“Kids Are Curious All Over the Globe” with Jan Brown, Teach Rwanda

When Jan Brown was invited to help Louise Batamuriza, a Rwandan preschool teacher, with her new school in January 2012, she didn’t think twice.

After 40 years in education, Jan was ready for a new challenge and so TEACH Rwanda was born. As a result, lives began to change dramatically on two continents.

The vision, to bring best practices in early childhood education to Rwanda, quickly expanded.

Today, TEACH Rwanda is transforming the Rwandan early childhood education infrastructure across the country!

Janet F. Brown, M.Ed., has decades of international experience as a teacher of diverse young children and teacher educator. She has served as Director of Publications for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Managing Editor for Crayola, and as Editor of Dimensions of Early Childhood published by the Southern Early Childhood Association.

Jan has worked extensively as a consultant with Art As a Way of Learning® through Northampton Community College. She is a regular volunteer at Head Start in the Lehigh Valley. She has traveled extensively and began learning about the opportunities for service in Rwanda first-hand in 2010.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• The current educational reality in Rwanda and what’s different about TEACH Rwanda
• How TEACH Rwanda teachers had to get creative using the limited resources they had and how they’re maximizing their student’s learning
• What it takes to change an entire culture of teachers and how their organization is educating other teachers to reach children through the art of play
• The parent’s involved in the classroom and the difficulties they experience due to the parents’ employment situation
• How TEACH Rwanda teachers are paid
• The transition time that students go through when they graduate from one of TEACH Rwanda’s schools to regular Rwandan schools and how they’re trying to improve the situation

The organization’s mission for the future is encouraging and Jan believes that TEACH Rwanda can make a real difference in the country’s overall future and development.

Operating on a shoestring budget, TEACH Rwanda relies heavily on individuals writing checks to support their bare-bones budget. Please consider donating today! Visit http:/www.teachrwanda.org

Check out TEACH Rwanda’s Facebook page to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in their schools.

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