ConnecTeach stands for everything that made me want to become an educator. Founder Bhavani Parpia recognizes that education is the key to solving every single one of the challenges in the world today. Poverty, hunger, disease, violence- you name it. Every sustainable solution to every imaginable challenge must be centered around educating and empowering people. What I love most about ConnecTeach is that all partners are treated with dignity and humanity. CT does not approach a project with the mindset of how Americans can help people in other parts of the world, as some organizations do. Rather, they seek to collaborate and form lasting partnerships that empower educators and students to become change agents in their own communities, and in the global community. There is no "us" and "them" mentality, to which many well-meaning organizations can unintentionally fall prey. This is what sets ConnecTeach apart, and what will ensure that its impact will be seen and felt for several generations. Volunteering with this incredible organization transformed me as a teacher, as a global citizen, and as a human being. In the summer of 2017, I had the opportunity to facilitate a training for preservice teachers at a Teachers' College in Uganda. During that workshop, the teacher trainees engaged in discussions about real issues in their community, and how they could use their role as educators to create meaningful, positive change. They tackled issues such as gender inequality, violence in schools, and generational poverty, and developed their own action plans for how to address these problems as educators and community leaders. Those 300+ teachers will each influence thousands of educators over the course of their careers, and each one left the workshop with a toolkit of resources to start creating real, sustainable change in their schools and communities. The recognition of an educator's viral influence is genius, and what makes ConnecTeach an invaluable partner in the global community.
Innovative, collaborative, & inclusive. This group has reached many people beyond DFW’s borders through engaging people in the equity discourse.
I have supported ConnecTeach since I first learned of it from Bhavani Parpia. As a school board member in Texas, I knew the importance of teacher training in the education of our students. ConnecTeach educates and trains teachers in parts of the world where the learning gaps for students are huge, especially for girls.
Recently, ConnecTeach began tackling a different problem here in the US - racial inequality and the understanding of it. I participated in one of the first of their Racial Equity Conversations. These are bringing together people from various races and careers to help see each other’s ideas and promote equity. I learned a great deal and was able to share my experience with people in my circle. I definitely appreciate the opportunity for frank discussion of a difficult topic in a safe setting.
ConnectTeach has allowed me too grow so much in such a short period of time. The work they are doing is greatly necessary.
Connecteach is an amazing organization with a clear vision that invites smart and diverse people to the table that are willing to do what’s needed to grow the scope and impact of their work. This organization has done so much great work globally and most recently during some of the most social unrest the world has seen. I am proud to be a part of ConnecTeach’s work that invests in education as the driver of change so that the next generation will have the tools to create a better world.
I have participated in several of the conversation series on racial equity that ConnecTeach offers, and I keep coming back for more. Every time I have participated, I have walked away with a new understanding of the world around me and how I can work to make it a more equitable place. The moderators and the conversation leaders have all been wonderful as well. Through this conversations series, ConnecTeach has created a space where people from all walks of life can have uncomfortable conversations in an environment that nurtures ideas and encourages understanding.
ConnecTeach is such an amazing blessing and something the whole world needs right now. I learned about ConnecTeach through a friend who had participated in their Racial Equity Conversations after the galvanizing George Floyd murder. I decided to take part in their next session and I was not disappointed! Their willingness to not only share their perspective and bring differing lens together in hopes of understanding and promotion of equity for all was incredibly inspiring and I recommend their conversations to everyone I know who is interested in engaging and transformational conversation on racial equity!
ConnectTeach does exactly what the name says - they connect people with one another in meaningful, safe, and generative ways that encourage conversation, thought, and learning. This is a wonderful organization doing wonderful work.
I have never worked with a more transformative organization in my time working with non profits. The work that ConnectTeach does is some of the most impactful any organization is doing right now in the fight for racial equity. They create a space where people can grow and learn how to go out in the world and not have conversations that can help move us all toward a more equitable society.
ConnecTeach is an amazing nonprofit which aims to make our world a better place by promoting conversations and continued education, especially for teachers and educators in poor communities. I have been lucky enough to participate in two of ConnecTeach’s 6-week virtual sessions over Racial Equity (once as a participant, and second as a facilitator), and my own life, intellectually and morally, has been incredibly improved by the experience.
The work put into the resources for each session is unparalleled, teaching in-depth lessons about racial inequities that start off simple enough for anyone to access and understand, before developing into truly mind-changing and riveting information pieces that transformed the way I understand the issues. The best part of the course, however, was always the weekly conversations. Just 2 hours of your time a week to meet people of a wide range of perspectives, all incredibly nice and dedicated to learning more about racial inequity in our society and what we can do to change it. Your voice will always be heard, and you’ll be challenged to think critically about a range of ideas that you may never have considered before.
I think everyone should take this racial equity seminar, the professionals in charge of ConnecTeach are truly amazing. They are doing the ground-work for necessary, systemic change in our world.
This is a great organization that understands the need for our world to be an educated society! Great leaders and great people affiliated with ConnecTeach.
As founder of the Gendercide Awareness Project, a nonprofit with concerns related to those of ConnecTeach, I have known ConnecTeach for almost ten years. I heartily endorse its mission and respect its results. The mission is clear:
• to improve pedagogy by training teachers in developing countries
• to train these teachers to identify and remove barriers to education for students who are poor, female, or otherwise at a disadvantage
Teaching in developing countries too often amounts to rote memorization. Because schools cannot afford to provide textbooks for each student, teachers often read the text out loud and test students by quizzing them on trivia points. As students advance, critical thinking, questioning of assumptions, and problem solving are largely missing.
At the same time, many students, particularly girls, cannot even access education.
ConnecTeach addresses these problems at once. Bhavani Parpia leads teachers in exercises where they themselves think critically about practical and social problems in their communities. Frequently, a recent local news story serves as the opening into such discussion. Teachers are led to identify and scrutinize their own received notions about gender, violence, and the environment, for example. They then develop plans to address practical problems or prejudices. Having experienced this process themselves, they now can now repeat it in the classroom.
ConnecTeach works in both urban slums and impoverished rural areas. It intervenes at all grade levels and has data demonstrating its effectiveness. In India, for example, test scores improved dramatically for students of teachers trained by ConnecTeach, when compared to test scores for students of teachers not trained by ConnecTeach.
In the minds of many, education means mastery of the three “R’s” and subsequent mastery of a discipline, such as computer science, engineering, business, law, or medicine. This will produce a professional wage-earner, but not an engaged citizen. ConnecTeach enables students not just to memorize, but to use education to improve life in their communities.
Beverly Hill
President, Gendercide Awareness Project
Beverly@gendap.org
Our school serves Native American students in New Mexico. As with most Native communities and schools, we have limited resources. ConnecTeach has provided our community with much support in the areas of human rights in education. We have plans to use ConnecTeach for professional development in curriculum this year. This is a great organization to be a partner with.
Connecteach is an inspirational non-profit focused on improving the educational conditions of those they serve. Bhavani Parpia is a true example of a global citizen, working to not only give other teachers the resources they need, but empowering them to be true agents of change in their own communities. Having heard Bhavani speak on numerous occasions, she is clearly a force of passion, compassion, and enthusiasm, which translates into her work everyday. I wholeheartedly support this amazing non-profit and look forward to seeing what they have in store for the future!
I am impressed with what Bhavani and team have been able to do in countries such as India, Uganda and Tanzania working with teachers and students...shaping the next generation and making a huge difference. The testimonials speak to the results they are able to achieve. If Connecteach could get more financial support...they could do so much more!
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ConnecTeach has made a HUGE difference in the short time that it has been around...benefitting 350 teachers and 9000 students. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Bhavani and her team of volunteers...they are reaching out to educators and children all over the world. This team has a tremendous challenge in front of them to keep the momentum going as the word spreads and demand for their time increases. Education is one of those fundamental causes that can really change the world if only we can collectively succeed in increasing the effectiveness of teachers and the education level of children in poor communities...particularly girls!
I worked as a volunteer for ConnecTeach for a project in Uganda. The work they are doing to empower young girls around the world through education is just amazing. There’s a real need for it and ConnecTeach deserves all the support they can get. Their passion and determination is inspiring and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with them and help make a difference.
I have had the pleasure of working with the founder of this organization, Mrs. Parpia, and she is an amazing woman who is truly dedicated to the idea of education for all. Education opens doors and allows those people to open doors for others who follow and this organization truly embodies this philosophy.
Bhavani Parpia is one of the most passionate women I know! She is determined to create a better future for the youth of the world and I feel privileged to be in her network.
Through ConnecTeach, Bhavani and other current teachers volunteer their time working with teachers in rural or city slum areas around the world. Many of the teachers in villages only have a high school education (or less) and are trying to teach groups of 70+ children with no resources or support.
ConneTeach helps these teachers with pedagogy, understanding the learning process, age appropriate teaching strategies, curriculum resources, behavior management without physical punishment, etc. These trainings are of no cost to the schools and usually last 2 weeks. While working with teaching, they also address some of the UN’s SDGs– while always considering cultural sensitivity.
Bhavani draws no salary for this work and has worked around the world in countries including: India, Uganda, Tanzania, and several countries in the Middle East.
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ConnecTeach is a wonderful new NGO with a simple yet highly effective plan to improve education for kids around the world. For very little money, thousands of children can get a better education leading to unknown possibilities! All through easy and proven teaching strategies taught by a high energy, dedicated two-person team. Teachers around the world will see this profession can be fun, student centered and probing… and students will learn to explore knowledge in a deep way, not just memorize it. The program brings teachers and students to life in new and exciting ways in regional areas usually forgotten.
Mrs. Parpia from ConnecTeach visited members of the Junior World Affairs Council while we presented our ideas for leadership and service projects. She challenged us with relevant and thought-provoking questions to better not only our project ideas but ourselves as thinkers.
ConnecTeach has helped me develop new skills in lesson plans and classroom management. I am inspired to lead my community and be a great teacher. Bhavani, the founder of ConnecTeach brings a wealth of knowledge to the training. I am grateful for the work done for my community
ConnecTeach opened up my mind and understanding of the teaching process and made me realize my role as a teacher and community leader.
I participated on a two week teacher training workshop in Tanzania, offered by ConnecTeach. It was full of skill enrichment for me as a leader in school and my community. I am grateful for ConnecTeach.
ConnecTeach empowers communities through education. Their programs not only inform students and teachers about key local and global issues, but also foster practical problem solving skills that help translate ideas into action. Since its founding, ConnecTeach has been an incredible partner for our Global Young Leaders program for high school students. In the last two years, they have held leadership trainings for us on topics including conflict resolution, gender issues, and the environment. Our students consistently cite these trainings as catalysts for their current community engagement projects and future ambitions. We are grateful for ConnecTeach's investment in our students and in communities around the world.
ConnecTeach is an amazing organization! I am inspired by Bhavani Parpia's passion for equipping educators to provide the best education possible for students across the globe.
I am the president of L.D. Bell High school's Junior World Affairs Council. I am also an IB student. I had Mrs.Parpia come for an orientation to talk about JWAC and Connect Teach. She completely amazed me and all the students and teachers who were present, so much that multiple people, including students and teachers, came up to her to learn more about her organization. We are also discussing a way to join her organization with JWAC to make a project to help reduce poverty, which is one of the sustainable development goals. Bhavani is an amazing person who will definitely make a change in this world.
In this age of development, it was stunning for me to learn that countless children around the world are being denied an education due to their gender, economic status, or they are living in a war torn country. According to UNICEF data, the number of illiterate youths (ages 15-24) is at 115 million, with the most concentrated in the least developed countries and 59% of the illiterate youths being women. Around the world, 91% of youths are literate, but is simply having the ability to read and write equate to education? Learning to read and write is necessary, but should not the goal be bigger than that? In teaching children to simply absorb information and repeat, what will they gain? It is the application, the practice, and the understanding of the “why” and “how” that makes information important. Critical thinking skills are the key to solving the world's problems; understanding that if children are taught how to think, rather than what to think, is imperative. By doing this, they will gain the skills necessary to improve our communities, countries, and the world. However, if we leave children educationally handicapped, they will not be able to contribute to society, and the issues of poverty, pollution, and violence will continue. This is especially true in regions of the world that are at the highest disadvantage. Providing food aid or money to these regions is simple, but without eliminating the cause of the problems, we are just treating the symptoms rather than attacking the disease.
ConnecTeach is making an effort to treat this disease. By partnering with schools in underprivileged communities, students are learning critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as learning what they can do to help their community. I was able to do my part by talking to students who were sharing their thoughts on the discussion boards in response to these lessons. In the brief time I spent reading and commenting on the students’ discussion posts, it became clear how a few skills and encouragement can give a student the motivation to address problems in their community and take initiative to generate improvements. For example, one student expressed how she made an effort to discourage her uncle from putting his son to work and rather, send him to school. She explained to him that an education was key to his son’s future and by putting him to work, he was depriving his son of the ability to build an improved life for himself. Her belief in the value of education and, additionally, her drive to bring that realization to her uncle, was exciting. With students like her learning how to reason, finding solutions, and implementing what they already know within their own community, it is obvious that a higher education gives a student the ability to change the world. Although this is just one response and one story, if we multiply the access to this kind of education the impact will be clear.
Though my contribution to these students seems small, I was able to encourage and praise students who were putting in great effort despite the challenges they face. My role in ConnecTeach did not require me to put my life on hold, give up my life savings, or put in much commitment. ConnecTeach is one of many organizations committed to promoting education in an effort to cure one of the diseases of the world, but they require support. If we all create or recognize roles for ourselves, no matter how big or small, the solution will come about more effectively. It is purely a matter of taking responsibility for the future and realizing that, regardless of the conflicts around the world, we will win or lose together.
Empowering children through education and critical thinking skills is the cure to the diseases that are plaguing our world. We all should be remembered for providing the solutions, rather than the problems. Therefore, it is necessary for government officials, students, CEOs, teachers, scientists, parents, and anyone who values the future of their country or their world, to support education, wherever they are and especially in the places that are the most burdened. While the inequalities of the world may not directly affect you or do not seem prevalent in your country, that does not indicate their absence around the world. There are still people living without clean water, sleeping with empty stomachs, and suffering from treatable diseases and the solution to all of these inequalities is EDUCATION.
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In this age of development, it was stunning for me to learn that countless children around the world are being denied an education due to their gender, economic status, or they are living in a war torn country. According to UNICEF data, the number of illiterate youths (ages 15-24) is at 115 million, with the most concentrated in the least developed countries and 59% of the illiterate youths being women. Around the world, 91% of youths are literate, but is simply having the ability to read and write equate to education? Learning to read and write is necessary, but should not the goal be bigger than that? In teaching children to simply absorb information and repeat, what will they gain? It is the application, the practice, and the understanding of the “why” and “how” that makes information important. Critical thinking skills are the key to solving the world's problems; understanding that if children are taught how to think, rather than what to think, is imperative. By doing this, they will gain the skills necessary to improve our communities, countries, and the world. However, if we leave children educationally handicapped, they will not be able to contribute to society, and the issues of poverty, pollution, and violence will continue. This is especially true in regions of the world that are at the highest disadvantage. Providing food aid or money to these regions is simple, but without eliminating the cause of the problems, we are just treating the symptoms rather than attacking the disease.
ConnecTeach is making an effort to treat this disease. By partnering with schools in underprivileged communities, students are learning critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as learning what they can do to help their community. I was able to do my part by talking to students who were sharing their thoughts on the discussion boards in response to these lessons. In the brief time I spent reading and commenting on the students’ discussion posts, it became clear how a few skills and encouragement can give a student the motivation to address problems in their community and take initiative to generate improvements. For example, one student expressed how she made an effort to discourage her uncle from putting his son to work and rather, send him to school. She explained to him that an education was key to his son’s future and by putting him to work, he was depriving his son of the ability to build an improved life for himself. Her belief in the value of education and, additionally, her drive to bring that realization to her uncle, was exciting. With students like her learning how to reason, finding solutions, and implementing what they already know within their own community, it is obvious that a higher education gives a student the ability to change the world. Although this is just one response and one story, if we multiply the access to this kind of education the impact will be clear.
Though my contribution to these students seems small, I was able to encourage and praise students who were putting in great effort despite the challenges they face. My role in ConnecTeach did not require me to put my life on hold, give up my life savings, or put in much commitment. ConnecTeach is one of many organizations committed to promoting education in an effort to cure one of the diseases of the world, but they require support. If we all create or recognize roles for ourselves, no matter how big or small, the solution will come about more effectively. It is purely a matter of taking responsibility for the future and realizing that, regardless of the conflicts around the world, we will win or lose together.
Empowering children through education and critical thinking skills is the cure to the diseases that are plaguing our world. We all should be remembered for providing the solutions, rather than the problems. Therefore, it is necessary for government officials, students, CEOs, teachers, scientists, parents, and anyone who values the future of their country or their world, to support education, wherever they are and especially in the places that are the most burdened. While the inequalities of the world may not directly affect you or do not seem prevalent in your country, that does not indicate their absence around the world. There are still people living without clean water, sleeping with empty stomachs, and suffering from treatable diseases and the solution to all of these inequalities is EDUCATION.
I joined the board of ConnecTeach last year. I was impressed by the goal of the organization and knew the head of the organization from our prior relationship in education. The program operates on a very lean budget, but has a far-ranging reach because of its focus on teachers. I also think focusing on communities with few resources and on women empowerment has the greatest potential for meaningful change.
Bhavani from ConnectTeach came to talk to our high school students about becoming active, informed global citizens. She was fabulous! The kids were engaged and empowered by her words. What an inspiration!
Bhavani Parpia came to our Sophomore Orientation for the International Baccalaureate Program and spoke about her Non-Profit, Connecteach. She also connected this to International Mindedness and Global Responsibility. She caught the students attention by talking about her reason for getting involved and also highlighted many of the Global issues of concern. We so appreciate her willingness to share her experiences and enlighten young minds to a shared responsibility for the planet and for humanity. The goal of education for all individuals is worthy of our attention and service.
As the executive director of a nonprofit working with international educational programs, I am impressed with the philosophy, goals, and projects of ConnecTeach. Identifying professional development needs in poor and underdeveloped communities and providing teacher training in these areas are the most effective ways of providing both teachers and students with a quality education. Differentiated instruction through inquiry-based learning and performance based assessments produces well rounded, successful students.
ConnecTeach is a great organization that has worked with many schools around the world to train teachers and spread the word of education and its influence on young minds. I had the privilege of working with Bhavani as my mentor, colleague and coordinator for our world language program at HEB ISD. Her leadership and training has helped all the people around her. One of the best thing about ConnecTeach is that it is an organization founded by teachers , supported by teachers and addresses the needs of teachers globally in urban slums and rural communities.
ConnecTeach is a wonderful organization that consistently does important work around the world to help people from marginalized communities find their voices through education. I have worked with ConnecTeach in a number of capacities but I'm especially grateful for the work that they did with our North Texas high school students. Last school year, they provided three leadership trainings for students to discuss difficult topics such as conflict, gender, and environment. ConnecTeach empowered these young leaders to explore how these issues affect our communities in DFW and gave them tools advocate for positive change. I'm so grateful for the important work that ConnecTeach does in North Texas and around the world.
I was introduced to this nonprofit group when it was just a dream. About one hour after meeting Bhavani Parpia in 2006, I already knew that someday she planned to create a nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of helping teachers and students in countries where educational support was often lacking or even non existent. Her passion to find a way to help others became a reality through ConnecTeach due to her diligence and persistence. I feel like a proud godmother because I watched her tireless efforts every step of the way. I remember telling her long ago that I planned to come to Oslo someday to watch her receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her unselfish efforts to improve education, especially for girls, around the world in impoverished areas. ConnecTeach is the real deal, an organization with a founder, staff, and supporters who genuinely believe in making a positive mark on the world one teacher and one student at a time.
I am proud to support the mission and vision of ConnecTeach! This organization reaches across borders and oceans to help students escape their current situation through education. Without ConnecTeach, many of these students would never learn to read and write, and these are the communication tools that we in the USA take for granted every day. it is my honor to not only validate the work they do, but to sing their praises. My hope is that the people behind ConnecTeach never, ever give up! Carry on, ConnecTeach!!!
I have only been volunteering with ConnecTeach for a brief time, but the research I have done to help has opened my eyes to to stark reality of the situation females around the world are in when it comes to education. I have helped to find information on potential grants, as well as compiling relevant policies in Uganda and India which specifically oppress women and hinder education for girls. Bhavani's unique compassion and determination to improve the lives of women around the world is exemplary, and the opportunities she has already brought to students in Uganda through ConnecTeach are invaluable.
I learned of ConnecTeach from colleagues at Boston University in 2015. Some time later, I looked at the ConnecTeach web site, paying particular attention to the Mission Statement, and also the background of the founders. The proven dedication, integrity, and professionalism of this NGO impressed me enormously, and I decided to apply to volunteer.
My first assignment was to write an on-line Teacher training course to be used in India and Uganda. This task involved my collaborating with Bhavani and Amy weekly for 5 months. Our discussions involved checking progress, brainstorming ideas, and also sharing thoughts on questions of ethics, cultural appropriacy, and other pertinent issues.
Last month, I had the great pleasure of going to Dallas and meeting with Bhavani and Amy. It is inspiring to meet such wonderful people, working selflessly and passionately to bring accessible training programs and leadership skills to impoverished communities.
The authenticity, sincerity, and dedication of the staff of ConnecTeach is apparent in the wonderful work they are doing. I have had experience with various non-profits over the years, and have found ConnecTeach to be the best model.
From the beginning, ConnecTeach has had a clear vision of how education can be used as a vehicle for change, with teachers and students leading the charge for a more peaceful and equitable world. In the workshops, Bhavani and her team are able to get participants to realize their full potential and to confront the barriers to progress they see in their own communities.
I have seen students gain the courage to speak out against child marriage and domestic violence and gain the strength to continue on the path of being community changemakers. I have heard teachers raise their voices to speak out against substance abuse and corruption and find the energy to continue to raise the bar of expectations for themselves, their students, and their community.
ConnecTeach also leads local discussions in the US with teachers and students, so that they, too, can see education as more than a means to an economic end. One of my students said, "Before (the ConnecTeach event), I did not see the link between education and peace, and now it's completely clear!"
ConnecTeach is an idea whose time has been long overdue. If you want to see the real transformational power of education, support ConnecTeach!!!
ConnecTeach has been doing workshops for our teachers for last 4 years. It has helped our teachers a lot and are equipped with better techniques to handle any classroom situation. CT team has a very practical approach and a good follow up mechanism. We are school based out of North India catering to underprivileged kids. For more details on us please log on to www.omfoundation.in
ConnecTeach is a valued partner for our school. Presentations to our students open their eyes and hearts to the experiences of students across the globe. As an independent school hosting many speakers and organizations through our Speakers Series, ConnecTeach was one of three organizations having the greatest impact on our students. This very week our students are enthusiastically planning and implementing a project to support the work of ConnecTeach. ConnecTeach never asks for financial support. Our students are motivated to take action to help students have better schools and teachers through ConnecTeach.
ConnecTeach facilitated a Teacher Development initiative at our college Walugogo in Uganda. My student teacher trainees used the strategies they learnt in the workshop to handle their classes during their final school experience. They did a great job. And will score highly. Their professional journeys will never be the same. Thank you ConnecTeach for impacting these young people.
ConnecTeach has gone from vision to reality in 5 short years. In that short time, this dedictated group has improved the lives of literally hundreds of children by providing practical training and support to teachers in impoverished schools around the globe. It has been amazing to see the impact of this small organization thanks to the dedication of its leaders. ConnecTeach shares the passion for teaching and learning every day and gives children the chance of a brighter future.
As an educator in a globally ranked college preparatory I am continually astonished at the positive far-reaching implications Connecteach brings to both our students and those in the poorest cities of the world. I have personally witnessed the development and contribution of educators travelling to globally underserved communities and the real-world applications of well-resourced students acting as educational change-agents in another country. When you have the good fortune to stumble across an organization fighting poverty and injustice via education with integrity and determination, you want everyone to get involved. This is my challenge to you… support Connecteach with all you have. Our collective future depends on our ability to unite educators and students across the globe and Connecteach is the perfect medium!
Connecteach is a non-profit organisation has partnered with us for more than four years. They have trained our teachers both on-site and through online modules. Our teachers have been greatly benefited through these training. Last year through Dell support they have trained our teachers with PBL based learning, classroom management, language training through connect into English etc., Personally I have been benefited hugely through these training sessions. They have empowered our teachers.
As a teacher, I appreciate so much what ConnecTeach does around the world. It is easy for American teachers to take professional development for granted. There is an abundance of it available to us. However, many teachers around the world don't have that luxury. That's where ConnecTeach comes in.
When I first heard about ConnecTeach, I hoped they would let me help. Thankfully they did! Bhavani and Amy have been incredible to work with. I joined them in creating online modules, such as "Classroom Management," that have a major impact on student learning. I also had the pleasure of co-facilitating an online course for teachers in India. Interacting with these teachers via the discussion board was invigorating and inspiring for me (and I hope them as well). Both have valued my time as a volunteer and are quick to let me know it.
My next step volunteering with ConnecTeach is to participate in an onsite training session. Knowing the quality of work ConnecTeach provides, I expect it will be professionally and life changing for me, just as it is for the international teachers with whom we will work.
It has been a joy to build a relationship with ConnecTeach as I have helped to create modules for other teachers to learn about teaching skills in other countries. They are providing a service to teachers that may not otherwise get these types of services that are invaluable.
It was a very meaningful experience working with the Connecteach. We really enjoyed the training's learning different levels of learning and gained much clarity. We greatly appreciate your support. We able to see positive changes in the lives of children.Thank you very much for your training's it made a real difference in lives of the kids we serve. Once again thank you for enriching our understanding levels of learning.
Best wishes,
CA HOPE foundation Study Center-Hyd
I am a volunteer with ConnecTeach. In the past 3 or more years, I have written educational materials, videotaped a lesson module, and participated in a productive discussion on how to weave in important ideas from Mindfulness Meditation practices in the teacher training modules, both to support teachers and integrate those ideas into the classroom.
My interaction has mainly been with Amy Merk and Bhavani Parpia, both of whom are committed to the advancement of teacher education where it is needed most. They are vibrant and tireless in their work. They travel, they identify people who are willing to support them, they respect their stakeholders, and they are extremely well-informed. Their understanding of teacher autonomy within the larger canvas of appropriate classroom practices has impressed me.
I feel highly motivated to keep doing what I can to support their excellent academic modules. At this time, this has been mainly in the form of writing or recording video materials, but I am willing to contribute in more ways. For example, if required, I would gladly prepare reading selections from current and classical literature related to teacher training. If the opportunity comes up, I would readily travel to support a workshop as a resource person in the area of my expertise.
The mission and vision of ConnecTeach make excellent sense. Teachers in many parts of our world are inadequately supported in their academic advancement,lack the right kind of training opportunities as well as intellectual stimulation, and many are seldom recognized for the important and essential work they do. ConnecTeach is changing that.
I have felt highly appreciated for the work I have been able to do for ConnecTeach. Amy and Bhavani are clear in the way they explain what is expected of me in any project, and they follow through diligently and offer collaboration where needed. It has been rewarding to use my education, years of work experience, and my love of teaching as a vocation with these good people , and I sincerely hope to be of use to teachers around the world through the important work being done at ConnecTeach.
Here's wishing everyone success at ConnecTeach.
It was a pleasure to volunteer for ConnecTeach. Their events are thoroughly planned with dedication and care. Their focus and efforts are commendable as they strive to bring awareness and providing educational opportunities for others :-)
I have had the privilege of witnessing the birth and growth of ConnecTeach from its inception. Through face to face engagement and digital technology, Bhavani and Amy Merk have led an extraordinary enterprise to provide support and training for the teachers who make a direct difference in the lives of children in the developing world. Bhavani often speaks of her commitment to the ideal of education as a human right, and as a volunteer, I have been proud to take part in ConnecTeach's efforts to make that ideal a reality. Building on personal connections, and driven by person passion, Bhavani has created this organization from whole cloth, and launched headlong into the dirty work of making the ideal into a reality. I was able to operate the video camera as we documented the work ConnecTeach did with teachers in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Madurai, and Chennai, India. The words of the teachers and administrators who talked about what they had gained through ConnecTeach spoke volumes more than I ever could.
I am honored to be helping spread the work of ConnecTeach. This is an amazing and exciting organization conceived by Bhavani Parpia to support teachers in other countries. She has established a means to allow teachers in isolated communities around the world to benefit from the experience of more seasoned teachers. By working with ConnecTeach, educators needing help will find themselves in a teaching network with examples and tools to maximize the effectiveness of educating children in their unique circumstances. ConnecTeach has the potential to improve the lives of many.
ConnecTeach is the type of organization that will make this world a better place, which can only happen through quality education. With great riches comes great responsibilities and this NGO is doing its part in sharing best practices for quality teaching. Since teaching requires educators to understand the brain, it is through this sharing of the latest brain research by this NGO that will allow educators everywhere to know how to maximize their time with this next generation of leaders. I applaud their efforts and I am in the hopes that their passion for teaching children through educating the teachers will allow the students to be able to fulfill thier hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow.
ConnecTeach leads the way of education NGOs in that it functions under the proverb of "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime." After living in Bangladesh for 4 years and learning that system of education I can confidently say that ConnecTeach is making big impacts by the time it devotes in training and sharing with local teachers.
As a volunteer for ConnecTeach, I've come across people who have a sincere passion for the teaching, of children, driven by a desire to share the best of their knowledge and skills to spread the wealth of education to the world. It is Bhavani Parpia's mission and belief, along with the supporters of this visionary non-profit, that real and measurable change in our world can only be achieved when our children all across the globe are given a proper education. By joining together avid educators that share the same goal, this vision is being achieved, sharing information, ideas, and experiences for the betterment of the future of our global societies, traveling far and wide bringing the human right of education to all. There is no better way to impact a life of a child than to bring them an education that will truly enrich their lives; your support of ConnecTeach is an excellent way to do so.
This is the little non-profit that could. Bhavani Parpia and Amy Merk share a personal commitment to change the world through education by empowering teachers to teach in the most effective way possible for them. Through sheer force of will, ConnecTeach has succeeded against the odds but they could do much more, more quickly with more funding. I urge you to learn more about their mission and how you can help. When you support ConnecTeach, you're making a direct impact on the lives of children and societies in impoverished areas of the world. A more educated world will be a better world for us all and that will be the ultimate effect of ConnecTeach.
What a brilliant idea ConnecTeach is! Empowering teachers serving impoverished children is the ultimate long term solution to a child's ultimate success! Bhavani Parpia is an educator and a visionary extraordinaire who is making this world a better place!
Connecteach partners with impoverished schools around the world to support teachers in their efforts to provide the best education to their students. A team of teaching professionals from the US visits the schools to communicate directly with the teachers. Then the relationship and support continues long distance via the internet once the visit is over. This is a very worthy cause working to break the cycle of poverty for these children by improving the level of education in their schools. Connecteach currently works in India and Pakistan. Work in Uganda will begin next summer. Your support will help them extend their work to other children and teachers around the world.
ConnecTeach has identified the one factor that can most influence the future of individuals, a country, and indeed the world - education. Their innovative approach to helping kids in India by empowering their teachers is a lot of "bang for the buck." The enthusiasm, vision, and passion of the leaders at ConnecTeach is contagious! Through their projects linking schools in India with students in the U.S., they are changing perspectives and lives on both sides of the Atlantic.
ConnecTeach works with teachers ‘on the ground’ in their environment. They aren’t handing out a set of answers. They are building partnerships with educators, seeking their input and resources to help them refine strategies that will meet their specific needs and empower them to become self-sufficient in the process. It’s not about working FOR them, it’s about working WITH them.
As a volunteer, I got to help other teachers be more effective and efficient at a time when their underprivileged students need to make the most of every moment in school. And the reciprocal bonus is that I got to sharpen my skills and learn new perspectives as we collaborated.
It’s important to me that the work ConnecTeach is doing is sustainable in the future even as they move on to new schools. The resources of skills and understanding keep giving. Teachers that are trained will share their knowledge with other teachers as well as their students and the branches will spread. The follow up that happens after in country training provides continued personal support. The online modules give teachers the opportunity to learn and review strategies as needed.
As the network of ConnecTeach partner schools grows and they team up in mutual support, those connections will intertwine, building an even stronger foundation for their work. By reaching out to schools in other parts of the world ConnecTeach gives teachers and students in this network more global exposure.
I could write pages about ConnecTeach, so I will organize this into sections in my best effort to be succinct:
Vision: As a teacher, I believe firmly in education as the key to success in life. In order for that to happen, all children must have equal access to education AND teachers must have the appropriate resources/training. ConnecTeach does more than any other organization I have seen to provide teachers with appropriate training in the lowest socioeconomic conditions. Their solution is not to throw money or resources at teachers with no follow through on how to use them, but to invest time in teaching them strategies they can use in any classroom at any time regardless of their conditions. I agree wholeheartedly with this vision.
Action: ConnecTeach is a very young and very small nonprofit, but it's reach is far and wide. It provides virtual training through cloud based webinars, it conducts onsite training in countries such as India, and it provides customized materials for schools based on their needs. I am amazed by the personalized attention ConnecTeach has given to not just the schools they support, but to individual teachers within those schools. ConnecTeach is not a formulated one-size-fits-all program; it creates professional development tailored to the unique needs of each school.
Impact: ConnecTeach is small but mighty. In the mere 2.5 years of operation to date, they have already impacted approximately 20,000 teachers and 2 million students...and that is with only a handful of volunteers!
Fundraizing: I am not involved in the financial aspect of this organization. However, as a ConnecTeach volunteer, I can speak to the character of ConnecTeach on what they use their funding for. ConnecTeach is not looking for the next "hire." In fact, ConnecTeach did not have a full-time paid employee until it was over two years old and the growth of the organization demanded the need for an employee. It operates with mostly unpaid volunteers, like myself. The funds are used to send volunteers into the slum schools in places like India to conduct in-person training. This is why I speak of the character of ConnecTeach. The funds go to support their actions, not to overhead costs.