Ma’an (February 7) – Under the patronage of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and with Ms. Mona Yacoubian, Deputy Assistant Administrator for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and USAID Mission Director Dr. Jim Barnhart,  the Non-Formal Education (NFE) Program was launched today at a center in Ma’an.

The USAID-funded NFE program will expand to 28 new school-based centers to enroll an additional 1,680 boys and girls, strengthen program management at 88 centers, and train 230 facilitators. The project is implemented by Questscope, an international NGO dedicated to transforming the future of youth and communities

Non-formal education is an MOE-certified two-year program that incorporates participatory learning, youth empowerment, and academic growth. The program serves out-of-school youth in Jordan between the ages of 13-20, giving them a second chance to continue their education and paving the way to a brighter future.

Graduates of NFE are eligible to earn a certificate of completion, which is officially recognized by the MOE as fulfilling entry requirements to the professional level of vocational training. The NFE certificate also provides a continued pathway for education, as it allows for students to take the 9^th grade test and begin homeschooling at the 10^th grade level, if they desire.