Teach For Nigeria deepens drive to address education inequalities

…launches applications for eight cohort

In its drive to address education inequities in the country by building a movement of leaders from diverse academic fields to teach in underserved communities, Teach For Nigeria (TFN) has launched applications for an eighth cohort of fellows.

Folawe Omikunle, the chief executive officer at TFN made this known at the recruitment launch event when she said, “Fellows commit two years to transforming academic and non-academic outcomes for the children during the fellowship.

After the two-year fellowship, they continue to unleash their leadership towards addressing the barriers and issues identified while in the fellowship.”

On the opportunities available for fellows after the two-year programme, Omikunle noted, “A number of our alumni have now launched social enterprises, leading successful and growing social enterprises and social impact organisations.

“We also have some of them working in policy, while others transitioned into working with the government.”

The theme of this year’s fellowship is “Teach today, Shape tomorrow: Your leadership matters now!” targeting young leaders committed to tackling the country’s most difficult challenge and unleashing the potential of Nigerian children.

Fellows are expected to harness their leadership skills while designing solutions to address the everyday struggles of placement schools and communities.

Prior to their placement, each cohort participates in an intensive six-week pre-service training.

The training exposes fellows to the organisation’s theory of problem and change, its vision, mission, and core values. Fellows are also trained in 21st-century teaching pedagogy, leadership, and entrepreneurship while undergoing a community immersion experience.

In their classrooms, fellows not only get a chance to teach but also deepen their understanding of the challenges facing the education sector in Nigeria, engage and work collectively with the community stakeholders to change the trajectory of children in their placement communities.

The fellowship goes beyond just improving students’ literacy and numeracy skills; it is a chance for the Fellows to teach today and shape the future of countless children in low-income communities.

Since its inception, TFN has recruited, trained, and placed at least 1500 exceptional young leaders in over 600 schools in Lagos, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states. The organisation has also impacted over 300,000 students and boasts a growing network of 835 alumni.

TFN is a subsidiary of the Teach for All Network, a growing group of locally-led, independent organisations in over 60 countries with the shared purpose of expanding educational opportunities for children worldwide.

The 2024 fellowship criteria require that applicants must be Nigerians, aged between 18 and 35, and must have completed their NYSC service on or before July 2024.

Applicants are also required to hold a university degree with at least second-class honours. Accepted fellows will receive a gross monthly stipend of N94,990 for two years, including the holidays.

Other benefits are that applicants have the opportunity to pursue a professional diploma in education programme through a scholarship.

Fellows will gain access to mentors and continuous professional development, enabling them to design and execute social change projects while benefiting from mentorship and networking opportunities with professionals across various industries.

The fellowship selection process has multiple rounds of applications for each cohort. An applicant can apply only once for any cohort.

The application involves essay writing, an aptitude test, a telephone interview, group assignment, and a physical assessment, including a mock teaching session.

Odedeji Gbeminiyi Abisola, a TFN alumna and panelist at the recruitment launch, said, “I went to the Teach For Nigeria pre-service institute as Odedeji but came back as a brand new teacher-leader.

The fellowship changed the trajectory of my professional journey, helping me to see beyond the four walls of the classroom.”

Speaking on the kind of support he received as a fellow, Kazeem Adekunle Abdulrasak, an alumnus of the fellowship and one of the panelists stated, “The support I receive at Teach For Nigeria started even before I resumed in the classroom. The organisation gave me the platform to become part of a community of committed people.”

Olukoya Tititobiloluwa Praise, a Teach For Nigeria student, recounted how her teacher uses video clips and charts to teach and how she learned politeness from her teacher.