It seems like everybody has a dollar a day program to help children. But what if I told you that a dollar a month could dramatically impact the future of a child? Would you think I’m crazy?
I think it’s true. I’ll explain.
One area of focus for PathLight, in addition to students, continues to be on programs that impact teachers. In the regions of Belize where PathLight works, teachers are woefully under paid, under trained, and under resourced. Fewer than 40% of the teachers in Belize have any training on how to be a teacher and that number is surely lower in the rural schools where PathLight works. One principal at a school with 350 kids said that he has $150 for supplies for an entire year. Hard to enrich your teachers and supply a classroom with that kind of budget!
So PathLight has been focusing more energy on teachers in several key ways: the Teacher Training Conference, the Teacher-to-Teacher Program, and ongoing personal support for teachers in Belize.
PathLight hosts an annual Teacher Training Conference for Belizean teachers each summer. Approved by the Ministry of Education, these conferences are led by highly qualified North American teachers. It has been wildly successful: our first year saw 15 Belizean teachers show up, the second year saw 50, and the third was nearly 100. It continues to thrive. With only 4200 teachers in the entire country of Belize, we really do believe this program can have a nation-wide impact.
PathLight has also recently launched a Teacher-to-Teacher program. An experienced North American teacher is connected to a Belizean teacher. Phone calls, emails, and even Skype calls are planned regularly. They make a covenant to support, encourage, pray, and share with each other on an ongoing basis.
In addition, there has always been PathLight staff to support and encourage Belizean teachers, but PathLight has not had a full time professional teacher living in Belize. Having such a person visiting classrooms, providing encouragement, offering workshops, and generally being available as a resource is imperative. This one person can impact all 100 teachers who attend our Teacher Training Conference on a consistent basis. Thus one person can impact 100 teachers, which is 100 classrooms representing about 3000 students.
The great news is that we have the people to do the job. We have the teachers of Belize asking us to help, the Ministry of Education authorizing our work, and the enthusiastic support of every principal we involve. We have identified a professional teacher ready to take on the challenge of working full-time in Belize to support the 100 teachers who attend the Teacher Training Conference each year. In short, all the pieces are in place to make a widespread and lasting impact.
But we do not have all the funding we need to make all of this happen. And that’s where my crazy idea that $1 a month can make a difference in the future of a child comes into play.
Improving the skills of 100 teachers means creating an environment in 100 classrooms that is more conducive to learning for at least 3000 students. If we had $1 a month for each of those students, we’d raise $36,000 a year. That’s about what we need to complete the funding for all of this work.
Think about that. For just $1 a month, a student has a classroom experience that is guided by a more confident, better trained, and better equipped teacher. For $30 a month, an entire classroom receives those benefits.
Integrating faith and learning in the classroom can become a reality. The impact could be huge and the cost is so little!
So I want to ask you to consider something. Would you partner with PathLight and make a pledge of $30 a month to support a teacher and her class? Or could you make a one-time gift?
We are calling this effort the SAT Program – Support A Teacher! As the SAT scores rise, the quality of the education will rise!
Your gift will have an impact as PathLight programs train, encourage and equip committed teachers. It’s simple and affordable – and it can be transformational for so many students. Please click here to make your pledge of supporting this important work.
Thanks!