Tag Archives: Sierra Leone

Joan Parris from VTT presents Sierra Leone trip to North Branford Rotary

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Joan Parris recently returned from Sierra Leone as part of the Vocational Training Team (VTT) which was sponsored by the Norwalk Rotary Club. Joan Parris, Ronnie Katz,  Florence Falkowski,  Eugenia Chinsman and Dr. Cynthia Barnett departed for Sierra Leone on Jan 11, 2014 and returned January 28th. The VTT project took place at the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and the Baana Prepatory School in Freetown, Sierra Leone with an emphasis on basic education and literacy.

The Norwalk Rotary Club is hosting a VTT Team Presentation on March 12, 2014 at The Norwalk Inn & Conference Center at 6:30pm for those who are interested in learning more about this amazing journey. Your can reserve your spot through their Facebook Page or emailing President Brian Falkowski  at Brian.Falkowski@fnfg.com

Norwalk Rotary prepares to launch Vocational Training Team to Sierra Leone

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The Norwalk Rotary Club is just about ready to launch their Vocational Training Team (VTT) project to Sierra Leone. If things go according to plan then the US Team will leave on 1/4/2014.

VTT Chair Nancy Riella and Eugenia Chinsman of the Norwalk Rotary Club have been working on this $30,000 Global Grant application for the better part of 2013 and like all things Rotary; “they are this close”.

The team is just awaiting word from Rotary International that Freetown Rotary Club in Sierra Leone has cleared up the remaining administrative hurdles.

The Outbound Team members from D7980 are as follows:

  • Cynthia Barnett
  • Joan Parris
  • Florence Falkowski
  • Ronnie Katz
  • Anne Farrell

This VTT project will take place at the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and the Baana Prepatory School in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The emphasis is basic education and literacy. Due to continual civil wars, Sierra Leone’s educational structure was destroyed. There is a need for updated teacher training curriculums to prepare infants – 5 year old children for school. Additionally, there is a need for improved curriculums, teachers and educators to train the Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers.

The direct beneficiaries will be all the children of Sierra Leone through education; the ECE teachers because they will have updated training with hands on experience; the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology due to exposure to current best practices and curriculum improvements.

The USA VTT team will be composed of ECE experts that will observe current teaching practices, curriculums, and ECE programs. The emphasis will be to use the observations gained in Sierra Leone to create and maintain a ECE program that can be replicated through out the country. this program will serve as a flagship program to support the national teacher education program. The Sierra Leone VTT team will observe ECE programs in a variety of pre-schools, work with Norwalk Community College to enhance the teaching curriculum at the Milton Margai College whose objective is to establish a program to teach ECE.

Updates will be provided to this project as they become available.