2017 For One World Travel Grant Program

 

In association with Techiman Learning Resource Centre and the Ayi Owen International School, Ghana

http://TravelGrant.ForOneWorld.org

 

For One World, a US-based nonprofit organization, is seeking to award two travel grants to teach at the Ayi Owen International School in Techiman, Ghana, West Africa over the 2017 Summer. This is an excellent opportunity to gain international experience teaching in English at an innovative school in a developing country.
Travel grant winners will be provided with a shared apartment on the school compound with access to running water and broadband internet via Wifi. The American founder and his Ghanaian wife have developed the school over the past fifteen years to emphasize Western teaching techniques (interactive instruction, hands-on projects, and interdisciplinary lessons) to prepare students to excel on the traditional Ghanaian standardized tests. Travel grant winners will have many opportunities to meet Chiefs and high-ranking members of local governments as well as explore the local culture, music, religions, health centers and markets.

While the involvement with the school is the first priority, grant winners are welcome to pursue additional projects with a broader impact, as well as make short trips to visit many of the exciting destinations throughout Ghana.

Eligible candidates must be attending an accredited college/university as a full-time student or be a recent graduate.  All degree levels will be considered. International experience is not required but an open mind and a willingness to experience new cultures is a must!

 

2017 Travel Grant Details and Dates:

• Up to two travel grants are offered for a 2-3 month duration departing for Ghana in May/June 2017. Each candidate’s arrival date in Ghana needs to be aligned/coordinated such that transportation is shared from the airport to the school.

• The grant application deadline is March 13, 2017. Grant winners and one “runner up” will be notified by March 20, 2017. Grant winner(s) is required to accept or decline by March 27, 2017. If a grant winner declines, the “runner up” will be notified.

• Grant winners are required to document their trip and create a journal/essay of their experience and submit a final summarizing report. All successful candidates’ essays and follow up research may be posted on the For One World’s website or Facebook page.
• The total grant amount awarded to the winner(s) is $1,000 (which is meant to offset most of the cost of flight)

 

About For One World and Ayi Owen Insternational School:

About For One World: https://www.foroneworld.org/

1595 Boston Post Road Old Saybrook, CT 06475

• Federal Nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and solutions of educational problems in less developed countries.
• Founded in 1997. Granted Federal non-profit status in 2002.
• For One World gratefully accepts tax deductible donations.

About Ayi Owen International School:

Box 252, House 200, Takofiano, Techiman, Brong Ahafo, Ghana, West Africa

• More than 400 enrolled students (50% boys/girls) and 35 teachers;
• Grades K – 9 with 10 classrooms, ages 2 – 15
• School is operated under the local nonprofit called Techiman Learning Resource Center by Bill and Ayisatu Owen
• School prides itself on its counseling of pupils and student government

Ayisatu Owen International School compared to local educational landscape:

Ayi Owen School:· – 20 to 1 student/teacher ratio; · Basic computer lab with 10 computers; Wifi · School libraries; . Annual research projects · Basic science program; · Cultural arts/drama/music program; · Physical education (PE) program with girls and boys soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball; · Multi-acre school site opened in September 2007.

Educational situation in surrounding area:· -50+ to 1 student/teacher ratio; – Few use computers as learning tools; -Virtually no school libraries or classroom reading; -Majority of basic schools fail to provide quality education; -Rare to find effective learning teaching techniques; -Arts, drama, and music programs are limited; and few physical education programs other than soccer; -After graduating, most students score no better than random guessing on standardized tests;

About the Program Hosts

Wilfred “Bill” Owen; Founder:

• Bill Owen holds a Ph. D. in Educational Administration from Northwestern University, Evanston. He speaks Twi (local language in Ghana) and is a consultant to USAID.
• Bill and his wife Ayisatu “Ayi” or “Mmaa” live onsite and adjacent to volunteer quarters.
• Phone 233 243-370-547, Bill@ForOneWorld.org

Ayisatu “Ayi” Owen; Founder:

• Ayi currently is the parent-teacher liaison and manages much of the pre-school and primary school activities as well as the scholarship program to needy youth and orphans.
• Ayi is Ghanaian, and speaks 15 languages.

 

Your Trip to Techiman Ghana

About the volunteer quarters:

• 6 bedrooms for up to 6 people
• 2 kitchens and dining rooms
• 4 full bathrooms
• Tennis, volleyball and basketball courts
• Access to reliable broadband internet and PC lab at school or local internet cafe
• Cost of accommodations at volunteer quarters is covered by For One World (value of $500).

 

Getting to Techiman:

• Fly into Accra airport (For One World will cover up to $1,000 toward round trip flight)
• Escorted car service from airport to Techiman by your host or alternate transportation covered by For One World. (It is a day’s drive from Accra to Techiman.)
• One night’s accommodation in Accra covered by For One World on return trip.

 

 

About Your Role as a Grant Winner:

• Total value of the travel grant is over $1,500 but is NOT intended to cover the full cost of the trip to the grant winner.
  • For One World reimburses the grant winners for $1000 of the flight (after the grant winner purchases and provides a receipt to their assigned For One World advisor). Your assigned advisor can help you find a flight. Last year the high season round-trip flights were around $900 with Delta, and nonstop NYC to Accra via Delta is available for about $200 more.

Note: Airfare can change drastically based on demand and fuel costs.

• The remaining amount of the grant is wired directly to the local nonprofit in Ghana (Techiman Resource Learning Center) to cover housing, utilities, escort/local transportation and food while in route to and from airport/school, hotel stays in capital city, etc. In recent times, volunteers have visited the slave castles along the coast before departure from Accra. Any other additional activities like this can be done with the volunteer’s own expenses.
• The grant winner can reach out to their For One World advisor to discuss how they can get involved to help fund raise the additional costs associated with their trip. Additional costs incurred by the grant winner include but are not limited to: vaccinations, laundry service (optional, but just a few dollars a week), daily meal expense (just a few dollars a day), airfare costs above $1,000, etc.

 

• A chef is not included with the volunteer housing! After welcome meals the grant winners are expected to cook their own meals while at the volunteer housing and do their own shopping either at convenient stores or the local food market. During your first week, you will be escorted to the markets to help you get acquainted with the basics of buying food.  It is important that volunteers have basic skills to be able to shop and cook meals. Reputable restaurants are not as readily available as in the USA or they are costly. Volunteers can also make arrangements for the washing and ironing of clothing, some of which you should acquire locally, i.e., tie and dye cotton prints.

 

• Remember that you are a guest at the school and will be looked up to as one of the best-educated members of the community. Dress professionally by avoiding ripped jeans, camouflage, and similar items. Shorts are worn by children and not by adults. Professional attire is especially recommended while teaching in the classroom.

 

• As a guest of the school, you should be looking to help your hosts with daily tasks at the school. Grant winners are expected to be able to operate independently after basic orientation at the school.

 

• Upon arrival, Grant winners will be briefed on the ground rules at the school, which are expected to be followed at all times. These rules are established to make best efforts to ensure your safety. For example, guests are encouraged to bring a local teacher with them when exploring cultural events at night, e.g., dances, cultural displays, and funerals/weddings. Volunteers are encouraged to accept and participate fully in opportunities to attend a variety of church services with school staff.

 

• Grant winners should discuss the trip with their family prior to departure and be clear about health and safety issues and the ability to communicate vie email/phone while in Ghana.  More specific information will be provided by the winner’s For One World advisor.

 

• You will be required to sign a waiver form assuming all risk associated with your travel grant.

 

For references and additional information, please contact any of the following people:

• Briggs@ForOneWorld.org
• John@ForOneWorld.org
• James@ForOneWorld.org
• Bill@ForOneWorld.org
• Loretta@ForOneWorld.org
• Max@ForOneWorld.org

 

 

For One World Travel Grant Application

 

Candidates should email this application page and the related personal statement to travelgrant@foroneworld.org by February 20, 2017 in order to be considered.

 

Name: ___________________________                      Date: _________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City: ______________________      State:___________

Zip Code___________________

Best Telephone Number to reach you: _______________________

Alternative Telephone Number, if any: _______________________

Name/Phone number of parent/guardian: ____________________

E-mailAddress: __________________________________________

Please list two references. Please include one personal and one professional/academic

contact. The academic contact will act as your sponsor and receive a copy of your final project report.

1.____________________________________________________________________

Name                                                         Phone                                           Email

2.____________________________________________________________________

Name                                                         Phone                                           Email

 

 

Travel Grant Qualifications

-Candidate must be attending an accredited college/university as a full-time student or be a recent graduate. All degree levels will be considered.

 

-International experience is not required but an open mind and a willingness to experience new culture is a must!

 

-Teachers and education professionals are also welcome to apply. Please indicate on your application that you are not currently attending college/university.

 

Personal Statement

(1) Please describe your educational background, any academic or work experience you would like us to consider, and your international travel experience, if any.

 

(2) Write one or two pages about why you would like to volunteer at Ayisatu International School and which of the seven potential projects described below you would be most interested in, should you be awarded the scholarship. You may write about more than one project. You are also welcome to propose a project not listed below. More often than not, volunteers are involved in multiple aspects of improving education of the students and teachers in and after school. You will have opportunities to meet chiefs and local government officials. Your involvement with the school is the first priority, but you are welcome to propose additional projects with a broader impact,i.e., public health, town sports, environmental protection, IT consulting.

 

(3) Please describe how your project and/or involvement in the school and For One World will outlive your stay in Ghana.

 

 

Potential Projects:

• English writing/composition program needs a revised curriculum that includes persuasive essays, research-based essays and laboratory writing, in addition to its current story and creative writing format.  Attention to basic reading skills is still needed, including coaching and tutoring students who lack confidence regarding their comprehension when reading English.  Library management, reading clubs and other methods for linking reading with media such as cinema, photography, music, dance, and prayer.
• Early childhood development education specialist is needed to provide in-service training for teachers in the elementary school and preschool. (Possible training topics include phonics, word processing skills with graphics, and working with tactile materials like painting, colors and music.)
• Math program could be improved by giving more attention to games, methods, and exercises. In addition, a math lab program needs to be designed and organized to supplement the current lecture format. This effort should focus on 3^rd – 7th graders.
• Expressive art is one of the things that we encourage at the school. More drawing, painting and even dancing, singing and drama would be priority activities. Organize a drama program to introduce students to the performing arts as well as media and film. Students at the school are interested in acting and skit re-enactment but there is little formal direction in this respect.
• Hands-on science projects to provide the children with first hand experience on the beauty of finding facts and the art of experimentation.
• Computer curriculum needs integration with classroom learning. Educational CDs for math, English, and other subjects are currently being used but not yet integrated effectively to the school curriculum.  Fresh ideas on how to integrate computers and smart phones into primary school learning are needed. Training for Microsoft Office applications is needed for students and teachers (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.). Training in typing is also needed for students and teachers.
• Reinforce the counseling approach to pupils, in particular, by improving the teacher-student relationship. Some ways this could be achieved are through extra-curricular clubs, such as football, aviation, scripture and drama clubs, that act as a platform for counseling and training in mental toughness, nutrition, sexual reproductive health and career guidance.