This week, EduSpots has brought together community educators and teachers from 50 communities across Ghana and Kenya for a specialist education academy in Akumadan, focused on strengthening inclusive, collaborative and imaginative approaches to teaching and learning.
The academy brings together local voluntary changemakers known as Catalysts, who lead community learning hubs called Spots.
Across the EduSpots network, Catalysts supports learners of all ages in developing their skills through a range of extracurricular learning opportunities, with activities spanning digital learning, literacy, STEM, environmental action and gender equity.
During the training, participants are exploring a wide range of pedagogical principles, including inclusion, play, safeguarding, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, environmental care, community connectedness, digital learning, subject mastery and transformative education.
This academy marks the beginning of preparations for the relaunch of EduSpots’ learner club programme in September.
The programme will engage more than 3,000 learners each year in practical, play-based learning experiences designed to build confidence, strengthen literacy and digital skills, and develop social leadership.
EduSpots works alongside local Catalysts to lead clubs effectively across the year through WhatsApp for learning, peer mentorship and interactive Zoom sessions, combined with a structured series of monthly project-based learning ‘Challenges’ accompanied by personalised feedback, recognition and friendly competition.
EduSpots believes that by creating opportunities for learners of all ages to collaborate and take action within their own communities, today’s learners can become the Catalysts of tomorrow. Since 2015, EduSpots have brought together over 800 local changemakers who have in turn involved over 50,000 learners in practical, play-based education clubs.
As part of the academy, Charles Macharia, a Catalyst from Joska Spot in Kenya, led a practical session on the use of puppetry in education.
“Whatever it is you are packaging — whether morals, safeguarding or phonics — puppets give a playful vehicle to instil memories for life,” he said.
The academy also created opportunities for Catalysts to share practical approaches and experiences from their own communities, alongside learning from experienced facilitators.
Emma Heglo, an EduKidz Catalyst from Wodome Spot, said, “I’ve learnt that inclusion is not just a strategy to help people fit into the systems and structure which exist in our society, but it is about transforming the people to have a common goal that should also be inclusive.”
EduSpots’ Head of Education, Sarah Abotsi-Masters, said, “This academy is a wonderful opportunity to bring together our Catalysts from Spots across Ghana to explore our educational principles. The participants shared their knowledge and experiences of how education happens in their communities, and discussed how they can apply the principles (such as creativity, collaboration, and inclusion) to enhance the amazing work they are already doing.”
As part of the academy, participants are informing the design of animations, storybooks, observation trackers and wider teaching aids to enable Catalysts across the network and wider teachers to advance their approach to inclusive and interactive pedagogy. These tools will be shared with the network and will be readily available on the EduSpots App in the months ahead.
This Education Academy also follows last week’s Digital Champions Academies hosted at Elmina Spot last week, where 60 digital champions from across the EduSpots network were trained on aspects of digital skills, EdTech development and online safeguarding, marking the start of a 9-month Digital Champions Programme.
Earlier this year, EduSpots were selected as one of 12 innovative EdTech organisations in Ghana for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, which has a focus on developing the EduSpots App as a tool for advancing community-led learning.
