USAID-LMI Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training Quarterly Report Year 5 Second Quarter – January 1 to March 31, 2019

The project's focus is on fostering local ownership of the MS2W Portal, promoting professional development and coaching, and encouraging partnerships on gender inclusivity. The MS2W Portal is a learning management system embedded in the MS2W Network portal, allowing instructors to take professional development courses directly through the portal. The project created a pitch to share benefits of hosting the portal with six Mekong Learning Centers (MLCs) and the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat. The selection of a new portal host and transfer of ownership will be completed in the next quarter. Professional development and coaching continued this quarter, with online instructional experts delivering the MS2W Advanced Certification Course to new cohorts of trained instructors. Coaching experts completed visits and workshops, resulting in many MLCs aligning their instructional improvement processes with the requirements for the Asian University Network (AUN) accreditation. Mekong Learning Centers (MLCs) are taking the lead across the project's components, with several MLCs continuing to implement MS2W professional development activities and promoting work-based learning system strengthening activities. Some MLCs have contextualized the MS2W Innovation Challenge approach, taking ownership of the vision and implementation. Each MLC has designed its own mechanism to make changes stick, and youth leaders in the MS2W Network have been prepared to build career readiness skills for themselves and their peers. The project held two significant partnership events focusing on gender inclusivity in STEM community: #MekongMyWay and Women of Impact. These events aimed to encourage all genders to make STEM an inclusive community for all and inspire the public with inspiring women in STEM's journeys. The project is making strides to boost local ownership of each component of the MS2W model. Over the remainder of this year, MLCs will increasingly take the helm as the project phases out support. The project's investments in building the professional skills of instructors and experts will enable it to withdraw at the end of FY2019 and leave a sustained and strong local network of innovators to support pedagogy, activities, and initiatives that will continue to close the skills gap in STEM+AT. A total of 274 workforce development initiatives were conducted by MLCs in this quarter, with a total of 12,256 students participating. These initiatives included university and vocational courses and in-person professional development initiatives. The project's focus on workforce development is aimed at addressing the skills gap in STEM+AT and promoting economic growth in the region. The project's partnerships with industry partners, such as Cisco Systems and Wedu, are also contributing to its success. These partnerships have enabled the project to leverage external expertise and resources to inform its activities and promote gender inclusivity in STEM community. Overall, the USAID-LMI Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training project is making significant progress in its efforts to cultivate knowledge and leadership to drive the MS2W Network forward. The project's focus on local ownership, professional development, and partnerships is enabling it to achieve its goals and promote economic growth in the region.