We initiate transformation at the local level, partnering with parents, communities and local governments to organize around education. With education as the organizing principle of the community, School the World's primary schools become the engine of sustainable development.
Our five-pillar primary school model identifies safe and inviting school buildings and playgrounds, deeply engaged parents, classroom libraries, and motivated, competent teachers as fundamentally important to creating a thriving school:
Infrastructure
Improving infrastructure creates a relationship of trust and builds morale of parents, students and teachers. Local municipalities agree to provide 50% of the infrastructure costs and we provide the remaining 50% through corporate sponsors, individual donors or our Student Service Program.
Parent Trainings
Monthly Parent Trainings empower parents who may not be educated themselves to become "first educators" and support their child's learning in school and at home. We educate parents on their rights and responsibilities to their child's education and holding unmotivated and delinquent teachers accountable.
Teacher Training
Our Teacher Trainings build motivation and capacity. We coach teachers on how to improve their teaching and learning outcomes. A two-year training program offers monthly group and one-on-one training, with special focus on teaching methods that promote functional literacy and social and emotional learning.
School Libraries
To promote literacy, we stock school libraries and create a sustainable supply of books. This includes matched contributions from parents; extending a sense of ownership and pride to the familial level.
Power of Play
Convinced of the importance of play to overall learning, we equip our schools with playgrounds and embed social and emotional learning throughout our trainings. Interested in fundraising for a playground? Click here to learn more!
Parent Testimonials
"The trainings that we have been receiving, has helped us a lot in the activities that we do with our children, to support them at school. I have understood that as a mother, I must do something to improve the education of my children. We have learned from the different topics, as an example: a space for our children to read, this has been very important, because only like this, my children can extend their intelligence. Besides, trainings motivate us to accompany our children in their learning. During the time of pandemic, it is helping us to orient ourselves and know on how we can do activities from home with our children."
"The trainings are helping us understand that we must support our children, to continue learning. In my case, I cannot read or write, but I can tell my children to do their homework. I have learned that we as parents, must be the first to teach our children."
"Thanks to the trainings given by School the World to the communities. Now we know many of our rights and obligations as parents. Also our obligations as (Family Parent Organization) FPO. Now we do not allow teachers to make decisions for us, because we know what is our work as FPO. Thanks to STW and its staff, for training us on several very important topics."
"We didn't know that we could approach the Ministry of Education, we didn't know that we could change the teachers and make them show up to school. But through the trainings we did and we took action. Now our community has teachers that show up and we are much more confident and knowledgeable of our rights!"