Bor
Teacher Training #1
On the Ground in Bor Town Our team is on the ground and in Bor Town making preparations for the training that will start on Monday! We’re generally doing well, staying at the Modern Hotel. Bishop Philip has come to greet us as well as some of the teachers and Michael Kuany’s Brother. We’re all […]
Partnership in Education
2015 Delegation, Entry #18: 9/29/15 In the heat of the day, the best place to meet is in the shade of a tree. This picture is from before Gail, Katie, and Renata left, but it shows what a meeting under a tree might look like. Today Paul and Susan went to the “Education Cluster” meeting, under […]
Closing Ceremony
2015 Delegation, Entry #15: 9/26/15 The 2015 Teacher Training officially came to a close today. Paul shared a bit about the history and goals of Rebuild South Sudan, and Susan gave some words of encouragement. She reviewed what our goals were in the teacher training, especially our desire to see student-centered methods, and strategies for preparing children to be life-long […]
Girls in School
2015 Delegation, Entry #14: 9/25/15 “As you see now, all these are male teachers, there are only two of us (women)…if you want to rebuild South Sudan, rebuild with new female teachers and by encouraging girl child education.” These were the words of one of the female teachers in the training. Out of the 45 teachers […]
Peace Education & The Book of Forgiving
2015 Delegation, Entry #13: 9/24/15 Michael Kuany’s long-standing vision for conflict transformation and for bringing peace curriculum to education gained some ground during this 2015 Teacher Training. Throughout the training we talked about nonviolent communication and strategies for conflict transformation in the classroom. In addition to the conflict transformation curriculum, Paul also led daily discussions on The Book of […]
Experiencing Science
2015 Delegation, Entry #12: 9/23/15 If a picture is worth a thousand words, an experience must be worth millions. Susan designed several unforgettable experiential science labs for the teachers to take back to their students. My personal favorite illustrated Newton’s third law of motion. She had each teacher construct a simple rubber band powered helicopter. […]
It All Adds Up
2015 Delegation, Entry #11: 9/22/15 Today was math day in the Teacher Training. Teachers received math manipulative supplies that can be used for math games with students of all ages. These dedicated teachers continue to be inquisitive and excited about strategies that will get their kids active in the classroom. Among the math manipulative […]
Learning Dinka
2015 Delegation, Entry #10: 9/21/15 We begin each day with a discussion on the Book of Forgiving, led by Paul. After this we enjoy socializing with the teachers during a short tea break before the next session. One of the joys of this time has been the opportunity to learn some phrases in Dinka. Now each morning […]
Community Connections
2015 Delegation, Entry #9: 9/20/15 Sunday is the Sabbath day here, so we rested from the training, but the adventures continued. We visited the church of Bishop Philip, who has partnered with Rebuild South Sudan for several years as a community leader and advisor. They treated us as honored guests. Paul was even invited to […]
Safety First: Traveling in Bor
2015 Delegation, Entry #8: 9/19/15 After a stimulating session on nonviolent communication and conflict transformation, we wrapped up for the day and headed to the Nile. Now there are a few safety instructions for traveling in Bor: 1. Pile 16-18 people into the back of a pickup truck, 2. Hold on 3. Sing songs in […]
South Sudan in Context
2015 Delegation, Entry #7: 9/18/15 Today’s focus was on methodologies of teaching history and geography. One of the many experiential learning moments was a “mock government” exercise. Gail split the teachers into groups and assigned each teacher a different role, for example representatives of local government, national government, the UN, an NGO, etc. They had to work […]
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
2015 Delegation, Entry #6: 9/17/15 “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me.” Susan showcased methods of using big books in teaching with a lively reading of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? As soon as the teachers caught on to the rhythmic pattern, they enthusiastically joined in and chanted […]
Teacher Training Begins!
2015 Delegation, Entry #5: 9/16/15 After over 25 hours in the air, around 12 hours of layovers, and one day of delay in Juba, the delegation has finally arrived! We joined 48 teachers, Bishop Philip, the Deputy Director of Education for Bor County, and two newspaper reporters. Katie’s welcome speech was punctuated by bursts of […]
GBC Presents a New Way Forward
Greater Bor Community in USA presents reflection paper on interim period, recent cabinet appointments and the way forward in South Sudan Written by The Governmental Affairs Committee of GBC-USA and published by The New Sudan Vision (NSV) on 09.11.11. The leadership of Greater Bor Community of the United States, just off from their annual conference […]
