Can you hear the sound of children playing….

With a GROWING awareness of OUR planets’ current condition, the Ashan Foundation is taking steps to inspire the next generation by building a FUTURE without BORDERS.

We BELIEVE that it takes a village to raise a child… therefore, when the community is involved in the learning process, it expands the child’s ability to ENGAGE the world around them and grow with the changing times.

The Excellence Junior SCHOOL IS nothing short of a growing COMMUNITY…. that is changing the way…… education has been approached in times past. They are LEARNING natural ways to engage the environment AND create entrepreneurial OPPORTUNITIES within their context.

Our desire is to REBUILD a culture that educates through an AWARENESS of self, others, and our plant. Thus…. we decided to call the curriculum, “BACK to EDEN” (BTE)!!

We are resetting the mindsets of our youth by reconnecting them to excellence through inspired and purposeful education.

HOW DID WE GET HERE

In 2005, our director of COMMUNITY development (Yawyah) and the director of The Excellence Junior School (Christine) worked to provide resources and EDUCATION, throughout eastern AFRICA for eight years. They collectively managed over 100 projects, which resulted in positive transformation in many countries including Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi.

As a result of their experiences and understanding of the region, the Ashan Foundation partnered with Christine and her staff to create a community based curriculum that contextualizes their specific needs.

“Community is an essential component to any learning environment… It is a necessity like food and water!

In 2018, we introduced the BTE curriculum as a pilot with a specific set of goals and metrics in place. As we assessed the data over the course of a semester, the results proved to be an effective method of education and is unprecedented in the region!

In the next section of the “Directors Cut,” we share with our friends and partners the results, challenges, and the potential towards EXPONENTIAL growth.

The Director’s Cut

Christine shares……

The “Back To Eden” project (curriculum) officially started in August of 2018. The Ashan Foundation and my team analyzed the content within BTE and was amazed to find that some of same guiding principles were aligned with our local curriculum. This made the teaching and learning process easy.

For effective implementation of the curriculum, we divided all of our children into four groups with a lead teacher. Each group comprised of nine pupils.

We had a great practical vegetable patch growing during the pilot and the children were engaging it through the curriculum.

“The produce included tomatoes, onions, cabbages, green peppers, spinach, and egg plants.”

The students observed and practically conducted all of the farming practices such as; preparing the nursery bed, planting seeds, transplanting, watering, weeding, pruning, and mulching among others.

This project was good fortune not only to the children and the school, but the community at large. It has increasingly become a centre of attraction. Most of our parents and neighboring schools, including some government officials that visited our campus wanted to get involved.

“They kept asking.. how we came up with this idea.. and how does it work!”

The Impact of bte

1. Self-Esteem the Back To Eden project has helped the children realize their value and has strengthened the development of their self-esteem.

2. Working in Groups they learned the importance of community. This manifested when the children shared responsibilities within their groups.

3. Agriculture The children enjoyed interacting with the nursery and experiencing the cycles in nature.

4. Applicable Farming Skills The students learned skills that has been a point of education for their family and friends. The each one teach one concept is in full effect.

5. Produce During the fall term of 2018, we have been able to harvest and keep the vegetables as meals for the students and some of their families.

the Challenges in Bte

1.  Limited Time and Resources In order to integrate BTE with the local curriculum, it needs uninterrupted time (daily) to be effectively implemented and managed. With the current resource pool and staff, it is a challenge to fully balance both curriculums, meet the national requirements, and maintain our accreditation.

2.  Expansion of the Curriculum to maintain the integrity of each grade level, there is a need for more materials and staff. The BTE Pilot was used with our kindergarten to the lower primary (primary three) classes. Without the adequate number of instructors, the range of topics are difficult to maintain from a comprehensive standpoint.

3.  Limited Space and Equipment Currently, the school garden and premises are limiting, but we are in the process of developing and expanding to effectively house the influx of new students and to carry out more effective management practices for the next phase of BTE.

Moving Forward

In January 2019, the Ashan Foundation expanded the BTE initiative by implementing the best practices gathered during the pilot phase. As a result of this launch, the school and the neighboring communities is benefiting from the education, health, and opportunities that the BTE curriculum is cultivating.

The success of this project is bringing a new focus and life to their community!

As the Ashan Foundation continues to establish its efforts with the Excellence Junior School, we want to provide an OPPORTUNITY for you to SUPPORT & ENGAGE this viable work alongside us!

Methods of Connection:

1. Spiritual and moral support

2. Partnership through available resources, time, or skills

3. Donate financially

4. Share this project with others

Good Morning.. students start the day with physical activities to keep attentive and inspired!