Global Schools Programme
Now accepting applications for 2009
Interchange your teaching and change your life!
Just imagine you are a teacher in rural Zambia with 70 students in a classroom, sitting on the dirt floor or on bricks, with only a blackboard and a piece of chalk. What do you do?
How do you ensure that each of your students learns effectively? How do you teach without the aid of textbooks or space for activities?
How can you pass this understanding on to your students here in New Zealand, and inspire them to take action to make a difference?
Find out by joining the ChildFund Global Schools programme to schools in countries affected by poverty. This is a unique, often life changing, opportunity to partner up with teachers and schools in countries like Zambia supported by ChildFund during your school holidays and raise vital funds to improve education in the developing world.
Global Schools Programme Overview
What is ChildFund Global Schools? »
How will my school benefit? »
How will I benefit? »
How will I be supported by ChildFund? »
What is required of me and my school? »
What fundraising support will I have?
Where does the money go?
How do I apply?»
Join the online teachers community and share your experience»
Find out more»
What is ChildFund Global Schools?
This unique programme brings teachers from New Zealand to work, share and learn together with their fellow teachers overseas. ChildFund works with children and communities in countries affected by poverty. We strive to ensure that children in need have a better life, and one of the areas we focus on is education.
This is your chance to experience the harsh realities of teaching, learning and living in such challenging environments.
As our work with our ChildFund office in Zambia is at the grass roots level, the Global Schools Programme offers a truly distinct opportunity to understand education and development in a poverty affected community.
The emphasis on the programme is a two-way exchange of teaching, and that will continue back in New Zealand, by welcoming a teacher from Zambia into your school. This will give both your students and the visiting teacher a chance to learn about each others’ communities.
The fundraising element of the programme is also both essential and educational. By visiting Zambia and witnessing yourself the difference your support can make, you and your students will truly understand the impact you are having. The whole school can feel proud to not only learn about and raise awareness of the issues, but work together and take action to raise the vital funds needed to improve the lives of children in need.
Read about our pilot visit to Zambia last April holidays on our blog and watch that space for when the Zambian teachers visit our New Zealand schools in August.
How does my school benefit?
By spending real time in your partner Zambian schools, you will get to know students, teachers and parents, and gain first hand knowledge to bring back to your schools.
For your students and colleagues here in New Zealand, they will get a true understanding from you of the issues surrounding education in a rural part of the country you visit. They will also learn about the human realities that face people affected by poverty and disadvantaged through lack of access to basic rights such as health, nutrition and education.
By getting the whole school involved in fundraising for your partner school you visit, your students will be actively learning the value of education in the developing world, as well as giving them the opportunity to consider the impact they can have now and in the future.
This is the ideal way to address the new Key Competency issues highlighted by the Ministry of Education in calling students not only to be aware and connected to the issues, but also to participate and take ACTION. Ensure your school is one known by the community as one that supports true global citizenship.
How will I benefit?
Taking part in the Global Schools Programme has numerous benefits for you both personally and professionally.
Professionally, you have the chance to return back to the roots of education and rediscover the importance of teaching in a totally different context. You will also learn so much from your local partner, such as how to teach without resources, involve parents in school life or deal with large class sizes.
By bringing your teaching skills and experience to share with your partner teacher and school in Zambia, you will be able to enhance learning for students. Your partner teacher will be able to learn new approaches to their traditional styles of teaching, as well as feel they are respected and recognised for the work they are doing by their colleagues in NZ.
You will find your experience of teaching will help you bring a whole new world back to your classroom, as well as to the wider school and community. You will also become part of a network of like minded teachers from all over New Zealand.
Personally, it will be a life changing experience. Take part and find out for yourself.
What is required by me and my school?
- Take the experience and raise awareness in school and wider community, using your first hand knowledge of the conditions in the country you visit. Also raise awareness of the impact that ChildFund’s work in having on these communities.
- Support from your Principal, as this is a whole school initiative.
- Involve your school in raising valuable funds to support the work of ChildFund. We ask that you raise $7,500 before the visit (to ensure all costs are covered) and the remaining $7,500 throughout the rest of the school year. You will see for yourself the life changing difference this money will make to the lives of children in need.
What fundraising support will I have?
We will be here to support your fundraising and awareness raising activities throughout the whole year. Find a Fundraising Ideas Pack here filled will loads of tried and tested ways to achieve your target and ensure your students are actively part of the whole process!
As you will be part of a team of 12 participating teachers, you will also find this network an excellent support where you can share each others' successful lessons and events.
Where does the money go?
While you support the children of Zambia by sharing your teaching skills with your partner teacher, you will see with your own eyes how urgently the children of Zambia need your wider support to improve levels of education.That's why raising funds is such a key part of ChildFund Global Schools.
The money you raise will support Zambian children's education in many ways:
- year-long training for Zambia teachers in modern, active teaching and learning methods
- text books for teachers and students
- the basics - notebooks, pen and pencils
- equipping the classrooms with teaching aids like wall-charts, posters and maps
- teacher quality circles, where teachers support their peers and share newly learned methods
- the Global Schools teacher inter-change, enabling you to share your skills in Zambia, and the Zambian teachers to learn from you here in New Zealand
How do I apply?
It is easy to apply. If you are a qualified teacher who is passionate about improving the lives of children living in poverty and want your school to help make a real difference, you are just the person we are looking for!
All you have to do is fill in the application form, tell us why you will be a positive addition to the team - please email us today for an application form. Part of the application process is to get a signed letter of support from your Principal (on behalf of the Board of Trustees). Download a template of that letter here. Get the approval of your school, and then send it all in to us. It will be a life changing experience for you and your school.
So what are you waiting for? Apply now.
To inspire your Principal or Board of Trustees, use our informative Powerpoint presentation. Just click here.
Limited spaces available. Register your interest today - there are only 24 spaces available in 2009!
How will I be supported by ChildFund?
We will be here to support you, your school and your fundraising throughout the whole programme. This includes the application process, a full briefing before your visit, facilitating the visit, supporting you on your return and introducing you to the network of Global Schools teachers around the country. You will not be alone!
In return, all participating schools use their new understanding of the issues to raise money to support ChildFund’s work. We will provide your school with updates on projects and communities that they support.
Why not join our interactive ‘Facebook’ group for past and future Global Schools teachers?
Facebook is a fun and easy way of communicating amongst different social networks and a great way of sharing information with like minded people.
We’ve designed the group for you to share information, photos and experiences of the ChildFund Global Schools programme, as well as keeping you up to date with what's going on at ChildFund.
If you’re already a member of Facebook, you can join the ChildFund group here.
Call our Global Schools Programme Manager:
Sally Hewlett
P: 09 366 2278
E: globalschools@childfund.org.nz
