Implemented with Ugandan partner LearnPlus Foundation, the project works with Primary 3 and 4 students, teachers, schools, families, and communities in Lamwo District, where displacement, poverty, and interrupted schooling continue to create barriers to learning.

For more than 65 years, CODE has worked to improve literacy outcomes for children around the world. LEARN represents an important step forward in that journey, bringing CODE's literacy expertise to communities where refugee and host community children are learning side by side.

For a child who has been forced to leave home, starting over at a new school can mean adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings while trying to catch up in the classroom. In Lamwo District, more than 36,000 refugees live alongside host communities, and many school-aged children remain out of school or struggle to develop the literacy skills they need to succeed. For children affected by displacement, these challenges can make learning feel further out of reach.

Literacy can help change that experience. Learning to read gives children the tools to understand information, ask questions, build confidence, and participate more fully in school and community life. It can also create opportunities for children from refugee and host communities to learn alongside one another, develop understanding and empathy, and build stronger connections with the people around them.

LEARN brings together several parts of a child's learning environment to help make those opportunities possible. Children who need additional support will have opportunities to strengthen their literacy skills and regain confidence in learning. Teachers will receive professional development to strengthen their literacy teaching practices and respond to the needs of different learners. Schools will gain reading spaces and libraries where children can discover books, practise reading, and develop positive reading habits.

Learning does not stop when the school day ends. LEARN will also engage families and community leaders through reading activities, festivals, and initiatives that encourage children to read beyond the classroom. Schools and community stakeholders will work together to identify vulnerable learners and connect them with additional support when needed.

By bringing students, teachers, schools, families, and communities together around literacy, LEARN is working toward more inclusive and supportive learning environments for children in refugee and host communities. Over time, these efforts can help children strengthen the skills and confidence they need to stay engaged in education and build more peaceful and brighter futures.