Build the USAP Community School in Zimbabwe

Happy Holidays!

What a year it has been! During this abbreviated two week end of year holiday, we are taking deep breaths and reflecting on what a crazy 2020 it has been. Starting a school this particular year of 2020 has been quite something - it's been exhausting, exhilarating, challenging and magical. Together we opened school to our inaugural class of 45 students wit 8 faculty, 5 junior faculty and three non-teaching staff in January.Together we created and endured our special brand on WhatsApp/kindle lessons for 6 months and together we reunited, quarantined and spent a joyful final term together. We have recruited our second class of 24 students and two additional faculty members and will reopen January 4.

One thing is clear - we would not have made it without you. Thank you so much for your ongoing support for our unique school. We continue to raise funds to reach our goals of building our permanent campus and sustaining the costs of our operations, which we vigorously keep as low as possible. Together we are transforming lives, assisting young people without means but with so much talent and determination to grow and seize opportunities that will allow them to reach their potential.

We cannot thank you enough! Hoping you find joy during these holidays.

Onwards to 2021!

Rebecca and all at Education Matters and the USAP Community Schoo

It has been over six months since we had to close the USAP Community School campus and move our learners to remote learning, creating a hybrid model of WhatsApp, video creation and Google Classroom to adjust to teaching reliant on phone data and kindles.  Our students and teachers alike have made a valiant effort to adapt to the strains and shortcomings of this type of learning.  Teachers have created bitesize videos to cover topics in the science curriculum during their daily lessons and we have used WhatsApp groups for everything from school extracurriucular clubs to class discussion and presentation groups.   However, remote learning is no substitute for in class lessons and all of the activities we have come to enjoy as part of the holistic nature of our education at USAP Community School.  We are all missing the strong learning community we forged first term.

We are excited that in line with the Ministry of Education's phased reopening COVID19 plans, we will be reopening USAP Community School and welcoming back our inaugural class of students on Monday, October 26.   Our COVID19 reopening plan has been approved and we will bring back our students for two weeks of quarantine, before our boarding school community becomes a bubble that can hopefully interact fairly normally, with precautions and safeguards placed on those coming in and out of school, rather than those who will be safely on campus for the remainder of the year.

Our applications for a few class to join us in January 2021 are out with an October 26 deadline.  We are excited to go through the selection process to bring in a new vibrant class to add to our growing school.  We have also hired five new TAs to ou junior faculty, while the first crop are now settled in university and will be hiring two new teachers to start with us in January.

This past month has also been a very exciting part of our fundraising campaign.  As we celebrated 20 years of USAP through 20forUSAP@20, we had over 125 people run, walk or cycle 20 kilometres or 20 miles in 9 countries and 27 of the 50 states of the United States on September 20.  Thank you for all who continue to support us as we get closer to our goal of buildng our permanent school site.  

With continued gratitude,
Rebecca/Mai Mano and the rest of the USAP Community School and Education Matters team

Links:

• Check out our refreshed website to learn more about the school!