I have the pleasure of serving as board member for ConnectED Fellows and have a birds eye view of the great work the team is doing. Engaging and empowering rural communities through education and engagement is critical to building the knowledge and skills of the next generation of community leaders. The locally-led and driven approach of ConnectEd Fellows allows the organization to understand and respond to and support the education and capacity building needs and interests in the communities they work in.
I had the opportunity to work at ConnectED. I was inspired by its approach to implementing locally-led initiatives through emergent and innovative approaches that strengthen and scale evidence-based methodology for supporting locally-led solutions and community development. I could see many benefits emerging between the Fellows due to peer-to-peer learning and within each of their communities because of the training, leadership skills, and partnerships they are developing through the Fellowship Program. Through that Fellowship, they also create new connections and leadership opportunities. I can also see how ConnectED is amplifying women's voices by giving them the chance to strengthen their leadership and project management skills, which help to break the circle of inequality in their communities. Most of the fellows are indigenous leaders who work alongside their communities to identify and prioritize educational needs which allows them to work in a collaborative design and implementation of local solutions, giving agency to the communities will make them feel ownership of their projects.
I have been a friend, supporter and sometime advisor to ConnectED over a period of several years. There is so much to appreciate about the way the organization works and I would like to focus on three aspects.
First, ConnectED has a clarity of vision that comes from the work it did in rural education in Central America over several years. in trying out different approaches, speaking with and learning from others, especially local communities, the organisation developed a model and a strategy that has been its focus for several years now. This approach to reflecting on past work and then committing to a direction is something from which we can all learn.
Second, individuals and families in rural Guatemala are at the centre of the way ConnectED thinks and acts. This means that its work is driven by what it sees and hears as a result of its partnerships and collaborations in villages across that part of the country in which it operates. It is easy to pay lip service to development thinking on participation, but the ConnectED Fellows model has local participation at its heart.
Finally, ConnectED works in a genuinely grassroots way, keeping its overheads low and focussing on what is important in achieving results for communities. It is not easy to do this because organizations have compliance costs, operating overheads and a myriad of expenses to meet, but ConnectED, like other organizations I appreciate, exhibits the virtues of being modest, agile and effective.
As a Board Member, I get an inside view of the operations of ConnectEd. I see clearly how dedicated the team in Guatemala is to creating meaningful, and sustainable change for youth education in the country. The Fellows model that they have created has graduated multiple cohorts of local educational leaders who have run projects targeting reading, math, technical skills, and much more. Check out the website to see their inspiring work!
Despite all this momentum, the organization continues to optimize and scale operations so that we can have an even greater impact in the future.
I'm proud to be a Board Member here!
During July of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala with a group of 5 university students to learn from ConnectED's work. We were able to meet their team and visit 5 fellows that have been part of ConnectED's Fellows program, going to the schools where they have been implementing their initiatives. The students I was traveling with were doing a case study about ConnectED's work, and it was a very inspiring opportunity to listen to fellows, teachers and parents narrate their experiences about the work. From the first moment it was evident the quality and relevance of ConnectED's work, as well as the passion and humanity of their team members. After listening to different interviews and focus groups, we started to envisage the impact of this Fellows program, and to understand the positive changes it has brought to students, families, schools and communities. The way they encourage fellows to decide the area of work with their communities, is a clear example of a real community-based process. This is an example that those of us who work in this field should follow; to avoid coming to communities with pre-established ideas, but allow communities to decide according to their interests and priorities. Undoubtedly, ConnectED's Fellow Model is one that is worth to continue replicating, and continue contributing to education as it has done up to now. I feel great admiration for ConnectED's work and would encourage people to get closer and learn from their model!!!
ConnectED is an amazing organization that truly highlights the potential of the communities it works with and provides them with the capacity-building resources to help them empower and lead change at the local level.
This unique approach is what first got me interested in ConnectED, and I was lucky enough to work to with the organization as a consultant during my graduate education. While supporting a research grant proposal, I saw first-hand how they put the communities they aim to support at the center, emphasizing meaningful inclusion and co-creation of the research process with their Fellows and rural, primarily indigenous, community members. Similarly, the ConnectED Fellows model gives local education leaders the skills and autonomy to craft their own programs to meet their own communities needs. I believe more international development organizations should follow ConnectED's lead in decolonizing their approach, which leads to not only positive education outcomes but also stronger and more resilient communities.
As part of university research project, I had the privilege of conducting extensive interviews with ConnectED NGO's Fellows, teachers, parents, and community members in Guatemala, and I must say that the impact of their initiatives is nothing short of remarkable. ConnectED has shown an unwavering commitment to championing local voices, knowledge, and solutions to enhance educational outcomes in the region.
One of the standout aspects of ConnectED's approach is their emphasis on community-led initiatives. Through collaborative efforts, they have empowered communities to take charge of their children's education. This approach has yielded impressive results, with several successful projects taking root. Initiatives such as the establishment of computer labs, libraries, and the incorporation of the local language into the curriculum have not only introduced students to technology but also preserved and celebrated indigenous cultures.
What truly sets ConnectED apart is the positive feedback it receives from the communities it serves. Witnessing firsthand the enthusiasm and gratitude of parents and community members was inspiring. It's evident that ConnectED's dedication to fostering sustainable change through education is making a profound impact on the lives of children in Guatemala.
In summary, ConnectED NGO's Fellows Model in Guatemala is a shining example of how an organisation can make a significant difference by harnessing local wisdom and resources. Their commitment to promoting education while respecting and preserving indigenous cultures is commendable, and their work serves as a beacon of hope for the region's educational future
ConnectED is committed to placing community voices at the forefront of their practice, and it is because of their drive to expand their program across Latin America that I was fortunate enough to work with them, and see the amazing impact they have on the communities they work alongside.
As part of a university team researching their Fellows Model in Guatemala, I heard from numerous parents and teachers how ConnectED champions local voices, knowledges and solutions in order to develop community-led initiatives which improve students' educational outcomes.
The trust between ConnectED and community members was so apparent. Every teacher and parent I spoke to expressed their deep gratitude for the support and guidance ConnectED provided them, not only financially, but also by respecting their autonomy and self-determination in addressing educational challenges.
One of ConnectED's greatest strengths is their genuine love and care for the people they work with, and their ability to build meaningful relationships with communities and effect sustainable change is something all NGOs should aspire to.
While working as a researcher through my university, I had the privilege of learning about ConnectED’s Fellows Model, which provided me with a unique opportunity to visit several of the communities supported by ConnectED in Guatemala. These communities demonstrated profound gratitude and pride in the projects they had successfully implemented in their schools. Their words echoed a resounding appreciation for ConnectED's unwavering commitment and support throughout the entire process.
ConnectED firmly believes that the most effective solutions to educational challenges emerge from within the communities themselves. As a result, there is a distinct emphasis on empowerment and capacity building in their approach to supporting rural indigenous communities. This holistic approach not only allows for a diverse array of projects that cater to the specific needs of individual communities but also encourages the long-term sustainability of these projects beyond the funding period.
I had the privilege to work with ConnectED as a researcher part of the Reach Alliance from the University of Melbourne, Australia. I strongly believe these are the types of initiatives we need to support. ConnectED follows an approach that respects and supports local autonomy, local knowledge, and resources, which has led to tangible positive changes in the everyday lives of students and community members. Participants that we talked to expressed their big gratitude towards ConnectED, as they have seen great benefits in the quality of education of their children. I really hope to see this model expanding!
I have had the privilege to work with ConnectED as part of my university studies. Our university team was invited by ConnectED to explore their Fellows Model and to visit their partner communities. We clearly saw the great impact that ConnectED continues to have in these communities. The communities also continued to highlight the deep trusting relationship that they build with ConnectED, and how ConnectED enables them to self-identify their most pressing issues, rather than being told what to focus on. ConnectED is very unique in this sense and I could definitely sense the communities’ positive experiences.