Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

PLC: Kenya Connect's newest program is designed to support 21st century learning strategies in Wamunyu classrooms.  So you're probably wondering what is PLC?  PLC is the acronym for Professional Learning Communities.  Professional Learning Communities are small groups of like minded professionals who meet regularly with the goal of implementing best practices through collaborative planning and collegial accountability. Board member and volunteer, Laura Carter is leading this program to help teachers use best practices in teaching methodologies in delivering the Kenyan curriculum.  This pilot program was launched in March with teams of teachers from four cluster schools gathered to learn about the  program, to select teaching materials, and to brainstorm on how to use more effective teaching methods in their classrooms.  These teachers continue to meet and Laura will be visiting their classrooms to provide suggestions. The ultimate goal is for these teachers to spread their knowledge with other teachers in their schools and thus becoming the trainers while most importantly, helping their students to become critical thinkers integrating knowledge in order to be successful.

And why is this important?  Most teachers in Wamunyu lack basic school resources and have little access to professional development.  The Kenyan education system has been based on a rigorous testing program that led to teachers expecting students to memorize content rather than integrating it in a way that develops intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and the desire for further learning.  This program, coupled with our past professional development workshops on literacy, kinesthetic learning, instructional technology/computer literacy and arts integration, are providing teachers with additional tools and information to help their students with 21st century skills.  

The professional development program is closely linked with our work to develop a culture of reading.  We are thrilled to report that we have distributed 900 Library Cards since January!  Our library team visits schools every other week bringing boxes of books for all age groups.  As the students see the bus coming, they run out exclaiming, "new books!"  We have also begun meeting with parent groups to share information about the importance of reading and providing them with ideas on how to support reading with their children.  With the support of a grant, Kenya Connect enrolled in Library World, a library database system, and our books and all library cards are receiving barcodes to speed-up the check out process and to help us better manage our growing collection. Currently we have 5,000 books in the collection for the 17,000 students we serve.  Donations are helping us to increase the collection so even more students can borrow books!

All of these initiatives to strengthen education in Wamunyu are thanks to donors like you.  Donations to Kenya Connect have allowed us to grow the work we are doing to provide resources and programs to support 21st Century Learning to a community of teachers and students eager to learn.  We are deeply appreciative of your support on GlobalGiving and we thank you for making a difference in so many lives.

#GirlPower!  Kenya Connect celebrates girls at our 55 partner schools!  Did you know that on average girls in Kenya misses 4 days of school per month because they don't have products to use during their menstural cycle? In an effort to provide an affordable and sustainable product, Kenya Connect created Wings Poa. Wings Poa, our Reusable Sanitary Pad Program, are kits that are made by local women and students at the Wamunyu Special School.  This program provides education on mensturation, health and hygiene when reusable sanitary pad kits are distributed.  We also meet with the students' moms so they can support this initiative.  This program has been a game changer for many of our students, and teachers and families are very pleased.

We have distributed 150 kits so far, but many more are needed.  We will be running a special campaign for this program to purchase additional sewing machines and fabric so more kits can be made.  We are asking you, as a special friend of Kenya Connect, to make a donation on Thursday, March 8, International Women's Day!  Your donation will be matched AND  more importantly, you will help make the difference in the lives of our girl students.

We invite you to watch the video below on the Wings Poa program featuring some of the recipients of the kits!

Links:

• Wings Poa Video