Lessons & Insights

Connections Spotlights Pacific Impact in Open and Distance Learning

Lessons & Insights

The latest issue of Connections is now available. It includes a special highlight on Professor Ioana Chan Mow (Samoa), who has been named a COL Honorary Fellow for her pioneering work in technology-enabled learning and digital inclusion across the Pacific. Her leadership continues to create meaningful learning pathways for island communities. The issue also features […]

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Final Evaluation and Management Response of the Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning (ODFL) in the Pacific

Building Resilience, Empowering Women, Lessons & Insights, Teacher Training, TVET

The Final Evaluation Report of the Partnership for Open, Distance, and Flexible Learning (ODFL) in the Pacific is now available. The Partnership for Open, Distance, and Flexible Learning in the Pacific (the programme, ODFL) is a five-year initiative designed to enhance the capacity and efficiency of education sectors in the Pacific region by leveraging innovative

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Training for Resilient Livelihoods in Solomon Islands

Building Resilience, Empowering Women, Lessons & Insights

Between February and May 2025, the Coalition for Education Solomon Islands (COESI) implemented the Leadership, Human Rights, and Entrepreneurial Skills Training for Resilient Livelihoods in North Malaita, with funding from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT NZ) and technical support from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). The programme brought together over 140

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She Builds: From Uncertainty to Confidence in Samoa

Empowering Women, Lessons & Insights, TVET, Youth Employment

In Samoa, 50 young women who once believed they had little to offer are now finding their voices, their skills, and their place in society. From April to June 2025, the organisation Brown Girl Woke (BGW) implemented the She Builds vocational empowerment programme with support from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and funding from New

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Youth Taking the Lead: Skills for a Better Tomorrow in Kiribati

Lessons & Insights, Youth Employment

From March to May 2025, over 240 young people in South Tarawa, Kiribati gained access to hands-on training programmes through a joint initiative between the Ministry of Women Youth Sport and Social Affairs (MWYSSA) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), with funding support from New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The programmes

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Samoa STEM Teachers Gain Skills in Open Educational Resources

Lessons & Insights, Teacher Training

A national-level workshop on Open Educational Resources (OER) for STEM educators was held from May 27 to 29, 2025, at the Ministry of Education and Culture in Malifa, Samoa. The training was delivered by the National University of Samoa in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign

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Young Samoans Share Their Dreams, Challenges, and What They Need to Succeed

Lessons & Insights, Youth Employment

In March 2025, the Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education at the National University of Samoa (NUS) engaged with youth across Upolu and Savaii to better understand their skills, aspirations, and the challenges they face in accessing training and employment opportunities. Through online surveys, focus group discussions, and a heartfelt activity called My

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Building Confidence and Reaching Communities: Henjo’s Journey with the TVET Toolkit

Building Resilience, Lessons & Insights, Youth Employment

“When I joined Ituani in 2019, I had no background in training or management,” says Henjo, a member of the management team at Ituani Vocational Training Centre in Vanuatu. “Everything was new to me — how to lead a team, how to develop training systems. I didn’t know where to begin.” That same year, Ituani

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Solomon Islands Launches Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report

Lessons & Insights

The President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Professor Peter Scott, was joined by the Honourable Mr Tozen Leokana, Minister for Education, Solomon Islands; Dr Franco Rodie, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Solomon Islands; and Mr Jonathan Andrew Curr, High Commissioner of New Zealand to the Solomon

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Samoana Animations: Preserving Samoan Storytelling in the Digital Age

Building Resilience, Lessons & Insights

“Every story begins with a mother’s love.” The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is pleased to support the Samoana Animations project, a cultural resilience initiative in Samoa. Developed in partnership with Pacific Kids Learning (PKL), this is designed to digitise traditional village stories while preserving the rich oral storytelling traditions that connect Samoan mothers and daughters

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