Education

World Joy’s Quality of Education Initiative began in 2010 and focuses on strengthening classroom teacher preparation, and cooperative and interactive learning—a revolutionary model for Ghana. In collaboration with another Utah-based NGO (non-governmental organization) Inside Out Learning made it possible to conduct week-long training workshops to begin this effort. Educators from the United States, Kenya, and Uganda provided the initial curriculum and training of local native trainers, who have since trained over 600 teachers.

Recognizing a real need, local Utah-teachers, Stephanie Marchant Feller, Heather Leeflang, and Jessica Dunn, labored over a new curriculum in early 2011. Early LiteracyTraining of KG (kindergarten) teachers was then overseen by these dedicated educators this summer (2011). Week-long training sessions were held wherein new local trainers were educated on these techniques and new curriculum. Subsequently, these native coaches taught over 100 KG teachers in a matter of weeks.

And, let’s just say that these local trainers are fervent about their work! Passionate cheers and spirited singing accompany these training sessions and World Joy’s reputation for quality instruction is spreading. Some teachers, having heard about this success, are coming from Accra, some 90 miles away, to be trained in our villages.

We are pleased to report that a World Joy school has taken top honors in secondary testing since 2007. The Basic Education Certificate Examination is an exam that must be taken and passed in order for a student to be accepted into senior secondary school. In recent months, the headmaster of Sankubenase Jr. High reports that test scores have risen from a dismal 2% passing to 45.5 % passing.

A Quality Education most certainly offers the promise of a better tomorrow to the children, and young adults, of our villages.