Teach For Senegal

 I look forward to joining a community of changemakers working on innovative approaches to solving problems in their communities. I hope to have access to networks, mentors, and relationships that will bring different perspectives to some of the challenges that Teach For Senegal hopes to solve. Additionally, I believe my personal story is compelling, winning this prize will enable me to have access to expertise and resources that will allow me to use my story to inspire others.

For Teach For Senegal,  The Elevate Prize funding and support will enable us to expand to additional regions in Senegal. Currently, we’re only working in one region where we are planning to place  20 fellows who will impact the lives of over 1,400 students in Podor, Senegal. However, if selected, Teach for Senegal will recruit an additional 60  fellows who will be placed across two regions impacting the lives of over 5,000 students. TFS values depth rather than scaling so, we plan to add a different region every two years. We believe we can have more of an impact if we focus on how deep we can place fellows in one region rather than how many regions we can place our fellows. 

I grew up in a remote village in Senegal where there were no schools. My parents didn't go to school, and I didn't either until my family relocated to the U.S as refugees when I was eight. Despite starting school late and not speaking a word of English, in May 2019, I graduated with a Master's in education. I was lucky to have had the opportunity that I did, but most Senegalese children aren't so fortunate. I believe it's completely unfair that the socio-economic circumstances children are born into in Senegal determine the level of education and quality of life they are likely to attain. My vision is for every child in Senegal to be seen, loved, and liberated. I want Senegalese children to have access to a holistic education that enables them to be proactive, critical-thinkers who can create new opportunities for themselves and their communities. I want them to be proud of and value where they come from, to be active citizens in Senegal with a deep knowledge of the historical, social, and economic catalysts for change. I believe education is the key to unlocking these potentials. 

Senegal is facing a systemic educational crisis. Access, equity, and quality remain a considerable challenge. In Senegal, 61% of children in rural communities don't complete primary school, 34% of children never attend school, and only 3% make it to college. The causes underlying this collective failure are numerous and varied. Nevertheless, we believe that at the root of this crisis is a failure in leadership. To tackle the injustice of educational inequity, we must support the people in our local communities who suffer its consequences to take the lead in the fight for change. At Teach For Senegal, we believe a crucial path to unlocking the leadership of these communities is by cultivating a movement of exceptional Senegalese leaders (fellows) who will tap into the inherent power of their communities to transform education system. We recruit, train, and place a diverse group of professionals and community leaders to serve as full-time teachers in rural primary schools for two years. These fellows utilize their pedagogic and leadership training to transform the classrooms they work in.  In the long-term, this fellowship will form the seeds of a movement of leaders who will collectively work towards ending educational inequality in Senegal.

Several things make our work innovative. First is our community-centered approach. Our communities are our first partners, and they co-lead the entire process of our work. They invest time, resources, knowledge, and skills to power their liberation. Additionally, Teach For Senegal aims to reinforce learning through culture. Our Fellows will do this by teaching in local languages, incorporating local traditions and learning styles into students' educational experience. This includes dialogues, stories, poetry, and skits to help reinforce learning. Incorporating these things will provide an education to children that are different from the typical literacy programs that mainly rely on rote learning and memorization. Lastly is our emphasis on Conscious leadership (CL). We believe CL is necessary to create a new paradigm that does not perpetuate the same educational system we are trying to tackle. Sustainable collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving happen when we act from a place of consciousness. Our 2-year leadership development program will provide an opportunity for our Fellows and staff to assess and reflect on their journey of understanding one's whole self and their role in their community, country, and greater society.

While Senegal has played a leading role in the promotion of global commitments to ensure the right to education, less than half of its citizens are literate and significant challenges remain in providing quality education for all children.Teach For Senegal (TFS) is committed to addressing the educational crisis in Senegal by leveraging the skills and talents of our country’s most promising future leaders to build a movement to expand educational opportunities.  Our beneficiary communities have worked with us to define the fit-for-purpose education sector they wish to see and we have partnered with them to actualize this vision. We recruit passionate college graduates/professionals, equip them with pedagogical and leadership skills,  place them as full-time teachers in underserved communities for two years. During the two-year fellowship, our participants receive ongoing support and leadership development that will prepare them to work with community members and local leaders towards a shared vision for student success & to gain the foundation for a lifetime of leadership for children. TFS alumni join a movement of lifelong advocates who are committed to ending systemic injustices and bringing meaningful change to the lives of children irrespective of their socio-economic status, geographical location, and gender.