Education and Training Awards 2020

Jun20435 Non-Profit Teacher Training Initiative of the Year 2020 Children are wonderful. Their capacity for learning gives them a thirst for knowledge, but education is not so readily available to every child in the world. Issues such as a lack of opportunities, social exclusion, and economic vulnerability are the result of policies and practices that marginalize entire groups of people and make them susceptible to missing out on education they deserve. Hands Across the World discovered, tested and piloted a possible solution: Training teacher to implement quality teaching techniques that can be spread to remote community schools. We take a closer look to find out more. Hands Across the World was founded on the belief that is truly high quality education was given to every child in a safe environment through qualified teachers, they will have the chance to choose a better path in their future. Quality education can be the game changer for so many impoverished families who are susceptible to missing out on what the world has to offer them. So, Hands Across the World stepped in, but in a different way. Rather than build schools and buildings for children to go, the organisation realised that better qualified teachers would have a greater impact and encourage more students to attend school and stay in school until Grade 12. Thus, Hands Across The World provides teacher training to schools of non-governmental organisations and public primary school, to help children avoid dropping out of school due to the lack of impactful teaching. The gap that Hands Across the World found and filled is to make sure that the teachers in these schools teach activity-based and interactive lessons with enthusiasm instead of using old fashion rote learning methods. Not only will this approach help to keep the children in school, but it also has the potential to improve learning outcomes and make children actively want to go to every class. The outcomes are remarkable, as children attain better grades, move to secondary school and college, and find better jobs than they would have if they had dropped out at such an early age. For teachers also, Hands Across the World affords them the opportunity to enjoy their jobs, stay in their roles longer, and be passionate role models to a generation of potential world-changers. In training teachers to be more interactive and enthusiastic about their work, Hands Across the World developed a curriculum which is tailor-made to the needs of teachers in developing countries. It knows that better education methods will help to keep children in school, but the curriculum is just as vital a part of the equation. Each teacher is trained with the help of qualified teacher trainers, who establish and implement quality teaching techniques and a sustainable outcome focus. These teachers are then able to spread their skills and knowledge within their remote community schools to the children. One professionally educated teacher can educate a whole village school with the right techniques and methods. Students on the receiving end of this education can then move away from the potential dangers that come with living in a remote community, such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and human slave labour. Students can completely change the course of their lives, thanks to the work of the teachers who have been professionally educated in order to help them. Hands Across the World is working with highly qualified teacher trainers to deliver a curriculum which was written and developed by teacher trainers who live and breathe education in the developing world. With this course, Hands Across the World has filled a gap which was unidentified before, and has managed to positively impact the lives of more than eight and a half thousand children so far. The outcomes are evaluated, monitored, observed, and captured. The positive impact is undeniable. This is not a hand- out from Hands Across the World; it is the chance to be empowered. It is a hand up. Company: Hands Across the World Contact: Cindy Debes Website: www.handsacrosstheworld.ngo The outcomes are remarkable, as children attain better grades, move to secondary school and college, and find better jobs than they would have if they had dropped out at such an early age. For teachers also, Hands Across the World affords them the opportunity to enjoy their jobs, stay in their roles longer, and be passionate role models to a generation of potential world-changers.