Scaling Digital Education Access in Tanzania

Summary

In 2025, Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations (TEDI) committed to expanding its “One Computer Lab, One School” initiative in Tanzania by establishing 50 computer labs in underserved public secondary schools over two years. By mid-2027, this initiative will equip 60,000 students with the digital literacy and skills needed for academic success and future employability and provide training and accreditation to 1,000 teachers. The project builds upon a successful pilot recognized by the World Youth Development Forum as a global best practice. The computer labs will integrate programming that includes digital skills training, subject-based digital content, and teacher upskilling in alignment with national curricula. To enhance long-term accessibility, and reliability, TEDI will partner with the GivePower Foundation to pilot solar-powered, cost-effective setups tailored for low-resource and rural environments. The project will sustainably scale by embedding digital leadership skills at the school level and eventually transition the model to the Ministry of Education for national expansion.

Approach

TEDI commits to expanding equitable access to digital education in Tanzania through the “One Computer Lab, One School” initiative by establishing 50 fully functional computer labs in underserved public secondary schools over two years. This initiative will reduce the digital divide and equip 60,000 students with the digital literacy and skills needed for academic success and future employability. It will also provide digital integration training and accreditation to 1,000 teachers, advance Tanzania’s National Digital Education Strategy, and generate open data and lessons learned to inform regional education development efforts.
This ambitious scaling of One Computer Lab, One School builds on a successful pilot recognized by the World Youth Development Forum as a global best practice and implements a locally anchored model by working directly with district and regional education authorities to ensure relevance, ownership, and long-term adoption. The labs will provide more than just critical infrastructure—they are fully integrated with a programming model that includes digital skills training, subject-based digital content, and teacher upskilling, all aligned with national curricula. While most labs currently rely on grid electricity, TEDI will partner with the GivePower Foundation to pilot solar-powered, cost-effective setups tailored for low-resource and rural environments to enhance long-term accessibility and reliability. The project will sustainably scale by embedding maintenance and digital leadership skills at the school level and eventually transition the model to the Ministry of Education for national expansion.
TEDI will bring to bear implementation expertise, having already reached over 15,000 students and 100 teachers. Drexel University will provide education technology design. Drexel TechServe will donate and configure computers. Learning Upgrade will provide curriculum-aligned digital content. Finally, the Tanzania Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will ensure policy integration and scaling support—making this a collaborative and scalable model for impact.

Action Plan

Implementation of the “One Computer Lab, One School” initiative will begin in June 2025 and conclude in May 2027. In the first six months, TEDI will finalize partnerships with district and regional education authorities, conduct school readiness assessments, and install 10 labs across four regions. Simultaneously, 250 teachers will receive digital integration training, and localized digital content aligned with the national curriculum will be developed in collaboration with Drexel University, Learning Upgrade, and the Ministry of Education. By the end of 2025, approximately 12,000 students will have access to digital tools.
From January to June 2026, TEDI will install 15 additional labs in four new regions and train another 300 teachers. A midline assessment will evaluate early impact on digital literacy and student learning outcomes. GivePower Foundation will support piloting solar-powered labs in off-grid schools. By mid-2026, over 30,000 students will have benefited.
Between July and December 2026, TEDI will expand to 15 more schools, reaching a total of 40 labs across at least 10 regions. Another 250 teachers will be trained, and digital leadership clubs will be introduced. Maintenance workshops will build local ownership and sustainability structures.
In the final phase, from January to May 2027, TEDI will install the last 10 labs to reach 50 total across at least 12 regions. An additional 200 teachers will be trained, and final evaluations will measure impact on digital skills, learning outcomes, and school performance. By the end of the project, more than 60,000 students will have consistent digital access, and insights from implementation will inform national education strategy through engagement with the Ministry of Education

Background

In Tanzania, students in many public schools—especially in rural and low-income areas—continue to face limited access to quality education and digital resources. This lack of infrastructure and capacity prevents youth from acquiring essential 21st-century skills like digital literacy, which are critical for employment and participation in the modern economy. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization reports that only 6% of schools in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to computers for teaching and learning (UNESCO, 2022) .
Tanzania has taken important steps to improve education, including the Free Education Policy of 2015 and, more recently, the development of a national Digital Education Strategy. However, implementation remains uneven due to gaps in teacher training, localized digital content, and basic infrastructure.
Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations (TEDI) , a youth-led nonprofit, is working to bridge this divide. From 2021 to 2024, TEDI has established five computer labs in under-resourced public schools and provided digital literacy and practical skills training to over 15,000 students and 100 teachers. TEDI has also worked with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) teachers from 40 public primary and secondary schools in Dar es Salaam to enhance their capacity to use technology in classrooms.
TEDI’s model integrates infrastructure, training, and community engagement to create lasting impact. Beyond digital literacy, students gain knowledge in entrepreneurship and financial literacy, making learning relevant to their futures.
This commitment to action builds on TEDI’s proven approach and supports Tanzania’s national priorities by expanding access to digital education, improving teacher capacity, and fostering inclusive community involvement. By investing in education that equips youth with practical and future-ready skills, TEDI can help unlock the potential of the next generation and ensure no one is left behind in the digital age.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations (TEDI) is seeking strategic partnerships to support the scale and sustainability of the “One Computer Lab, One School” initiative. Specifically, TEDI is looking for implementing partners with expertise in educational technology, digital content development, and teacher training. The organization welcomes collaboration with hardware providers, solar energy innovators, and monitoring and evaluation experts to strengthen infrastructure and impact measurement. TEDI is also seeking media partners to amplify the initiative’s outcomes and policy partners to support the integration of digital education into national frameworks.,Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations (TEDI) offers its expertise in implementing community-driven digital education initiatives in low-resource settings. Drawing from the success of its “One Computer Lab, One School” pilot, TEDI provides a proven model for integrating infrastructure, curriculum-aligned digital content, and teacher training. TEDI also brings a strong network of local and international partners, experience in working with government stakeholders, and knowledge of navigating policy and implementation in the Tanzanian education system. As part of this commitment, TEDI is open to sharing best practices, implementation tools, and evaluation insights to support other organizations working on similar initiatives across the Global South.