Name of Project Manager: Bethlehem S Belaineh
Project Title: Opening up tutoring programs for public school students from grades 1-4 to teach them fundamental skills in English and Mathematics
Project Location: Gergi, bole-sub city , Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Project Duration: 1 month June 27th- August 26th
Total Project Cost in USA $: est. 410 $
Project Background/Need statement/Problem Analysis:
I live in the capital Addis Ababa, particularly Gergi, Bole-sub city. My community is a kind of sub urban environment, the living conditions of the majority is however found in lower class. In my vicinity there are about 3 public schools, in which the majority of the community students attend. My project will attempt to address the lack of quality of education in public schools, more particularly it aims to increase the focus on English and Mathematics subjects in lower classes. Organizations such as Y.W.C.A are making an effort to address this problem by organizing tutoring classes both in summer program and in the Academic year (i.e 10 month program), Although their program is not sufficient enough to reach many public schools. In my community there are youth groups that could help in the fundraising process, and possibly be involved in the project.
Baseline project information:
In obtaining the baseline project information I hope to first analyze the public school that I’m going to be working on, by interviewing teachers of English and Mathematics and getting their views on the student’s performances in this subjects. In the interview I hope to collect enough information of problems that the teachers face in teaching the students these subjects. I would also like to gather more information on the students’ library usage and the status of the library.
Project Summary/Description:
This project’s mission is to increase the area of focus on English and Mathematics in public schools, by organizing a summer tutoring program for students from grade (1-4). Targeting 100 students and involving 30 volunteers, it aims to give the students fundamental lessons on English and Mathematics. Throughout the course English, Mathematics and other synchronized lessons will be conducted to give students a practical use of their studies. In the process it hopes to engage and empower the youth to become agents of change by involving student volunteers in the program. By using the 5 to 1 method , 1 volunteer responsible for teaching 5 students, the project hopes to benefit every student enrolled in the tutoring program.
Project Goal/Aim:
Overall Goal: helping students have a better understanding in English and Mathematics. If students have better understanding in this subjects they would have less hard time in understanding their lesson media (English) and would show better results in their classes.
Long term goal: *Students would pass their classes with better results(would proceed to junior class and Highschool)
*Students would have a better baseline for taking National examinations(which are in English)
Development goal: * To change the society’s view of Education, for the community to support their children to go to school regularly
* To inspire, and continue the first ever tutoring program by volunteers in the community
Project Objectives:
1. In June 2011, campaign to find 10 volunteers that would form the staff and give them orientations on how to run the project.
2. In June 2011 contact one local public school to initiate the tutoring programs.
3. From July 4th to July 8th 2010 organize a charity event to collect 20 volunteers that will start the first tutoring program.
4. From July 18th to August 18th, Enrol 100 grade (1-4) students in a one month summer tutoring program to teach them fundamental skills in English and Mathematics.
Project Activities:
…Listed chronologically
*Orientation program for 10 Volunteers that will form the staff
* Carry out Charity events and Campaigns to collect up to 20 volunteers
* Give lessons on tutoring and layout ground rules for volunteers
*Start the summer tutoring program, with the help of volunteers
*Provide name tags for students( for the use of Id and roll calling)
*Finish the tutoring program, and organize a finishing ceremony for students
*Asses volunteers’ performance, and give out participation certificates
Description of Project Beneficiaries:
Age: 7-11 (possibly older)
Gender: All inclusive
Race: race exclusive
Educational Status: Grades 1-4
Nationality: Ethiopian
Target Community Input:
The target community can help by providing their support by participating in our fundraising efforts, by contributing free or reduced priced materials to the project(like pens,pencil, exersice books), and by offering technical support to the project.
| Project Timeline/Work Plan | ||||||||
| Activity | Period/Duration | Expected Outcome | Indicators of Achievement | Partners/Stakeholders involved | Cost in USA $ | Responsible | ||
| Orientation program for staff | June 27th – 29th (2 days) | Organized staff for the project | Successful orientation program | Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | 10$ | Project Manager | ||
| *Finalize Accommodations for the tutoring programs in public schools *Finish Gathering the list of students who will be participating in the program | July 1st – July 3rd | *collected sum of 100 students(20 students per class) | *reaching the required number of students | - Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles - Bole Public School | -------- | Project Manager Staff | ||
| Carry out Charity events and Campaigns to collect up to 20 volunteers | July 4th – July 8th | *Collecting 20 volunteers | *collecting the required number of volunteers | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles - the community | 30$ | Project Manager Staff Volunteers | ||
| Give lessons on tutoring and layout ground rules and regulations for volunteers | July 9th – July 11th | *volunteers are aware of the rules and regulations they have to follow | *The performance of volunteers | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | 20 $ | Project Manager -Volunteer evaluation officer | ||
| Prepare Name tags for students | July 9th – July 11th | *Students will have Id tags that will identify them when they come to class | *Students can be easily identified and their progress can be monitored easily | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles -Printing enterprises | 10$ | Staff | ||
| Project Execution: Operation Summer Program | ||||||||
| Placement Examinations for students to test their skills in English and Mathematics | July 12th | *examination results that will determine the students’ status in the subject | *variations in examination results | -Y.W.C.A -Printing enterprises | 30 $ | -Project Evaluation officer -Student progress officer | ||
| Students will be identified as Advanced, Medium or Lower according to the examinations | July 13th | *Classifying students based on their level of knowledge on the subjects | *the performance of students after classification | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | -------- | -Vice project Manager -Project Evaluation officer -Student progress officer | ||
| Volunteers will be assigned to students | July 14th | *volunteers will work with students according to their level of understanding | *The number of students that show similar stages of progress | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | -------- | -Vice project Manager -Project Evaluation officer -Student progress officer -Credit hour officer | ||
| Teaching Materials, exercise books and student lists will be prepared | July 15th – July 17th | *volunteers will use the tutoring materials to aid them | *The ease for the students to understand the lesson content more clearly | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | $25 | -Project Manager -Vice Project Manager -Finance Dept | ||
| July 18th | Classes are officially open | |||||||
| July 18th- August 18th | Summer Classes will be conducted | |||||||
| Leaving examination for students | August 18th | *The project went well in delivering it’s objectives and goals | *The performance of students in their leaving examinations | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles -Printing enterprises | 30 $ | -Project Evaluation officer -Student progress officer | ||
| Closing Ceremony for students | August 19th | -------- | --------- | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles -Bole public school | $55 | -Project Manager -Sponsors -Staff | ||
| Volunteer-Assessment program | August 22 | *Volunteers will be assessed on level of Activism & Tardiness *Credit hours for volunteers will be Assessed Accordingly | *The number of volunteers that pass the minimum credit hour *The total number of credit hour collected | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles | ------- | -Vice project Manager -Project Evaluation officer -Student progress officer -Credit hour officer | ||
| Letter of Appreciation for volunteers | August 25th – 26th | -------- | -------- | -Y.W.C.A -Aid for smiles -Printing enterprises | $ 55 | Project Manager | ||
| ****All dates are in 2011 | ||||||||
Community participation and collaboration:
The community can be involved in this project by motivating their children go to the tutoring program, by monitoring the children to do their home works, and by not putting pressure on the children to do excessive housework, that might interfere with their education. The community can further participate on the project by their cooperation to be interviewed by the community relations supervisor on issues concerning their children’s education, and how much attention they pay to it.
Innovation:
This project differs from other projects in a sense that it is focused on the problems that contribute for un- success of students on pursuing their education particularly in public schools. It focuses on public school students from grades (1-4), the purpose of targeting students from these grades, is because the I believe that this is the age where students need attention in learning these subjects. More over, this is the time period in the students lives when they are not stressed with any school work and therefore are highly receptive. The project therefore will provide a base for learning so the students can proceed to higher education.
This particular project is innovative and unique in it’s implementation, because it provides a unique teaching learning system by using the 5 to 1 method (1 teacher teaches 5 students), it increases the level of impact the project has on its students.
Project Outcome:
*Students have gained better understanding in English and Mathematics subjects
*Students doing better in class room quizzes and tests
*Uncovering problems that cause un-success in education
*Trained volunteers that can teach students ( they can be used for implementation of similar projects)
*Inspiring, and empowering the youth to create change in their community
Project Sustainability:
This project is the first to be implemented in this community; if this project succeeds it will be a pioneer that engaged the youth in something that changed their community. The project is designed in a way that it can be implemented reputedly. Since the target beneficiaries are students the project can be carried out in public schools over Saturdays or in summer time. The main aim of the project is to help as many students as it can, and if this project succeeds, there will be more volunteers and more students that would have an interested to be involved in it. That will create a chain that will create a support system between the community and the students. Therefore the project will be sustained, as the major resources it needs are volunteers.
Partnership/Stakeholders:
This project would appreciate the support of sponsors, to help in both technical and economic support. The support can be in any kind of goods (pens, pencils, notepad, teaching materials). The project can make use of other resources such as free printing service, and reduced prices on other services. Recognition of the project by other organizations to would be a good experience sharing platform to share and exchange ideas on the project, and the implementation of other projects as well.
Communication and Sharing:
The project outcome will be put in a report form after the students have taken leaving examinations, i.e. at the end of the summer tutoring program. The outcome will be shared with sponsors, the community, the public school that the project was targeting. To prevent duplication of efforts by others, the project report will be submitted to only key personnel that helped in the project.
| Project Management Structure | ||
| Project Manager (PM) | runs the project, chairman of team/staff meeting, makes final decisions on critical situations | |
| Vice Project Manager ( V PM) | Assists the project manager, monitors staff members, monitors the participation of volunteers along with the project Evaluation Supervisor, sees over the finance dept. and reports the status of the project to the project manager | |
| Secretary | holds minutes in team meetings, collects weekly reports on team meetings, goes through each report individually with the project manager, and files each report to organize a final project report | |
| Project Evaluation Supervisor (PES) | Monitors the Credit Hour officer, the student progress officer, and collecting daily reports and findings to present on the weekly meeting. The PES is responsible to determine if the project is on the right track to achieve it’s set out goals, and objectives. | |
| **** | Credit Hour Officer (CHO) | takes care of monitoring the check ‘in’ and check ‘out’ hours of volunteers, and check the participation of volunteers |
| **** | Student Progress Officer (SPE) | Daily monitors what students learn, their performance in classroom quizzes and tests. The SPO is also responsible for interviewing the students about any problems they encountered and present findings to the project evaluation. |
| Public Relations Officer (PBO) | Responsible for publicity and promotional advertising of the project, and to attend any meetings with parents, public school administration and the media. The PRO is also responsible for looking over the vice public relations officer and community relations supervisor and present any findings to weekly staff meetings | |
| **** | Vice public relations officer (V PBO) | Assists the PBO, works with parents, and the public school administration to gather data about what problems students face in their households, in school, and in their surroundings. |
| **** | Community relations supervisor (CRS) | Meets with community members, to spread the word about the project and interviews parents and community members about the implementation of the project and their views on it. The CRS is responsible for conducting a study about the communities’ view when it comes to Education. |
| Finance Officer | Manages finances, checks price ranges of goods planned to be purchased, and reflects them with the budget allocated to it, makes weekly reports about future expenditures and saves. | |
| **** | Budget Manager and Reporter | assists the Finance officer, Manages Cashbook ledger, reports about remaining budget, and records any plans for purchasing new goods |
| ****represents that staff members report to the person above them. | ||
Mobilizing support:
To gain local support for the project, I will spread the word by campaigning in the community; I will try to convince youth groups to come help. Seeing that is the first ever youth led project targeting education. I will use every opportunity I find to talk to community leaders informing them about the project. They will have to see that this project focuses on curbing our community’s problem. They will have to come to charity events, and assist us in any way they can. I will have to make them see that this project is the community’s project, and being part of the community they should do all they can to help.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
For evaluating my project I have allocated a Project evaluation unit that will be responsible for carrying out observations, and report their findings on our weekly staff meeting. After a series of reports have been collected weekly, the project evaluation report will be finally organized and reported to sponsors or to the community center.
Objective 1: Estimated amount of 100 students have gained fundamental skills in English and Mathematics, enabling them to proceed to their future studies with more understanding.
Indicators of achievement:
*The number of students who do well in classroom quizzes and examinations, in the tutoring program
*The number of students who show progress in their studies and academic records, as a result of the tutoring program.
Means of verification:
* Testing students regularly in class room quizzes and tests.
*Monitoring the students participation in the classroom, and class works
*By comparing and contrasting the students’ placement examinations and leaving examinations
Objective 2: After the lessons students have better understanding of the medium of Education (i.e. Maths and English) and are doing better in their Classroom performances.
Indicators of achievement:
*Examination results from schools after the tutoring programs
*Students who were involved in the tutoring program passing with better grades than before
Means of verification:
*The student’s progress after they left the tutoring program
*Individual interviews, and testimonies on how the project has impacted them
*Interviewing teachers about the difference they witnessed in their student’s performance
Challenges:
The major challenges that this project has to tackle in order to become a success are the following:
1. Lack of enthusiasm and dedication of staff members to do the planned out tasks efficiently on time
2. Uncontrolled tardiness, and late coming from volunteers and students
3. Lack of cooperation from the community to send their children to the program regularly (putting pressure on them to do house work in the summer)
4. Inefficient and careless work in teaching the students from the volunteers
Over coming Challenges:
In order to tackle these challenges, I’ll need to create a system that can control the volunteers’ and the staff’s performance in the project. The first step I’m going to take is fully supervising the credit hour system, which marks the “check in” and “check out” hours of everybody on the project. The credit hour system will be discussed on our weekly staff meetings ( which we will have 4 times on the project). The credit hour system will be part of the rules and regulations of the project (which will apply to everybody). The credit hour officer will report daily to the Project evaluation supervisor. The project evaluation officer will report on the weekly staff meeting, and also per request to the project Manager. This way I can control the people that control the project by monitoring the people who are in charge.
The rules and regulations of the project will be given at the beginning of the project, and it will contain all the penalties that will follow at the dismissal of any rule, by the volunteers. The volunteers are now aware of the consequences of their actions, and will hopefully reframe from any wrong doing.
Financial Management Principles:
The financial management principles of the project will have been planned before the beginning of the project. The main principles in managing our resources are to first discuss them on team meetings, then act on them accordingly. The finance dept will be chiefly responsible for updating budget status and recording expenditures. Additional goods that might benefit the project will be purchased based on our project budget and after the idea has been decided on by the staff. This way everyone is up to date with our financial management status. The staff is further welcome to propose new ideas that we might use to implement on our project.
Fundraising:
To raise the required fund, I will have to contact Y.W.C.A for partnership in starting the project, and use the networks of Y.W.C.A to reach other organizations that might support the project. The project cost will be estimated after what is needed for the project is analyzed and the price ranges of the needed goods is assessed. The project mainly needs learning and teaching tools like chalks, Duster, pens, pencils, ex.books, pads, money for buying refreshments for orientation programs…etc
Budget Breakdown:
Project Budget Project Activity Unit/Quantity Unit cost in Birr (Ethiopian currency) Unit cost in USA $ Total in Birr Total in USA $ Buying refreshments for orientation program 15 5 Birr in cents 75 Birr $6 Flyers and postings for campaign 30 5 Birr in cents 150 Birr $11 Small notebooks for volunteer training program 25 7 Birr in cents 175 Birr $12 Buying refreshments for volunteers in the training program 25 5 Birr in cents 125 Birr $10 Making name tags 100 4 Birr in cents 400 Birr $30 Subtotal --- ---- ----- ---- $ 69.00 Printing money for examination paper 100 4 Birr in cents 400 Birr $ 30 Teaching Materials(i.e. Books) 20 15 Birr $ 1 300 Birr $25 Exersice books 300 (3 per student) 6 Birr in cents 1800 Birr $125 Pens 125 (25 reserve) 3 Birr in cents 375 Birr $25 pencils 125 (25 reserve) 2 Birr in cents 250 Birr $20 Erasers and Sharpeners 110 (10 reserve) 5 Birr in cents 550 Birr $40 Red PENS 30 (1O Reserve) 3 Birr In cents 90 Birr $ 7 Note pads for staff 10 15 Birr 1 dollar 150 Birr S11 Cash book ledger 1 40 Birr $3 40 Birr $3 Document filer 1 40 Birr $3 40 Birr $3 Minute holding notepad 1 4o Birr $3 40 Birr $3 Higher case notepads 2 30 Birr $2.50 60 Birr $5 Print for leaving examination paper 100 4 Birr in cents 400 Birr $3 Closing ceremony refreshments 150 5 birr in cents 750 Birr $55 Print for Certificates 30 25 Birr 1.75 $ 750 Birr $55 Grand Total -------------- ------------- ----------- ----------- $410.00 *****All prices are estimate value, could subject to change with currency and market ratting
