Kansas-Senegal Pilot Program

2019-2023

Global Alliance for the Education of Nations is a Culturally Responsive Organization created by Diane Bosilevac, former instructor and educational director from the United States. GAEN was created to promote intercultural understanding, through education, by meeting the needs of all students worldwide. It was the direct result of the equity work of the teachers, staff, students and administrators at Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kansas.

Overview

• Senegalese educators teach in a high school in Kansas.

• School in Kansas begins/continues equity work.

• Teachers from school in Kansas travel to Senegal in the summer.

Mission Hierarchy

Develop more inclusive societies.

• Increase intercultural knowledge.

• Change awareness in attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.

• Provide equity services to communities, at first locally, and then globally.

• Improve education at the local and global levels.

Mastery of subject matter.

• Help Senegalese instructors master their English;

• Senegalese educators of English return to Senegal to teach English, at an improved level, and to train others.

Provide teachers with diversity training.

• Change awareness in attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.

• Increase intercultural knowledge.

• Review and adapt curriculum for inclusivity.

Reduce polarization at the local and global levels.

• Develop more inclusive societies.

• Teach collaboration skills.

• Build a network of allies committed to democracy and social change.

• Provide equity services to communities in Kansas

Action Plan: Pilot Program

Year One Requirements:

• American and Senegalese instructors apply to become participants of program.

• Twenty participants are chosen – ten Senegalese and ten American teachers.

• Teachers begin to communicate with one another via email, WhatsApp, Skype or other means of communication.

• American teachers begin to share urgent needs of reform for the school.

• Participants and recipients create evaluation rubric, based on outcome goals.

• Senegalese teachers arrive in Kansas for training during the summer.

• Senegalese teachers find appropriate lodging with the assistance of GAEN.

• Senegalese teachers begin application for Kansas’ foreign exchange license.

• Evaluate program’s effectiveness, alter if needed, and then continue with subsequent phases:

Action plan - phase 2

• Four-Year Plan is put into place.

• Incorporate student exchanges.

Action plan - phase 3

• Four-Year Plan is put into place.

• Continue student exchanges.

• Incorporate other communities.

Action plan - phase 4

• Four-Year Plan is put into place.

• Continue student exchanges, extension to other communities.

• Incorporate other levels of education – elementary schools, middle schools.

Action plan - phase 5

• Four-Year Plan is put into place.

• Continue student exchanges, extension to other communities and levels of education.

• Incorporate other subject matters.

Outcomes

• Inclusive societies, in which diversity is experienced as an asset. (UNAOC)

• Positive change in attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.

• Better comprehension of nations and peoples.

• Reduction of conflict at the local and national levels.

• Fill difficult-to-hire positions in Kansas.

• Reduction of unemployment in Senegal.

• Creation of opportunities through education.

EVALuation tool

Participants and recipients will create the evaluation tool during first year of program.

Deliverables

Ministère de l’Éducation au Sénégal

• Increase opportunities for employees of the government.

• Instructors master English, return to Senegal with improved level of English and train others.

• Instructors receive American training in subject matter.

State Department of Education in Kansas

• Fill difficult-to-hire positions in Kansas.

• Hire instructors of French, as first language.

We the People/Project Citizen/Social Studies instructors in the USA and Senegal

• Instructors receive cultural training in Senegal, ability to educate American students better.

• Fulfill course expectations through improvement of civil societies in the US and in Senegal.

English and French instructors in the USA and Senegal

• Create inclusive curriculum.

• Improve subject matter competency.

• Citizens of Senegal and the United States of America

Increase intercultural knowledge

• Change awareness in attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.