2018 Digital Essay Competition (DEC) program kicked off this year with regional visits to schools across Kenya. Since January, we held kickoffs in schools in Kakamega, Nandi, Kisii, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Bungoma, Machakos and Makueni counties. We disbursed the scholarships for Term 1 2018 to the 2017 prizewinners, at the same time creating awareness encouraging teachers and students to join in DEC 2018.

The 2018 question is:

How can technology bring us closer to quality education for all? Or

Ni vipi teknolojia inaweza kutufikisha karibu na elimu bora kwa wote?

Students can submit essays either in English or Kiswahili, or French. DEC also welcomes submissions of original art that respond to the essay question. Last year was also the first year to involve special needs learners and their teachers in the Competition. In collaboration with KISE and KIB we are working to include more special needs learners and schools this year. Official launches are in May at Olympic Primary School, Kibera and Loreto Girls High School Limuru, Kiambu County.

DEC partners include the Ministry of Education, Education Development Trust (EDT), The Embassy of France in Kenya, Kenya Publishers Association (KPA), Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), Longhorn Publishers, Moran Publishers, and Oxford University Press East Africa.In the past five years DEC has reached over 17,000 students, 600 teachers and 700 schools across all 47 counties of Kenya. We are working to make DEC 2018 more inclusive on every level for great results this year.