Success Beyond Test Scores at Big Picture Learning Kenya—Q&A with Carol Owala

Carol Owala is the founder of Big Picture Learning Kenya, part of the Big Picture Learning (BPL) network. Big Picture Learning Kenya is an initiative transforming education for under-resourced youth by centering learning around students’ interests, mentorship, and real-world experiences. Growing up in Kibera, she witnessed firsthand how systemic barriers limit opportunities for young people, driving her to create a model that challenges traditional exam-driven schooling.

Q: Can you tell me about Big Picture Learning Kenya and what inspired you to start this school?

Carol: The idea came when I was working in our education system. I’ve worked in the Kenyan education system as a teacher, school leader, and coach. When I was working as a teacher, I was supporting students who were struggling, which led me to meet many families and work with other teachers to provide support.

When I later worked as an instructional coach and leadership coach, one of the things that bothered me was how our education system failed kids. In Kenya, we have a national exam at the end of grade eight that determines whether students go to high school and, if so, which type of high school. Then, at the end of high school, there’s another national exam that largely determines their future. If students don’t pass, their chances of going to college or improving their livelihood are very slim.

Expectedly, students from marginalized communities face the worst outcomes. The schools they attend lack resources, trained teachers, and necessities needed for academic success. As a result, many of these students are failed by the system. At one point, I was working with teachers to develop Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), but no matter the progress students made, it was meaningless if they didn’t pass the national exam. In 2014, while taking a course at John Hopkins University, I started blogging about my frustrations. One of my classmates, Bonnie Lathram, was a Big Picture Learning advisor. She saw my blogs and sent me resources, and I completely loved their approach.

Big Picture Learning Kenya is not a school itself. Instead, we partner with community schools that serve students from informal settlements. In Kenya, community schools exist to meet the high unmet demand for education. Many families prefer community schools to public schools. These schools are started by community members and serve low-income students.

Through Big Picture Learning Kenya, we implement the Big Picture Learning model in these schools. Our flagship program, the Kuna Nuru Leadership Academy (KNLA) “Kuna Nuru” is Swahili for “There is Light.” It provides training centered around durable skills development, youth-adult partnerships,  relationships, and the building of professional networks.

The three interwoven strands that define KNLA are learning through interests, learning through relationships, and learning by practicing skills. These are not separate strands but are intertwined so that interests in a skilled trade become deepened through relationships with professionals that, in turn, enhance student skills because they are practicing and learning the tricks of the trade in the relevant worksites with people who are working to real-world standards.

The Kenyan education system often labels students as failures if they don’t pass national exams. Our academy tells them, “No, you were lied to—there’s much more to you than your test scores.” We put young people at the center of their learning, facilitating interest-based education and internships and connecting them with mentors. We started with just 12 students, and now we serve 100 young people annually. We also implement advisories—small family-like groups where students get mentorship and support. Unlike traditional schools where learning is confined within four walls, our advisories take place in students’ homes, strengthening community involvement. Currently, we partner with five community schools in three of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements: Kibera, Kawangware, and Kangemi.

Q: How does your Kenyan culture and personal experience influence how you approach education and engage with your community?

Carol: Educators don’t leave their values, biases, or personal experiences at the door when they enter a classroom. That’s true for me as well. I often think about what I needed as a young girl growing up in an informal settlement. I grew up in Kibera, and my team and I are deeply committed to developing programs that cater to students who, like me, grew up with limited access to opportunities. 

For example, although there were public schools in my neighborhood, they weren’t truly accessible. Education is not free in Kenya, despite what it says on paper. Families are still expected to pay fees, which forces many children to drop out. I had to leave school in third grade because my parents couldn’t afford the costs. The only way I could continue learning was to walk over six kilometers every day to attend a community school in Kawangware. Beyond financial barriers, there are also deep-rooted biases and single stories about people from places like Kibera. These narratives influence how we see ourselves. I grew up believing that children from marginalized communities couldn’t go far in life. There’s a phenomenon called “learned helplessness”—when the system continuously works against you, you eventually stop trying to fight it. As a big fan of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I believe that education should be liberatory. Freire argues that the oppressed often struggle to recognize the source of their oppression, and oppressors thrive on this ignorance. That’s why my team and I constantly work on challenging our own biases—because if we don’t, we risk becoming part of the problem instead of being part of the solution.

Many of the young people we work with have low self-esteem because they’ve been told their entire lives what they cannot do. They lack mentors and role models, which was also my reality growing up. To address this, we integrate storytelling into our programs. Storytelling helps students see their worth, rewrite the narratives they’ve been fed, and reshape how the world perceives them. 

The Kenyan education system often labels students as failures if they don’t pass the national examinations. Our academy tells them, ‘No, you were lied to—there’s much more to you than your test scores.’

Carol Owala

Q: Can you share a story of a learner whose experience has been transformed by BPL Kenya? What made their journey stand out to you?

Carol: Many students’ lives have been transformed, but one stands out. 

Edwin joined the Leadership Academy in January 2024 after being referred by his friend. He is passionate about nursing and dancing. Edwin was battling with his mental health after undergoing a very traumatic experience while in high school.

He talks about how the Leadership Academy has helped him build his confidence and collaboration skills and learn how to use his passion to impact people’s lives. Edwin interned at Cheza Cheza Dance Foundation as a dance teacher, honing his dancing skills and growing as a choreographer. He was awarded a certificate for being outstanding at his internship site in terms of his engagement, being proactive, showing up as a learner, and demonstrating leadership.

In addition to his work in dance, Edwin undertook a project focused on mental wellness. This initiative aimed to raise awareness about mental health issues and provide strategies for coping with mental breakdowns among youth. As a dance educator, he combines meditation and dancing to support people with mental health issues.

Edwin is currently working at Cheza Cheza as a dance educator, and he is awaiting his acceptance into the college in 2026.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in implementing your program, and how have you and your team worked to overcome them?

Carol: There are many challenges, but I’ll highlight two major ones:

Building a Skilled Team
Kenyan education is heavily teacher-centered, where the teacher lectures, and students passively absorb information. Many of my team members, even those from our communities, have never experienced a learner-centered model like Big Picture Learning before. This requires constant professional development. To address this, we’ve partnered with Big Picture Learning and coaching organizations like Bright Morning Consulting. Internally, we emphasize ongoing training and reflective practice.

Teacher Turnover in Community Schools
Community schools receive no government funding and rely solely on tuition fees, making it difficult to pay trained teachers. Many teachers leave within months, especially after COVID-19 when schools couldn’t afford salaries. Initially, we worked directly with teachers, but high turnover made this unsustainable. Instead, we shifted our focus to training school leaders, who tend to stay longer and can mentor incoming teachers. Also, continuous learning over the past six years prompted BPL Kenya to modify its approach and work with young people more directly. This is how KNLA was born. 

Q: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for BPL Kenya, and what changes do you hope to see in education locally and globally?

Carol: Our longer-term vision is to increase the impact of BPL Kenya on schools, teachers, students, and communities through influence and reform. We are currently raising funds to expand our programs and work from four angles: knowledge, incubating community innovation, consulting, and direct intervention in low-resource settings. 

About 60% of the students who graduate from our KNLA program use their certificates to look for job opportunities. We have a moral obligation to empower this group of young people with the technical skills they need to thrive. For this reason, BPL Kenya has already identified young people for whom the trades are the appropriate and chosen post-secondary path to a fulfilling life as a professional and community member–especially those who have been historically marginalized in the trades through ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender bias. 

Globally, BPL Kenya is particularly inspiring and has even informed some of Big Picture Learning’s B-Unbound work in the U.S. Too many of the current education models fail to reach a cohort of young people, especially those from conditions of disadvantage and those from culturally diverse backgrounds, so they are excluded from further education and more desirable employment opportunities. 

The BPL Kenya team is experienced in navigating these challenges and communicating how they can be overcome. Our model shows that powerful, learner-centered learning can happen without massive infrastructure or high costs. We invite you to be part of Big Picture Learning’s Leaving to Learn Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 22-29, 2025. This summit is designed to cultivate deep relationships, facilitated by a group of incredible young Kenyans who are part of the KNLA. This bringing together of people will foster learning, inspiration, celebration, and resilience. Learning together, forming cross-cultural connections, and building community make us all better humans who are happy to share what works!