LIFE - Lebanon Initiative for Education Phase 1 Evaluation Study

Swiss partners

• PHZH: Wiltrud Weidinger Meister (main applicant), Doris Kuhn

 MENA partners

• Holy Spirit University of Kaslik: Rima El Soueidi (main applicant)

 Other research partners

• Mentor&Guide: Joseph El Feghaly

Presentation of the project

The Lebanon Initiative for Education (LIFE) Phase 1 Evaluation Study strengthens the pedagogical and socioemotional competences of teachers working with vulnerable learners in Lebanon’s protracted crisis. Faced with economic collapse, political instability, and the world’s highest refugee density, teachers support diverse groups of children experiencing poverty, displacement, and psychosocial stress, while professional development opportunities have largely eroded.

The LIFE Phase 1 Evaluation Study develops, pilots, and institutionalizes an evidence-based program that enhances teacher resilience and their ability to foster students’ socio-emotional learning. Grounded in national and international SEL frameworks, the project shifts the focus from students alone to teachers’ wellbeing and capacities as key drivers of learning. 

Implemented by the Zurich University of Teacher Education with Lebanese partners, the LIFE Phase 1 Evaluation Study (2026–2027) includes a needs analysis, co-design of modular training and mentoring, and a mixed-method baseline study in five pilot schools. A pilot implementation and continuous research guide refinement will prepare for scaling up the program. Outputs include adapted training materials, an open digital platform, and a strategy for national expansion in Phase 2.