Access to higher education is a critical driver of human empowerment and economic development. The skills developed through higher education are especially important under conditions of political instability and conflict. Unfortunately, these same conditions can also severely limit access to higher education—trapping communities in a cycle of continued conflict and increasing poverty.
With the support of a DI2 Launch Grant, the Pitt-Myanmar Education Initiative established an innovative program that aims to improve access to higher education in Myanmar—where the education system has largely collapsed during a military coup and civil war. The Initiative is a collaborative mentorship and experiential learning program pairing Pitt undergraduate students with students from Stars Do Shine (SDS), a community-based education organization in Myanmar.
Daw Yi Yi San, Director of Stars Do Shine and Co-Director of the Initaitive, with SDS students.
SDS students are preparing to take the U.S. General Education Development (GED) exam and English language proficiency tests to provide them with the necessary credentials to apply for international scholarships and higher education programs. Weekly Zoom meetings provided SDS students with the opportunity to practice their English language skills, learn about the college application process, and gain confidence in their abilities.
Pitt and SDS Students during weekly Zoom meeting.
Pitt students also held weekly in-person meetings to reflect on the previous meeting and to plan for the next one. They gained experience in mentorship, project management, and cross-cultural communication.
Pitt Students during weekly planning meeting.
Project-Based Learning
In addition to the weekly Zoom meetings, the students worked together (through messaging services) on a semester-long project during each semester of the Initiative:
Spring 2025 Project
The idea for shared project was created by the 2025 cohort of Pitt and SDS students out of concern for the SDS student communities that were struck by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28, 2025. The students formed a GoFundMe page, which featured a student-created video of the destruction. They raised $1200 to supply solar panel chargers to 50 families in the devastated Inle Lake region.
SDS Volunteers deliver solar panel chargers to the devastated Inle Lake region.
Spring 2026 Project
Inspired by their predecessors, the 2026 cohort of students decided to create a documentary about the collapse of education in Myanmar. The resulting film, Unbroken Spirits, examines conditions through the lens of four distinct communities: a town in Myanmar, a rural area, an active conflict zone, and a refugee community along the Thai border. With interviews conducted and filmed by SDS students and language and editing support provided by Pitt students, the documentary represents both a powerful depiction of conditions in Myanmar and an impressive example of virtual, international collaboration. The film premiered at Pitt’s Global Hub in April 2026, with the SDS students joining remotely, and can be viewed on YouTube.
An introduction to the documentary by Pitt and SDS students (joining remotely over Zoom).
Global Experiential Learning
Even though it is a remote learning project, the Pitt-Myanmar Education Initiative provides a powerful example of what experiential and global learning can look like at its best: students from vastly different circumstances working together not just to learn from each other, but to create something together. At the end of both semesters, the Pitt students presented on their experience at Pitt’s Experiential Conference.
Pitt Students presenting at the Pitt Experiential Learning Conference in 2025.
Pitt Students presenting at the Pitt Experiential Learning Conference in 2026.
During both semesters, the students worked well together, improving language skills and building inter-cultural competency. The SDS students became more confident in their education, and the Pitt students developed professional and mentoring skills. Most importantly to all of the students in the program, they developed strong friendships—breaking through the distance created by miles, time zones, language, and circumstances. In their written reflections, many of the Pitt students identified the Initiative as one of the most important and influential experiences of their time at Pitt.
Pitt and SDS students celebrated Myanmar’s New Year (Thingyan) together remotely in April 2025, sharing these pictures of their local celebrations.
Project Funding Goals
The DI2 Launch Grant provided financial support for the payment of the GED exam fees, which cost $360 per student. The average income in Myanmar is currently estimated by the International Labor Organization at $1200 per family, making the fees prohibitively expensive for most students. Duolingo generously provided free English tests, which are accepted by many Universities including Pitt, to all of the SDS students.
The Initiative had initially planned to obtain future funds through a USAID program that provided financing for university partnerships that improved access to higher education for students in Myanmar. Unfortunately, this program was eliminated in early 2025.
Currently, the Initiative is actively seeking new funding sources to continue to support the GED exam fees and to provide improved internet access for SDS students. We also hope to find funding sources for higher education scholarships for SDS graduates.
Donations to the project can be made through the University of Pittsburgh by clicking on the link below. Donations will be used solely to support the Initiative student and activities and will not be used for administrative overhead.
********************************************************
The Pitt-Myanmar Education Initiative is coordinated by Carey Treado of Pitt's Department of Economics and Yi Yi San of Stars Do Shine, with support from the Dietrich Innovation Initiative, the Global Studies Center, the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, and Pitt's Global Hub. Duolingo has generously donated English language tests to all of the Stars Do Shine students. For more information, contact Prof. Treado at ctreado@pitt.edu.