Zenith

  • Latest News

    Saturday, August 24, 2019

    Pioneer Cohort of Teach For Nigeria Fellows, Graduate As Education Changemakers

    ...44 Fellows honoured after completing the 2 year programme of teaching in underserved primary schools

    L-R:   Ms Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach For Nigeria; Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, Wife of the Ogun State Governor; Dr Vongai Nyahunzvi, Head of Africa, Teach for All at the Graduation Ceremony of the Teach For Nigeria pioneer fellows on Thursday 22nd August 2019 in Lagos.
    Teach For Nigeria, a non-profit organization focused on enlisting Nigeria’s most promising future leaders in an effort to expand educational and life opportunities for all children in Nigeria, today celebrated its Fellowship programme’s first graduation ceremony.
    The Teach For Nigeria Fellowship is a 2 year full-time paid commitment that is designed to build a movement of leaders who will work towards eliminating educational inequity in Nigeria by teaching in underserved schools in low-income communities across Nigeria. The graduating cohort of 44 Fellows, were inducted in 2017 and deployed to 25 public primary schools in Lagos and Ogun states impacting approximately 2700 students.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Bamidele Abiodun, Wife of the Ogun State Governor, said “The Ogun State government is committed to supporting the vision of Teach for Nigeria as education is one of the core missions of our administration. I have experienced first-hand the excellent work the Teach for Nigeria fellows are doing in Ogun state and am very impressed by the impact and the confidence they are instilling in these children. ”

    In his address,  Gbenga Oyebode, Board Chairman, Teach For Nigeria said:“Educational injustice is one of Nigeria’s most critical and deeply rooted crises. With over 15 million out-of-school children, there needs to be a multipronged approach and commitment from individuals and organizations to solve the problem.  As a nation, we should see education as one of the ways to change the country. These 44 exceptional Fellows have been transformed into leaders and champions for education in Nigeria; dedicating their time, energy and resources into impacting the lives of their pupils. We are very proud of the pioneer Cohort; they have made the Teach For Nigeria vision – that one day, every Nigerian child will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education – a reality.”

    Folawe Omikunle, Chief Executive Officer, Teach For Nigeria said: “The efforts and successes of our graduating Cohort has made it evident that indeed a movement of transformational leaders can change the narrative. These past 2 years, our pioneer cohort of 44 exceptional change agents have worked in some of the most challenging circumstances to build a different social fabric with hope, conviction, but above all, with actions to change our country one classroom at a time. They have improved learning outcomes and ignited the love of learning in their pupils and have in turn expanded the life opportunities for their pupils.”

    As a part of the programme, the Fellows were further tasked with undertaking special projects in the ‘Be the Change Project’, aimed at transforming the education system beyond the classroom. The Child Support Initiative (CSI) is one of these projects. Founded by two Fellows – Dinyambe Twanoh Nyatua and Bosede Ogidan – it is aimed at educating learners in low income public primary schools on puberty and personal/menstrual hygiene and supporting them with sanitary products and toiletries. CSI was presented with a cheque of  N250,000 from the Grace Lake Partners Care Foundation at the graduation ceremony, for winning the award for the ‘Outstanding Be the Change Project’; based on its creativity, sustainability and impact.

    L-R:   Twanoh Nyatua Dinyambe and Bosede Ogidan, Teach For Nigeria Alumni and founders of Child Support Initiative with their cash grant for the most outstanding “Be the Change Project” presented by the Grace Lake Partners Cares Foundation at the Graduation Ceremony of the pioneer Teach For Nigeria fellows on Thursday 22nd August 2019 in Lagos.
    From its pilot program of 44 Fellows in 2017, Teach For Nigeria has scaled to over 250 Fellows in 2019, teaching full-time in 81 under-served schools to improve the educational and life prospects of approximately 13,000 students in Lagos, Ogun and Kaduna states. Through the programme’s teacher-training partnership with Babcock University, graduating Fellows that do not have a degree in education will be awarded a Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) to ensure that all Teach For Nigeria alumni have the requisite qualification to continue an impactful career in education, post-Fellowship. Teach For Nigeria’s long-term goal is to be present in all 6 geo-political regions of Nigeria within a decade (by 2027), impacting over 500,000 children.

    Teach For Nigeria is supported by Act Foundation, Africa Practice, Aluko and Oyebode, Amy & Ed, Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN), Brakeman Trust, Children International School (CIS), Central Securities and Clearing Systems Plc (CSCS), Comercio Partners Limited, Exxon Mobil, FBN Quest, Gbenga & Aisha Oyebode Trust, Gracelake Partners Cares Foundation, Greensprings School, Incubator Africa, Kaduna State Government, Ogun State Government, Petroleum Industry Christian Fellowship International (PICFI), PwC Nigeria, Small World, Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Teach for All,  the U.S Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria and Verod Capital.

    About Teach for Nigeria
    Teach For Nigeria is a Non-profit organization focused on enlisting Nigeria’s most promising future leaders in the effort to expand educational and life opportunities for all children in Nigeria. The initiative is part of the global Teach For All network of over 45 independent partners, working to increase and accelerate the impact of social enterprises that are cultivating the leadership necessary to ensure that “One day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”
    • Blogger Comments
    • Facebook Comments

    0 comments:

    Item Reviewed: Pioneer Cohort of Teach For Nigeria Fellows, Graduate As Education Changemakers Rating: 5 Reviewed By: BrandIconImage
    Scroll to Top