In 2020, national school feeding programs delivered school meals to more children than at any time in human history, making this the most extensive social safety net in the world. Indeed, approximately $41-43 billion is spent annually on school feeding, which serves not only to create human capital to secure future national economic growth but also as an important investment in local economies.  

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region has had the longest preschool closures due to COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to October 2021 LAC preschools for children 3-5  averaged 67.4 weeks of full or partial closure. In other words, children assisted -on average- less than ¼ of the time they were supposed to. Psychosocial-stimulation home visits and well-baby checkups were also interrupted.

Obtaining new credentials is a common strategy for workers looking to reskill in advance of a career change or re-employment following a layoff. Increasingly, individuals are seeking credentials, such as certificates, certifications, and badges, in order to maximize their marketability to employers or advance within their current position. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 15 million excess deaths across the globe.  Although mortality rates are lowest among children and youth, the young face another emergency: the learning crisis.

Traditional degrees take years and often thousands of dollars to acquire—and they sometimes fail to prepare students for the workplace. They are costly for individuals, their families, companies, and society, in terms of both direct outlays and opportunity costs. Recognizing the high cost of a post-secondary degree, both students and employers are looking for more pertinent, shorter, less expensive, non-degree, alternative credentials (such as certifications and certificates) as both complements and alternatives to traditional degrees.  

The number is not trivial: 17% of the world’s children were living in conflict zones by the end of 2020. Exposure to traumatic events in the first years of life can make the stress response system to be active in a prolonged manner. This is known as toxic stress, and it affects children’s life trajectories.