Team J*MPT presents Project Engage

Overview

Project Engage is a community effort that integrates Khan Academy and other similar programs into both the school curriculum and everyday life for the target learners through the Teach-A-Class Edu Hotspot.  

Project Engage has three driving factors:

• community involvement, 
• expanding educational opportunities for girls outside of school, and
• providing extrinsic motivators in education that will hopefully transition to intrinsic motivators

Learners are presented weekly challenges at a central communal location. As they work to find a solution, they may reference the teacher, other learners or adults in the community. Every month, 15 outstanding achievers are chosen and publically honored.

Concept Note (PDF)

Flowchart of the Learner Experience (PDF)

Vision (PPT)

Sample Project

Revisions to the Project

After receiving feedback on our initial idea in class, we had two major take aways:

1. One of the strengths of our idea was the involvement of the community and integrating the learning experience into everyday life for the girls.
2. We should consider what was going to motivate the students to take part in an informal learning experience

Combining these ideas, we revised our project to include an extrinsic reward system that would depend on community support. Rather than expecting the students to do the lessons on their own, possibly checking in with a teacher, we built in a system of accountability that would hopefully get the whole village excited about the learning opportunities going on. By rewarding students that show improvement or high achievement monthly in a public place, their entire family would feel pride and enjoy the perks of their accomplishment, hopefully encouraging them to continue their studies. 

We also decided to focus more specifically on math skills, as Khan Academy excels at math lessons. But one of our major goals is to help girls like Alice pass the National Common Entrance Examination so they have the opportunity to continue to secondary school or a career if they choose. Going forward, we would hope that English lessons would also be a major focus of the curriculum for this learning experience.

Feedback [Instructor:  Ami Mehta]

I find one of the greatest strengths in this concept is that the team actually thought about the end game first.  I can't stress the importance of figuring out a way to tie the learning to some measurable result and either streamline these girls in Nigeria into the traditional educational system for secondary education and higher forms of learning or figure out a learning path that connects them to a tangible vocational skill offering them a way in which to participate with the economy.  So important so great job on that!

I think opportunities to become even more realistic about the learning process would be a great next step with this concept.  How, when, why and where will the girls get the chance to really build the skill required to get them to the next step along their path.

Thanks and look forward to this group's work on the next challenge. :-) 

Ami