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Meet Irene from Indonesia
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How does Perkins reach over 1 million children in a year?

Through our Model Program Approach, Perkins meets children with disabilities where they are — classrooms, homes, care centers — and we don’t do it alone. Perkins partners with:

  • Governments 
  • Schools 
  • Teachers
  • Families 
  • Community organizations

The key to the Model Program Approach is providing expert guidance, coaching, and mentoring, to teachers and parents on the special skills they need to help children learn.

Our Model Program Approach in 3 steps

We support our partners to drive systemic change through practical support at both programmatic and policy levels.

Before starting the 3 steps of the Model Program Approach, partners must commit to enhancing quality education for children with disabilities by establishing an agreement with Ministries of Education, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and schools.

Step 1: School selection and assessment

  • Together with our partner(s), select schools for participation through Perkins’ selection criteria.
  • Evaluate each school using Perkins Quality Indicators — a benchmarking tool for best practices in quality learning for children with disabilities.
  • A baseline evaluation is conducted in the first year, along with yearly follow-up evaluations

Step 2: Action plan

  • Together with school partners, analyze results of the Perkins Quality Indicators evaluation and make data-informed decisions to prioritize areas for program growth.
  • Based on priority areas, establish a one-year action plan toward improvement.

Step 3: Capacity building

  • Perkins provides yearly intensive training, mentoring and coaching in priority areas to school leadership, teachers, families, and government officials.

A ripple effect

Over time, Model Programs emerge as physical and virtual teaching sites, expanding the adoption of best practices in new settings, and ultimately reaching more and more children. 

Watch a video on our Model Program Impact
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Poland

By training education leaders, Perkins addresses the needs of young children with disabilities who have been displaced due to the war in Ukraine.

Learn about our inclusive refugee response
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Brazil

Across Latin America, and in Brazil, Perkins works at a local level to empower parents of children with disabilities to advocate for their children’s rights. 

Follow a mom’s journey to becoming a disability advocate
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Indonesia

In Indonesia, we have helped school and community programs better understand the needs of children with disabilities. 

Discover how Rahel and Adiel unlocked learning
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News

Perkins International Programs 2024 Impact Report

Around the world, Perkins partners with local governments, schools, educators, and families to make learning accessible and inclusive. In 2024, our impact took place on our historic Boston campus and also in schools across 49 countries, reaching 1.2 million children.

Building a world where every child belongs—together.

As Model Programs evolve, Perkins’ support evolves as well, to guide collaboration with government agencies and improve national standards. Most importantly, our approach means that every day, children go from isolated to included.

Explore international programs
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