Humber International Development Institute

03/09/2026

As part of the Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) Project, TVET institutions across Bhutan are promoting gender equality through targeted campaigns.

For International Women’s Day, Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) committees at ten institutions launched a digital competition encouraging students to challenge gender stereotypes through creative social media posts, such as posters, skits, or videos, shared with the hashtag .

The competition aimed to raise awareness and inspire youth across Bhutan, with prizes awarded to the top three posts with the highest engagement.



By challenging stereotypes and breaking barriers, more women, girls, and learners can access the opportunities, skills, and confidence they need to thrive.



See what the students in Bhutan created to challenge gender stereotypes! https://www.facebook.com/BESTProjectBht/

BEST project is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada. Humber Polytechnic leads the project in partnership with Bhutan's Ministry of Education and Skills Development (Sherig Bhutan) and RENEW, a Civil Society Organization in Bhutan.

03/09/2026

03/05/2026

Learn more about STEEP!

https://humber.ca/global/international-development-institute-idi/our-impact/where-we-work-africa -goal-1627672842

03/03/2026

Education becomes empowering when it nurtures both skills and self-belief, and the STEM Education for Empowerment Project (STEEP) is doing just that for adolescent girls in Kenya and Ethiopia.



STEEP expands access to STEM and empowerment training for adolescent girls aged 14–18, both in and out of school, across Kenya and Ethiopia.



Through STEEP, girls from low-income and vulnerable communities gain access to quality education that builds their interest, skills, knowledge, and confidence in STEM, STEM-related fields, and essential life skills through a blend of theoretical and hands-on learning.



Over 2,000 adolescent girls out of school across six counties in Kenya recently graduated from STEM courses. All of whom are now pursuing higher education, engaging in work-integrated learning opportunities, or working in their field of study.



By strengthening their competencies and expanding their opportunities, STEEP supports adolescent girls in Kenya and Ethiopia to transition into higher education, enter the workforce, or pursue self-employment, empowering them to shape their own futures.

03/02/2026

When education is inclusive, relevant, and accessible, it becomes a powerful tool for change, and the Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) Project is strengthening pathways to quality education for youth across Bhutan.



Sonam Wangmo Thapa is a Hair and Beauty Therapy alumnus from the Technical Training Institute Samthang in Punakha District, Bhutan. Now a Beautician, Sonam reflects on her time as a trainee at the institution where she gained the skills and knowledge required to succeed as a student and then transition into meaningful employment in her field.



As a trainee, Sonam engaged in theory and practice through course sessions, gaining technical skills in hairstyling, makeup techniques, and skincare treatments, as well as skills in professionalism, effective communication, customer service, and business ethics.



Her trainers, also mentors, guided her training with expertise, patience, and encouragement through every lesson and practice. The hands-on support and learning gave Sonam the ability to make her clients feel comfortable and valued in her care.



Equipped with the necessary skills to deliver hair and beauty therapy to clients, Sonam is prepared for a successful and meaningful career in the beauty industry, enhancing her expertise and growing both professionally and personally each day.

02/25/2026

Earlier this month, International Development Project Lead Laura Barbosa and Humber Polytechnic's Centre for Innovative Learning's Andrew Gryfe travelled to Kenya as part of the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Project (KBEST-05) to deliver competency-based education and training (CBET).

Institutional participants from Bondo Technical Training Institute (BTTI), Mahaya Vocational Training Centre (VTC), and Lucy Onono VTC took part in a five-day training focused on the BOPPPS model. The sessions emphasized developing interactive mini-lessons, peer review, and learner-centred strategies to support the effective implementation, delivery, and assessment of short courses to be launched at each institution.

Thank you to Andrew Gryfe for leading these sessions with our Kenyan partners and strengthening CBET delivery capacity, helping equip Kenyan youth with industry-relevant skills for meaningful employment and self-employment within Kenya’s blue economy.

KBEST-05 is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada, administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada / Collèges et instituts Canada (CICan), and delivered in partnership with Humber Polytechnic, Bondo Technical Training Institute, Lucy Onono Vocational Training Centre, and Mahaya Vocational Training Centre.

02/11/2026

This year, on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are redefining STEM by closing the gender gap for girls in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Under the STEM Education for Empowerment Project (STEEP), over 2,000 girls in Kenya have completed and graduated from STEM training courses, gaining skills in fields such as electrical installation, plumbing and pipefitting, food and beverage production, solar PV and electrical installation, and more.

Through gender-responsive and inclusive training, mentorship, work-integrated learning, and community outreach initiatives, adolescent girls have gained labour and market-relevant skills, confidence, and knowledge to transition to higher education or pursue employment opportunities in STEM and STEM-related fields.

Many girls have already started working in their respective fields or continuing their STEM education at higher education institutions.

Let us continue to close the gender gap in STEM, creating more opportunities for girls to discover their passions, build meaningful careers, and shape a more inclusive, innovative future for women and girls in STEM.

STEEP is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada and The Barrett Family Foundation. Humber Polytechnic leads the project in partnership with CAP Youth Empowerment Institute in Kenya and HaHuJobs in Ethiopia.

02/10/2026

On Tuesday, February 3, faculty from Humber’s Early Childhood Education department, Anisha Jamal-Cadena, Pina Leo, and Joanne Tuck, partnered with David Neumann from the Faculty of Media, Creative Arts, and Design, to organize a fundraising event for interdisciplinary collaboration and global impact.

On a previous trip to Kenya for a Humber-led initiative, David Neumann met with Kenyan colleagues at Bondo Technical Training Institute (BTTI), who, after receiving new supplies and equipment from the Government of Canada, decided to keep the shipping container with the intention of turning it into a daycare space.

This fundraising event focused on supporting the transformation of the shipping container into a safe, accessible childcare space at BTTI, helping student mothers continue their postsecondary education.

The event featured an interactive raffle with prizes generously donated by faculty and vendors across the college, and showcased sustainable, culturally responsive interior design concepts developed by Humber students.

The fundraiser raised $1,685 and sparked meaningful engagement across the Humber community, underscoring the strength of partnership, creativity, and education-driven impact.

Thank you to Anisha, Pina, Joanne, and the student volunteers who made this event possible. Your dedication, collaboration, and leadership were instrumental in making this initiative a success.

Learn more: https://www.humberetc.ca/news/humber-unites-to-help-out-in-kenya-11206

02/06/2026

The Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) Project partners from Canada and Bhutan conducted a series of activities to strengthen Bhutan’s entrepreneurship curriculum, ensuring it is inclusive, relevant, and future-ready.

Humber’s John Lam and Emily Buchnea led the curriculum review, with expert inputs from Marjan Alipur on gender inclusion, Chithra Purushothaman on disability inclusion, Kent Schroeder on Gross National Happiness (GNH), and Getachew Assefa on environmental sustainability. The findings were shared with Bhutan’s Technical Teacher Training and Resource Centre (TTTRC) and validated through a workshop with the Department of Entrepreneurship and Employment (DoEE) and industry experts.

🌍 With the curriculum now finalized and master training underway, this partnership is advancing high-quality entrepreneurship education and strengthening pathways to prosperity across Bhutan’s TVET system.

BEST project is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada. Humber Polytechnic leads the project in partnership with Bhutan's Ministry of Education and Skills Development and RENEW, a Civil Society Organization in Bhutan.

02/05/2026

Under the Empowerment Through Skills Program (ESP), Global Affairs Canada’s Stephanie Brunet, Deputy Director, Health and Education, travelled to Tanzania to see first-hand how partnerships are translating investments into impact at Kasulu Folk Development College (FDC).

Alongside implementing partners, local partners, and industry representatives, Electrical Installation students currently undertaking their work-integrated learning placements at Sabtec Company Limited demonstrated the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom in a real-world setting.

Although the students completed their formal attachments last month, the contractor has since employed them on a contract basis, highlighting the strong link between training and employment.

🌍 Through collaboration between government, training institutions, and industry, these partnerships are strengthening skills development, improving employability, and creating sustainable pathways to economic opportunity.

ESP-04 is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada, administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada / Collèges et instituts Canada (CICan), and delivered in partnership with Humber Polytechnic, CCNB - Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, and Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

02/04/2026

In January 2026, Humber Polytechnic's Clarisse Estebar and NorQuest College's Greg Sowak travelled to Kenya as part of the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Recognition of Prior Learning (KBEST-14 RPL) project to advance RPL initiatives.

Alongside Kenyan partners Kenya National Qualifications Authority, TVET Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Certification, Kenya School of TVET, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority, Kisumu National Polytechnic, Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, and Bandari Maritime Academy, the KBEST-14 team validated key findings and recommendations from the situational analysis, aligned roles and timelines, and defined concrete implementation steps for 2026.

The discussions focused on operationalizing the approved workplan, identifying RPL assessors, institutional support, and capacity-building needs to ensure effective, sustainable implementation.

🌍 Through collaborative planning and shared accountability, these partnerships are strengthening systems and unlocking pathways for skills recognition and economic opportunity.

KBEST-14 is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada / Collèges et instituts Canada (CICan). Humber Polytechnic leads the project in partnership with NorQuest College under CICan's Education for Empowerment (EFE) Program.