence
ABOUT THE GIRLS’ EDUCATION INNOVATION CHALLENGE
(GEIC)
The Sierra Leone Girls‘ Education Innovation Challenge (GEIC), supported by UNICEF’s GIRLS Fund, operates on a simple
yet powerful premise: to address educational challenges with solutions implemented by the girls themselves and by
fostering a robust peer-to-peer network. This harnesses the untapped potential in communities where girls often face
significant barriers to education due to socio-economic, cultural, and political challenges.
36 girls on six separate teams recently participated in GEIC in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital. Mentors representing
local NGOs, the UNICEF innovation team, and government representatives from the Directors of Science, Technology,
and Innovation also provided individualized instruction, support, and advice to the respective teams.
As the challenge concluded, the impact of GEIC does not fade. The participants, energized and empowered, return to
their communities, ready to apply what they’ve learned. They become advocates for education, inspiring their peers and
families. The program, therefore, extends its benefits far beyond the individual girls, fostering a culture of education
and equality that gradually transforms society.
Girls participate in an introductory bootcamp prior to progressing in the Girls’ Education Innovation
Challenge. All images ©UNICEF
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