We want to set up a learning center in Umpang or Mae Sot in Thailand. The beneficiaries would be displaced, migrant, refugee hill tribe children along the Burmese border.
One of our priorities is to set up a center for marginalized hill tribes on the Burmese/Thai border, many of whom do not have access to learning. The aim is to introduce information and communication technology (ICT) education to the young and poor in a safe learning environment as well as helping them to learn English.
Gaining computing skills, using the Internet as an educational resource and learning English will give them better life chances. The setting up of a learning center will include; retraining teachers to become facilitators of learning, coaching learners towards building knowledge, helping setting up learning objectives and learning plans, forming learning groups, guiding them in their search of knowledge. Without necessarily being the experts themselves the ex teachers may help find the knowledge available on the Internet. International knowledge assistance should concentrate on familiarizing the poor with IT, making IT available and Internet and then to set up learning programs/centers linked to the many Internet hubs of knowledge already available. This kind of refocus in national education and international aid would require less money and achieve better results than today’s many well-meaning but sometimes inefficient and insufficient educational programs!
The role of our international volunteers
Volunteering overseas is an increasingly popular way to travel and spend time abroad. Many of these travellers have a good command of English and are computer savvy. They can act as facilitators at learning centers, help local teachers improve their teaching skills and provide innovative ideas.
You too are welcome! To volunteer your time or to support in other ways like spreading the word. Contact us to discuss how!
The advantages of a learning center with ICT and international volunteers as we see it.
It builds on modern learning ideas and is therefore successful with motivated people and it offers education opportunities where there otherwise are none. It creates coaches/elder brothers and sisters, trainers to help other children who have few or no teachers. An increasing amount of travellers want to spend some of their time abroad as volunteers.
