Thinking Schools Ethiopia (TSE) will begin model school collaborations with Tigray government schools in March. The initial training will be a sensitization workshop to ensure that the Thinking school frameworks and specific interventions are well understood by all partners and smoothly executed so as to bring the desired changes in attitudes, practices, and education systems and structures around the issues. The initiative is for whole school change with the Thinking Schools model. The initiative is funded with a focus on empowering girl students at primary and secondary levels (and women teachers) in the process. The project is funded through Initiative Africa. Previously the Tigray Education Bureau experts were trained (photo). The TSE project is being coordinated in the northern Tigray region by the Tigray Development Association and the Tigray Education Bureau. The Trainer of Trainer model will include training facilitators from the Education Bureau, Mekelle University and Aksum University.
Stage one will begin in April with schools leadership teams from the 36 model schools representing 12 Woredas. This will include both primary and secondary schools from each Woreda to provide a foundation to scale the project to all schools. The initial training is a 2 day Growing Thinking Schools Inside Out training. The training is about student centered thinking methods and is participant centered with the educators receiving hands-on training. The trainers include TSE trainers from Eminence Social Entrepreneurs and a global trainer from Thinking Schools International and the Thinking Foundation.
Stage two training will provide whole school training for each of the model schools. This will then be supported with ongoing site visits by TSE trained trainers.