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Tag: Folawe Omikunle

  • Teach For Nigeria Graduates Its Fifth Cohort Of Fellows

    Teach For Nigeria Graduates Its Fifth Cohort Of Fellows

    …implemented 87 Be-The-Change projects in 121 schools across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo States.

    Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a non-profit organisation focused on enlisting Nigeria’s most promising future leaders to improve foundational learning outcomes and expanding life opportunities for low-income children across Nigeria, on Thursday, 3rd August, graduated its fifth cohort of 197 outstanding change makers. The 2023 graduating class implemented 87 “Be The Change” projects which are social innovation projects aimed at addressing some of the systemic challenges affecting quality education delivery in their schools and communities.

    The graduation ceremony, which took place in Lekki, Lagos State had policymakers, industry experts, partners, alumni, and stakeholders in attendance. Frank Nweke, Chairman of ONTV Nigeria Limited, Loi Koiki, Chairman of Greensprings Educational Services Limited, Evang. Joshua Olalekan Ifede, Ogun State TESCOM Chairman, Prof. Abayomi Arigbagbu, Fmr. Commissioner for Education and Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of TFN, Folawe Omikunle, expressed her gratitude to the graduating class for their commitment to various community development projects. “Through 87 impactful Be the Change Projects, they’ve tackled educational challenges, fought for equity, protected the environment, promoted peace, ignited creativity, and fostered innovation for a more sustainable future,” said Folawe. While reacting to Teach for Nigeria’s remarkable impact in improving foundational literacy and numeracy, she highlighted that students in Teach For Nigeria classes made between 2-3 months of additional learning gains in literacy and 2-5 months in numeracy compared to other students.

    Frank Nweke Jnr, Fmr. Federal Minister and Fmr. Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, during his commencement speech, expressed dismay at the quality of education in Nigeria. He however, expressed optimism about the Teach For Nigeria Fellowship program and its potential to address educational inequity challenges in Nigeria. According to him, “The template created here at Teach For Nigeria clearly shows that transforming Nigeria’s education is possible under purposeful leadership.”

    Susan Benjamin, a graduating fellow, while recounting her fellowship experience, said, “Through the Teach For Nigeria Fellowship, I have enhanced my leadership skills by implementing various projects in my placement community. I am now an ambassador for Social Emotional Learning”With the skills and opportunities I have been exposed to, I have rediscovered my sense of purpose and I  remain dedicated to becoming a driving force for positive change in the African educational sector.”

    The graduating cohort served in 121 schools across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states, impacting over 50,000 students in underserved communities. Graduating fellows without any teaching qualification pursued a Professional Diploma in Education at Teach for Nigeria partner school, Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology Omu – Ajose, formerly Tai Solarin College of Education, through a fully funded scholarship. They were inducted into the teaching profession by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) before the end of their fellowship.

    The 2021 cohort will join the Teach for Nigeria 641 alumni network and continue to deepen their impact on Nigeria’s education based on their deeper understanding of the systemic issues affecting education equity and excellence in Nigeria.

  • Teach For Nigeria hosts the graduation ceremony of its 4th cohort of fellows

    Teach For Nigeria hosts the graduation ceremony of its 4th cohort of fellows

    …Over 300 changemakers will join the Teach for Nigeria alumni network and continue to build on their initiatives to expand educational outcomes for children in underserved schools

    Teach For Nigeria, a non-profit organization focused on building a movement of leaders across the nation who are committed to improving foundational learning outcomes and life opportunities for low-income children in Nigeria today graduated its fourth cohort of fellows. The graduating class comprised 385 fellows who served in 279 schools across Lagos and Ogun states reaching over 77,000 students in underserved communities. 

    The graduation ceremony which took place in Abeokuta had industry experts, partners, alumni and stakeholders in attendance. Present at the ceremony included the former president of Nigeria, His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and representatives of the Honourable Commissioners for Education, Lagos and Ogun states. 

    Speaking at the ceremony, Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach for Nigeria said,  “This cohort is the largest and most diverse cohort at Teach For Nigeria fellows and they made a tremendous impact in their schools and communities. We recorded significant gains in academic and non-academic outcomes in the schools,  impacting over 70000 pupils even as the world experienced learning losses. It is a big feat for the graduating fellows, as not everyone who started with the cohort made it through. 385 out of the 417 appointed fellows chose to stay through despite the challenges of COVID-19 and in the space of 2 years, have left an indelible impact on their communities.”

    In his commencement speech, Abubakar Suleiman, CEO  of Sterling Bank while encouraging the graduating fellows to keep up the good work stated: “You might have started small, but I need you to think big in your next phase.  Do not think that your job is done. Imagine that the world is waiting to support your dreams. You must step out and you must continue your journey. Think of how you will inspire and encourage others by sharing your stories with them. No matter how big your dreams are, remember that there are people who will support you.”

    While speaking on behalf of the chairman of the board, Mr Gbenga Oyebode, Mrs Alero Ayida-Otobo said, “TFN is a platform on which greatness stands and from which greatness impacts the community. I have seen so many alumni of TFN doing amazing things. The first cohort in 2017 graduated 44 Fellows but today we are graduating 385 Fellows. Teach for Nigeria is an incubator that prepares its fellows for greatness. When you leave, you leave as a force for a change. Together, all of us are changing the narrative of education inequity and raising a generation of new primary school pupils.” 

    Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo emphasized the importance of providing educational opportunities for people to maximize their innate potential. According to him, “There is nothing more frustrating than having the capacity and no opportunities.  Education for children, youths and adults should be limitless. There is no one who is born without an element of innate capacity which has to be developed and if the person does not go to school, the development of that innate capacity will be hindered.”

    Omotoyosi Idris, a graduating fellow, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pass through the Fellowship. Idris said, “I can’t tell my success story and journey without mentioning my experience at Teach For Nigeria. It changed my perspective on our society and made me realize that I was the change. During the fellowship, I launched the Hale and Hearty initiative focused on improving the education and health conditions of kids in underserved communities. So far, we were able to set up and equip a sick bay accessible to 450 direct beneficiaries including learners and school staff. We also conducted free medical outreaches like malaria tests, dental checks and diabetes tests in the community.  I am motivated to do more for my society and I look forward to hearing about our exploits in the different sectors in Nigeria. 

  • Teach For Nigeria hosts a pitch competition for Alumni-led Education focused Initiatives

    Teach For Nigeria hosts a pitch competition for Alumni-led Education focused Initiatives

    Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a non-profit organization dedicated to building a movement of Nigeria’s most promising leaders across the country devoted to eradicating educational inequity, hosted its Incubation Hub Pitch Competition, from which two winners emerged.

    With sponsorship from SNEPCo, the pitch day was hosted as part of Teach For Nigeria’s Incubation Hub Program, earlier launched in July, to support Teach for Nigeria Alumni in the social innovation space with relevant resources needed to drive their initiatives focused on promoting access to education for children in marginalized communities.

    During the event, five of the innovators who had been selected as part of the cohort for the 2022 Incubation Hub had the opportunity to pitch for N1 million in seed funding. These innovators include: Oluwaseun Kayode of Schoolinka, Zainab Akintayo of Smart Garden Concept, Odinakachukwu Nwosu representing VirtualXcursions, Aramide of Talentmine Academy, and Obasanjo Fajemirokun of Brace-Up The Young. Of these five, two- Odinakachukwu Nwosu and Oluwaseun Kayode emerged as winners and were awarded N1 million each to expand their initiatives.

     In her opening speech, Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach For Nigeria  said  “Through the Incubation Hub, participants are equipped with the practical knowledge required to build and sustain their social innovations.  This is one of the essentials of building a society where innovation and other creative ideas can be used to develop society and improve the quality of learning.”

    Commenting on his win, “Oluwaseun Kayode, Founder of Schoolinka and a pioneer member of the alumni body said “I came with high hopes for the pitch competition and I believe I have a solid product that the panels found very viable, scalable, sustainable, and  a credible venture worth supporting. Schoolinka intends to intentionally scale to remote communities in the country with limited internet access, including some communities in other African countries.”

    Dr. Isa Omagu, CEO of Premier Advisory Limited, and  a judge at the event noted that “Using social innovations to solve social problems is the way to go. He further noted that the innovators who presented their business ideas had undergone structured business training and understand the business models of to run a sustainable”.

    The Incubation Hub is a 3-month intensive enterprise development training that provides opportunities for TFN alumni to grow and scale their enterprises. Through the Incubation Hub, participants are equipped with the practical knowledge required to build and sustain their social innovations.

  • Teach For Nigeria Inducts Its 6th Cohort of Teaching Fellows

    Teach For Nigeria Inducts Its 6th Cohort of Teaching Fellows

    …trains 319 Fellows to teach in underserved schools

    Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a non-profit organization that is developing leaders to ensure that children in under-served communities can fulfil their potential regardless of their socio-economic background. This year, the Teach for Nigeria Fellows went through a five-week hybrid Training Institute which kicked off virtually on the 31st of July 2022. A two-week residential training at Greensprings School, Lekki Campus, Lagos, followed running from 1st August – 16th August 2022.  

    The Teach For Nigeria Fellowship is a leadership development program that equips Fellows with teaching and leadership skills to effect change in their classrooms and beyond. Every year, Teach For Nigeria recruits promising graduates, engages them through an intensive Pre-Service Training Institute, and then places them in under-served schools where they make a remarkable impact and contribute immensely to changing the trajectory of their learners.

    The guest speaker at the event, Director, Enterprise Development Center of the Pan Atlantic University, Dr. Peter Bamkole, reminded the Fellows that they were on a mission. “When you do what you do with your whole heart,and you can do it for free and you’re still happy, that is not work, that’s a mission,” he said. In addition, Dr. Peter stated that the Fellows were the agents of change who would drive the needed change in the educational sector.

    Blessing Adeyemi, one of the Fellows, delivered a valedictory speech on behalf of the Fellows. In her remarks, she noted  “ we have not just been taught the art of teaching, but there’s been a transference of the heart of collective leadership to a shared vision.

    The Fellows were inducted formally into the Fellowship through a commitment pledge/oath led by the CEO of Teach For Nigeria, Folawe Omikunle. She encouraged Fellows to fully honour this promise that they have made to that one Nigerian child as they enter the classrooms.

    Present at the event was the Executive Chairman, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, who was represented by the Board Secretary, SUBEB, Mr. Wasiu Kuye. The Honourable Commissioner of Education, Lagos State, Folashade Adefisayo, represented by Dr. Olufunke Oyetola, Tutor General/Permanent Secretary (TGPS), Education District 3 was also in attendance.

    In her goodwill message, the Honourable Commissioner of Education, Lagos State, Folashade Adefisayo, represented by Dr. Olufunke Oyetola, Tutor General/Permanent Secretary (TGPS), Education District 3 charged the Fellows to be change agents. “As you go out today, I want to encourage you to be good ambassadors, be an agent of change because education will take Nigeria to a greater level” She said.

    “You have come, you have seen and you have reconquered. Effecting change, requires time and lasting efforts. You are set for a new journey, new experience, in a new environment which will inform a major part of your decision in life now and beyond the fellowship”  This was the goodwill message from the Executive Chairman, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, represented by the Board Secretary, SUBEB, Mr. Wasiu Kuye.

  • Teach For Nigeria launches the 2022 Incubation Hub Program to Drive Education-Focused Social Change Projects

    Teach For Nigeria launches the 2022 Incubation Hub Program to Drive Education-Focused Social Change Projects

    …Inducts 10 new participants, reinstating commitment to help its alumni scale viable social enterprises.

    Teach For Nigeria, a non-profit organization committed to developing young leaders to address educational inequity across Nigeria, has today announced the launch of its 2022 Incubation Hub program. 

    The Incubation Hub was first launched in 2020 and is part of Teach For Nigeria’s commitment to support the alumni community of its 2-year fellowship programme. This year, the focus areas for the Incubation Hub are early childhood education, teachers training and  development, education in emergencies or conflict areas, poverty and hunger, research, and policy. 

    The program provides the relevant resources to enable social innovators from the Teach for Nigeria alumni to scale their education innovations from the project or prototype stage to an enterprise. Selected participants would be provided with relevant training and practical knowledge to build, scale up and sustain their businesses through a 3-month intensive training targeted at national and systems-level social change.

    Speaking during the launch, Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach For Nigeria  said: “We know that the challenge of educational inequity is not one that Teach for Nigeria alone can solve but we are very clear about our mission in really developing, galvanising, cultivating as many dynamic leaders as possible who will share with us in this mission and vision and we will continue to serve as catalyst to ensure they are able to crystalize solutions across the ecosystem.”

    Zainab Akintayo, a Teach for Nigeria alumni and a participant stated: “I am excited to have been selected as one of the participants for the 2022 incubation hub. Through these initiatives, we are building a vision of what inclusive education should look like. I am excited about scaling up my Smart Garden Initiative birthed to improve food security of poor households and teach students how to launch their personal gardens at home”

    The program builds on Teach for Nigeria’s long-term strategy designed to proffer solutions to challenges identified within the education sector. Alumni selected for the 2022 incubation hub will have access to 3 months intensive hybrid ideation workshop and bootcamp, the opportunity to win seed funding up one million Naira, and access to post programme support and mentoring by seasoned entrepreneurs. 

  • Teach for Nigeria, partners with Dow to sponsor STEM education in Nigeria

    Teach for Nigeria, partners with Dow to sponsor STEM education in Nigeria

    …equips Teach for Nigeria fellows and students in Lagos with relevant STEM skills to be globally competitive

    Teach For Nigeria, a non-profit organization focused on developing a movement of leaders committed to improving the quality of education for Nigeria’s most marginalized children has partnered with Dow, a global materials science leader to promote STEM education in Nigeria.

    This project is aimed at equipping and inspiring a ready workforce by preparing the next generation of disruptors and cultivating a mindset that fosters innovation.

    Teach for Nigeria has been successful in differentiating itself from similar organizations, through an understanding of the need for key partnerships. Through this partnership, Dow will collaborate with Teach for Nigeria to sponsor STEM teacher recruitment, professional development, and placement in underserved Lagos schools. Nine Teach for Nigeria fellows, nine schools and at least 3,600 students in Lagos, Nigeria will be directly impacted by the project.

    Adebisi Adeoti, Country Manager, Dow Nigeria said, “One of the goals of this partnership is to develop students into leaders who are creative, collaborative, and inclusive, as well as equipped for future STEM employment. To be successful, we have to start with the teaching community by providing the right training, tools and resources”.

    Speaking about the partnership, Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach for Nigeria said, “We are thrilled to have Dow join our national effort for educational and social equity. This important partnership will give the students we serve a chance to learn the STEM skills they will need to solve the challenges of the future, as well as improve their daily lives”.

    Thus far, Teach For Nigeria has recruited, trained, and placed these nine fellows in underserved schools in low-income communities in Lagos state. These fellows will be provided with continuous support to be able to play their role as STEM teachers while continuously improving the learning outcomes of children in low-income communities. They will go on to continue making a lasting impact in the communities they serve while inspiring and preparing our students for future work in STEM.

  • Teach For Nigeria commemorates the International Day of Education

    …urges continued support from government & education stakeholders to transform education

    Teach for Nigeria, a non-profit organization focused on expanding educational and life opportunities for low-income children has joined the rest of the world to mark the 4th International Day of Education. Since 2017, the organization has been focused on providing quality education to all children regardless of their backgrounds.

    To commemorate this year’s International Day of Education, Teach For Nigeria organised a week-long stakeholder’s engagement to sensitise stakeholders on their role in transforming the foundational education system. These meetings also provided the opportunity to deepen relationships with critical stakeholders and secure partnerships towards achieving educational equity. The engagement concluded with a closing ceremony in Ogun State and had in attendance school leaders from public schools, government officials, parents, religious leaders, Teach For Nigeria fellows and students.

    In a keynote speech, the CEO, Teach For Nigeria, Folawe Omikunle, reiterated the organization’s commitment to attaining an excellent education for all children in Nigeria. She said that transforming education in service to all children regardless of their economic status requires an urgent need to work more collaboratively with stakeholders to achieve a transformed and equitable education for all children. She noted that while progress had been made there is still room to improve the situation for millions of children who had limited or no access to quality education.  

    Also speaking at the event, the Honourable Commissioner for education in Ogun State, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, represented by the Special Adviser to the governor on primary and secondary education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, said  “The fellowship programme of Teach for Nigeria has attracted numerous achievements in the state’s education that cannot be undervalued.  The active participation of the Fellows in Ogun Digi class, a digital class on TV for students, added colours to the State government initiative. She praised the organization for the continuous training and retraining capacity of Fellows’ development since 2017. She ended her speech by encouraging the Fellows to keep up with the spirit of leading and impacting.”

    Mr. Olu-Ola Aikulola, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, also commented on how Teach For Nigeria is raising a crop of young leaders who are gifts to under-served communities in Ogun State. While recounting the numerous achievements some of the Fellows are making through their schools and community, he urged the zonal education officers, SUBEB field officials and teachers to continue to work in a deeper partnership with the Fellows and Alumni of Teach For Nigeria.

    A 2020 Teach For Nigeria Fellow, Charles Bernard, recounted his experience to highlight the importance of partnership. Charles noted that at the school he was posted to serve, only 5% of his pupils at a public primary school in Ilaro could read. Working with Ifeoluwa Olubodun, another fellow, they introduced a literacy drill program to improve the reading and writing skills for affected children and now, the initial reading and writing skills has grown to 62%. He also discovered that some children had eye problems which led to a partnership with an optical firm to provide eye-care intervention to more than 200 pupils and aged members in the community. 

    Highlighting education as the bedrock of every nation, Folawe noted that accelerating impact for a transformed education system that will serve all children equitably would require more dynamic leaders like Bernard. Leaders working in deep partnership with students, teachers, parents and community members will drive positive learning outcomes for children and provide opportunities to help them fulfil their potential. Folawe sought Ogun state’s support to deepen its partnership with Teach for Nigeria to place fellows in under-resourced schools.

    This year’s International Day of Education, which marked the fourth since it was proclaimed in 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), highlighted the need for a new way forward in transforming the education sector.

  • Google for Nonprofits launched in Nigeria

    Google for Nonprofits launched in Nigeria

    …offers $10,000 in grants for six months

    Google has launched Google for Nonprofits in Nigeria. Google for Nonprofits aims to empower not-for-profit organizations by providing them with free premium services.

    For organizations that qualify, Google for Nonprofits gives access to a collection of premium apps – the same tools large enterprise corporations use – at no cost. Once approved, qualifying nonprofits can gain access to programs such as Google Ad Grants, G-Suite for Nonprofits, YouTube’s nonprofit program, and more. This assists nonprofit organizations to work more quickly and efficiently to reach a wider audience, spur more supporters to take action, and tell their story in a more compelling way.

    Nonprofits can qualify for a grant of up to $10,000 a month that is available for six months through October 2020, to spend on text-based ads among other offerings. For an NPO to be eligible for the Google for Nonprofits program, it must be a registered nonprofit charitable organization in Nigeria and verified by TechSoup Nigeria. It must also meet eligibility criteria listed on the Google for Nonprofits page.

    “Nonprofits face unique challenges when making decisions about what technology to acquire amid competing demands for funding and resources. Our overall goal is to provide access to tools and technology quickly and effectively, so that these organizations can focus their efforts and resources directly towards achieving their goals,” says Titi Akinsanmi, Head, Government Affairs and Public Policy, West Africa, Google.

    Google also announced its philanthropic arm, Google.org will be giving a grant to Teach for Nigeria, a non-profit organization focused on support for students in underserved communities in Nigeria while the COVID-19 school closures persist.

    The grant will fund a 2-year teacher fellowship program to ensure more students in underserved communities get access to quality education, delivered by well-trained teaching staff.  It will also fund an education intervention program to help children in underserved areas get education through alternative means like TV, radio and on-the-street public communications.

    Google training resources and programs for upskilling teachers working in target communities will be deployed, and Google Digital Skills training curriculum and resources will be leveraged for this program.

    “Our plan is to provide support and create partnerships that will ensure that children from underserved communities are able to access the required level of education during these times,” Akinsanmi says.

    “Teach for Nigeria is working towards developing platforms that allow Nigeria’s educational system to support all children to thrive and create a better future for themselves and their communities. Now more than ever, we must do whatever can be done to ensure that quality and relevant learning is happening, for all our children regardless of where they are on the map. We are excited and confident that this collaboration with Google will move us a step closer to achieving our goals in these times.” says Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach for Nigeria.