Through readings, structured discussions, and in-class exercises, this course will explore how education is linked to poverty alleviation and Millennium Development Goal achievement in low income countries. Specific topics to be addressed include (1) gender equity and education; (2) the linkages between health status and schooling; (3) education strategies for youth and workforce development; and (4) meeting educational needs in times of crisis (war or natural disaster). We will also examine how non-governmental organizations, bilateral assistance agencies (e.g. USAID) and multilateral donors (e.g. the World Bank, UNDP) work to address these issues. The course is structured so that students develop a profound understanding of how policies and programs intimately connect to people's lives, especially the lives of people who have been marginalized through poverty and discrimination.