BLP App: Feel & Learn Better!

Basic psychosocial support to improve learning and wellbeing one child at a time

The Better Learning Programme is the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) flagship classroom-based psychosocial support intervention for children in crisis-affected communities.

A Holistic Approach: The BLP App is a complementary app that supports children’s recovery from the traumatic events experienced from any stressful event including during conflict and displacement by improving conditions for learning. The BLP app mobilises teaching staff, parents and caregivers encompassing a multi-layered approach to restore a sense of normality and hope.

Fluid and responsive: The learning obtained from the Better Learning Programme can be implemented by any teacher, parent or caregiver who consumes the content on the app, making it ideal for quick adaptation according to differing levels of needs and other contextual challenges.

Academic research: The Better Learning Programme is the product of a long-standing research practice collaboration between NRC and the University of Tromsø. Most recently, the University of Auckland has been conducting research on external threats to schools and its impact on learning outcomes. The programme is constantly undergoing joint monitoring and continuous improvement to account for new research, field-based learning and best practices as they arise.

The BLP app is targeted at teachers, parents and caregivers who have either not received the face to face BLP Programme Training or need a refresher on the BLP content and techniques.

Topics include:

- Understanding and coping with stress

- Concrete calming and relaxation exercises to teach children and youth

- Mainstreaming calming exercises into daily lesson plans and routines

- Concrete study tips and skills to support children and youth study from home and study for exams

Parental tips on positive parenting, creating a daily routine at home and how to use story telling as means to better support children and youth at home.

The Better Learning Programme is loved by teachers and students:

In Jordan, 62.5% of children who had participated in BLP2 said they had experienced a drastic improvement in their psychosocial well-being. Sana, a teacher in Zaatari Refugee Camp added: "The BLP not only helps the students deal with their stress, we as teachers also benefit from these important life skills."

After NRC's intervention in Palestine, 67% of the children reported a full reduction in trauma-related nightmares, and 79% of children reported an improvement in completing their homework after participating in the Better Learning Programme.

Before (the better learning programme) I used to feel some joy, but not a lot. I had many nightmares where people and even animals would be chasing me and trying to kill me. They would want me to die. When I was coming to school I didn't feel very happy. Then we started the better learning programme and the teacher really helped us feel better and more relaxed. While I still have nightmares sometimes, I now feel more joy and I feel happiness in my life.

The BLP App is free to download and use and there are no ads. A subset of the content will be free forever.