History of School-to-School International
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The history by Dr. Mark Lynd, Co-Founder and President of School-to-School:
In the mid-1980s, Jeff Davis, co-founder of School-to-School International, and I began working in Africa as Peace Corps Volunteers. I taught in a high school in the Central African Republic and Jeff helped train teachers in Sierra Leone. As with many who have gone before us, Peace Corps lit a fire under us, teaching us about how we can help societies improve by helping kids learn better.
Since our Peace Corps days, Jeff and I have been working with governments around the world, helping them improve their education systems so kids can learn better. But after years of such efforts, too many children are still not doing well in school.
And when we go into classrooms, we see why:
- We see kids trying to learn when the they are packed 5 to a bench, with no books, pencils, or even a piece of paper to take notes.
- We see kids trying to learn when their teachers come to school late, or are absent for days at a time due to family problems or the need to make money elsewhere.
- We see kids trying to learn when they come to school tired, or sick, or hungry. When they have been working at home in the morning, then walked several miles to school. Where they leave the classroom to find no toilets, or water, or food.
One of the biggest lessons Jeff and I have learned over the years is that education is like the human body - an interconnected system that cannot survive without certain key components. You wouldn't expect a doctor to say, "Well, you have a choice: we can save your heart or your brain, but we can't save both. You have to choose."
Similarly, simply providing one kind of support, like books or training or classrooms, does not "save the patient." We need to look at the whole picture, and make sure kids are getting what they need, if we want them to learn.
Things like healthy schools, parental support, and attention to girls' education and the special needs of children with difficulties.
Things like early childhood care, opportunities for active learning, and well managed schools.
Things like local language instruction and exposure to the outside world - things that make learning both comprehensible and meaningful for students and teachers alike.
We know that if schools provide these kinds of support, kids learn well. Unfortunately, peoples in developing countries often say "we can only afford one part" and leave the rest to chance.
At School-to-School, we do not believe that the rest should be left to chance. In fact, we believe it is a matter of justice that the these essential ingredients of education be provided to every child - as much as is humanly possible.
This is the mission of STS - to bring together an adequate, package of support so that every kid has a chance to learn well.
Our mission will not be accomplished until we find a way to do this.
Dr. Mark Lynd, President and Co-Founder of STS
Contact information: School-to-School International
200 San Marlo Way Suite 3Pacifica, CA 94044-3274Tel & fax: +1 (650) 355-6248Email: info@sts-international.orgWeb: http://sts-international.orgSchool-to-School International is a tax-exempt, nonprofit
501 (c) (3) organization registered in the State of California.
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