Despite the immense challenges of economic crises, power outages, and unreliable internet, caregivers in Lebanon’s hard-to-access areas went to extraordinary lengths to ensure their children could participate in remote early childhood education. Their profound commitment to learning and resilience in the face of adversity underscores the critical role of early education, even in crisis settings.

Building on our team at NYU’s Global TIES for Children’s impact findings from a three-arm randomized controlled trial—showing significant impact on child development from a short remote ECE intervention—this newly published qualitative article offers a deeper, behind-the-scenes perspective. Applying Weisner’s ecocultural framework, we explore how caregivers integrated remote early learning into their daily lives, navigating cultural and environmental constraints. While theory suggests that intervention success depends on aligning with participants’ routines, our findings reveal that these programs thrived despite the absence of structured daily rhythms, demonstrating remarkable adaptability.

Our mixed-methods research challenges the common narrative by showing that remote ECE programs can, in fact, provide quality learning opportunities for children facing adversity. The study highlights the resilience of caregivers and teachers, offering valuable insights for designing flexible, impactful educational interventions in crisis-affected and resource-limited settings.

This study is a causal impact evaluation of Watch, Play, Learn (WPL), a program by Sesame Workshop that consists of videos that aim to bring playful early learning opportunities to children, especially those affected by conflict and crisis, via mobile phones. This study focused on the effects of WPL math and social-emotional skills content delivered to Venezuelan migrants and Colombian children living in communities in Colombia where families and children face challenges in accessing essential services, including early education. Implementation was led by the Colombia office of Innovations for Poverty Action.

This study is a causal impact evaluation of Watch, Play, Learn (WPL), a program by Sesame Workshop that consists of videos that aim to bring playful early learning opportunities to children, especially those affected by conflict and crisis, via mobile phones. This study focused on the effects of WPL math and social-emotional skills content delivered to Venezuelan migrants and Colombian children living in communities in Colombia where families and children face challenges in accessing essential services, including early education. Implementation was led by the Colombia office of Innovations for Poverty Action.