TEACHERS ACROSS BORDERS - SOUTH AFRICA

                                                                 

The Republic of South Africa is at a critical juncture in its history. The national government has identified the teaching and learning of math and science as priorities in the educational needs of the country. While millions are no longer legally marginalized by the educational system, a massive infusion of material support and professional training of teachers and administrators is required, quickly, efficiently, and effectively to appropriately serve the long-neglected majority population of school children.

In 2001, Punahou School (Hawaii) and the Cassim Peer Trust (South Africa) co-sponsored an international professional development project that sent a team of high school math and science teachers to South Africa to conduct curriculum-specific workshops with their South African colleagues from rural schools.The success of the pilot project led to more workshops in the following years, funded by grassroots community support in the USA and South Africa. 2012 will mark the 12th year of the Project.

Workshop content is designed to meet and exceed the South African National Curriculum Standards.Without upgrading the skills of educators in rural schools in South Africa, students have little hope of getting a chance at higher education. More than 60 volunteers from Hawaii have given workshop training to 3000+ South African teachers, and close to a million students have benefited from their teachers' upgraded skills in the past 11 years. And ultimately, US students are also the beneficiaries of their own teachers' professional development and life changing experiences in South Africa. In the words of Mr.Y. Chamda, one of the South African administrators of the program,  "… to see colleagues from opposite ends of the earth share knowledge and culture with such great warmth and caring, is a sight to behold. This is an example of international cooperation and global understanding at its best."

June-July 2011: We are grateful for the efforts of Mr. Fuzile (Manager of the EC Leadership Institute - Mthatha), his staff, and especially our friends in the Kitchen who fed 400+ in the 3 weeks of the workshops. To our Subject Adviser colleagues, thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication to our profession. Together, we made the most of trying circumstances for the benefit of teachers and learners.

South Coast Herald : News Article: "Crossing the Great Divide"

First Car Rental Newsletter: TABSA Sponsors

 

2011 Highlights:

  • 320 Eastern Cape math and science educators attended  3 -week TABSA workshops (June 27 – July 15), impacting 60,000 students in rural schools.
  • In the 2nd Week - 480 Grade 9 Winter School students attended Math classes with TABSA at 3 rural schools in the Lusikisiki District, Eastern Cape Province. 
  • All 23 Districts of the Eastern Cape Province were represented at the TABSA workshops by the Subjects Advisers and 4 lead math and science classroom teachers. In the final week, TABSA teamed with the local subject advisers to facilitate the workshops. 
  • Together with printed handouts for workshop participants, TABSA compiled relevant Math and Science materials in an offline CD. Produced and distributed 900 TABSA CD’s in the Eastern Cape and published link to free CD in local newspapers. Link to CD    http://mauicustomsoftware.com/dlfolder/cd2011/ 
  • EC Department of Education used TABSA workshop material to create math and science resource and instructional manuals for Senior Phase (Grade 6-9) – Distributed to 5000+ provincial schools.
  • Passed the 3000+ mark in local SA teacher workshop attendance, and 11 USA teams have traveled to work with their SA colleagues since the June-July Winter Holiday Project began in 2001.
  • TABSA donated an LCD projector and 10 computers for a computer lab to Ziphakamise, an organization that works with rural communities. This is our 8th computer lab provided for rural populations in South Africa.  Website:   http://www.ziphakamise.org.za/
  • TABSA provided school supplies to Nyandezulu School, Siyapambili HS, and Mdlangaswa School in KZN Province 
  • Initiated and completed a $2500 donation to the Women's Rural Project (St. Faith’s – KZN) for one year of operation of a Recycling Project. The funds were raised by the Mid-Pacific Institute (Hawaii) Recycling Club, and the project is to be administered by Rotary International 9720 RSA
  • Led by Biologist Angela Costanzo, the TABSA team rescued an injured and wandering penguin off the coast of Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape, July 10, 2011
  • Director Peer met with the Mr. Enver Surty, National Deputy Minister of Education in Pretoria (29 July 2011) regarding TABSA’s work in South Africa.
  • Yunus Peer TABSA Journal : June - July 2011

 

TAB–SA, supported by local communities, schools, and friends in both countries, appreciates the continuing cooperation and generosity of the South African Department of Education, Rotary International - Sunset Club (Hawaii – District 5000), the Julia–Sheridan Ing Family (Hawaii), First Car Rental (RSA), Holy Nativity Church (Hawaii), The Cassim Peer Trust – Port Shepstone, South Africa, and the many friends of TABSA who make this project happen.

 

Mahalo,

Yunus Peer - Project Founder Director 2001 -
Punahou School Honolulu, Hawaii, Academy Faculty.

 

TABSA 2011 Science: Edward DaSilva (Maryknoll High School), Angela Costanzo (HPU), Paul Heimerdinger (Iolani School), Michelle Buck (Kamehameha School) Mathematics: Laurie Schafer (Kea'au High School), Jim Metz (UH), Frank Lau (Hawaii Baptist Academy) Asst. Administrator: Thokozani Mtshane (Siyapambili High School - RSA)


Please consider supporting Teachers Across Borders – South Africa 2012. We are a grassroots, all-volunteer organization with a 11-year established network. The structural and logistical commitment of our South African partners, and the enormous impact on rural school education, makes this an excellent project for effective sponsorship. The aid is efficient, specific, targeted, and relevant.

Donate Online : TAB - South Africa

Donate by mail to: TAB - South Africa

Teachers Across Borders
427 Detroit Street
Denver, CO 80206
 tabinquiry@gmail.com

 

The Hawaii–South Africa teacher group is excited by our association with Teachers Across Borders following a successful 9-year collaboration with Teachers Without Borders (2002-2010) . TAB’s mission and guiding principles are perfectly aligned with the work we’ve been engaged in and the new partnership will strengthen this powerful and meaningful connection between the US and South Africa.

 

2001 - 2011 Teams: South Africa & China

2010 Hawaii- South Africa Team - 300+ SA Math and Science teachers attended workshops in Mthatha, Lusikisiki, King Williams Town, and East London

Mathematics: Jim Metz, Buffy Cushman-Patz, Melissa Mano

Science: Bev Kutsunai, Gail Peiterson , Darin Kohara

2009 Team: Math – Mark Hannington (Punahou), Amy Sun (Leilehua High School), Jim Metz (UH-KCC), Science – Barbara Mayer (Kamehameha Schools - retired), Robin Otagaki (Punahou), IT – Aaron Culliney, Leadership: Lyla Berg, Andy Corcoran

During June and July 2009, TWBSA conducted 3 week-long workshops at TRINSET (Eastern Cape Leadership Institute) with 700 teachers from 16 of the 23 Eastern Cape school districts. We are grateful to Duma, Fuzile, and Johan from the EC DoE for their tireless efforts in coordinating the logistics of transporting and housing 700 educators, and hosting the TWBSA team. Even at maximum capacity, the TRINSET kitchen staff were outstanding! Our thanks also to the various donors, family and friends who made these largest-ever workshops such a success. TWBSA also dedicated its 7th computer lab at a rural school in South Africa. In a partnership with Cornell University, TWBSA's 7 computer labs serve more than 4000 rural school learners in 3 provinces.

TWBSA - 2008 Team: Paul Heimerdinger, Ari Patz, Buffy Cushman-Patz, Jim Metz, Carl Wheeler, Lyla Berg, Yunus Peer. In 2008, TWBSA 230 Middle school math and science teachers and 110 principals and administrators attended the workshops held in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu. .

 

In 2007,  TWBSA featured 3 Canadians; Noble Kelly (IT and Director of TWB-Canada), Elspeth Anderson & Lily Vu (Vancouver School District); from Hawaii, Lynn Imai (Mid-Pacific Academy), Jim Metz (UH-KCC), Carl Wheeler (Ret. Mid-Pacific Academy) and Jennifer Hong (Punahou School) – the team worked with 118 South African teachers in the Senior Phase (Grades 7,8,9) Mathematics, Natural Science and a computer workshop designed for teachers in these subjects. TWB-SA also set up the 4th computer lab in a rural school – a TWB cooperative effort involving teachers in Hawaii, Cornell University, Rotary Clubs, and local businesses and friends in South Africa. One South African teacher and 2 students were sponsored by TWBSA to attend a Global Youth Leadership Summit and peace camp in Dubrovnik, Croatia – see report in TWB Reflections - 2007 links below.

PUNAHOU SCHOOL BULLETIN - Summer Issue 2007  - Lessons of South Africa

The success of TWB-SA has led to the creation of TWB-China. For the 2nd consecutive year, workshops with Middle and primary school teachers of Science and English teachers were held in Dujiangyan and Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in July/August 2007. The Agilent-TWB-China team: Science - Harold Lee (Ret. Punahou School), Chenyan Song (UH-Manoa), Carol Brennan (UH – CRDG), Shi-Fu (Phd. Candidate – UH) ;  English - Andy Corcoran (CAIS- San Francisco), Lyla Berg (Hawaii State Rep. – 18th District), Jennifer Hong (Punahou School) – assisted by volunteers – Lani Mednick (USC student), Gora Peer (South Africa Coordinator – TWB-SA). In 2007, 229 teachers of Science, and English, attended 2 workshops. ATWB also held 2 conferences with more than 130 Primary and Middle School administrators in Wolong and Chengdu. We are grateful to Agilent Technologies Foundation for support and sponsorship of the China project.

Honolulu StarBulletin - TWB-SA & TWB-China 2006

W.H. Auden wrote a line in a poem titled September 1, 1939: "We must love one another or die." TWB-SA provides the world's biggest stage for a Hawaiian teacher like me to show that I care about others. South Africa is almost the antipode of Hawaii, about as far away as you can get from Hawaii on earth. It took native South African teachers who taught six and seven classes of 50 students each all the physical sciences every day to reteach me the humility that Harvard had distilled from my soul. I benefited because I will never again say "I can't do it" in Hawaii. If South African teachers can do it with miniscule resources, I should be able to do anything with the plethora of resources at my disposal. TWB-SA etched these words in my soul: “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” - Mike Hu - Punahou School.

The first thing that came to mind when thinking about why the TWB-SA project benefits teachers was exactly what Jim Metz alluded to, that in order for us to be good teachers, we have to be learners. That is one of the most exciting things about teaching anyway, learning from my colleagues and my students alike. I learned a lot from my South African counterparts, from different approaches to a problem or lesson to classroom management issues. I taught a little math, but they taught me a lot of teaching. - Mike Vogel

2006 Project Links:  

2005 Project Links:

2004 Project Links:

2003 Project Links:

2002 Project Links:

2001 Project Links: Punahou-South Africa Math Project

Email: ypeer@punahou.edu

 

May God deny you an easy peace and grant you instead passion;

a revolutionary passion that spills over into the world in acts of compassion, love, justice and integrity - Carol Wise