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‘What Meadow Hall Foundation’s education convention is about’

By Uju Atuenyi
20 April 2017   |   3:38 am
Meadow Hall Foundation founded in May, 2009, is the non-profit arm of Meadow Hall Group, which supports communities, public schools, pupils and teachers through various developmental initiatives and programmes.

Mrs. Oluwakemi Adewoye, Head of Meadow Hall Foundation

Mrs. Oluwakemi Adewoye, Head of Meadow Hall Foundation spoke with Uju Atuenyi on education convention

Please tell us about yourself.
I am Oluwakemi Adewoye, head of Meadow Hall Foundation (MHF). My background is in education as well as social sector management. I have worked in the public and private sectors of the education systems in the United States and Nigeria. I strongly believe in empowering teachers and bridging the gap between privileged and underprivileged students through impactful and sustainable initiatives towards societal development.

What motivated Meadow Hall Group to establish Meadow Hall Foundation?
Touching the hearts of children is fundamental to raising children who desire to impact their generation positively. Consequently, Meadow Hall Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meadow Hall Group, was borne out of a need to improve the educational outcomes of the Nigerian child, so that ultimately each child will achieve his or her highest potential.

What is Meadow Hall Foundation all about?
Meadow Hall Foundation founded in May, 2009, is the non-profit arm of Meadow Hall Group, which supports communities, public schools, pupils and teachers through various developmental initiatives and programmes. The objectives of the Foundation are to give hope for a better future to orphans, provide quality education to the less privileged children, raise a generation of children with the desire to impact the society positively and mentor less privileged children, thereby creating opportunities to be able to compete favourably with their peers.

Our vision is to advance the educational outcome of the Nigerian Child by enhancing teaching quality. Our mission is to equip Nigerian students for the 21st century by enhancing teaching quality, changing mindsets about teaching and advocating for the teaching profession. We partner with individuals, public and private organisations to implement sustainable initiatives that support students, teachers, schools, and communities. Our holistic focus is to use education as a tool for societal transformation.

What informed the decision to host the education convention?
Our mission is to equip Nigerian students for the 21st century by enhancing teaching quality, changing mindsets, and advocating for the teaching profession. This convention brings education to the fore as a tool for societal development and will help fulfil part of Meadow Hall Foundation’s vision and objectives.

What is Meadow Hall Foundation’s Education Convention about?
Meadow Hall Foundation’s (MHF) Education Convention is an event aimed at bringing education stakeholders together to discuss and learn ways to advance our society through education. The theme for the convention is Transforming our Society through Education. The Education Convention comprises of the following:
Day 1: Education Conference holding on Thursday, 20th April 2017 at City Hall, Lagos Island.

MHF’s Education Conference provides an opportunity for teachers, school leaders, school owners, parents, community members and leaders as well as government and policy-makers to gain fresh perspectives on pertinent educational issues from their interactions with Nigerian teachers and educational experts. Teachers, head teachers, school leaders, school owners, parents and community members, as well as, government officials and policy-makers are expected to attend this event.

Day 2: Mentor-mentee Event for Educators holding on Friday 21st April 2017 at Meadow Hall, Lekki, Lagos. The Mentor-mentee event is an opportunity for renowned educational leaders to impact the practices and lives of school owners, school leaders and teachers. Teachers, head teachers, school leaders and school owners are expected to attend this event.

What do you hope to achieve from the education convention?
The objectives of the education convention include encouraging the development of professional excellence and dedicated service of educators from the public and private sectors, as well as, equipping educational stakeholders to use education as a tool for societal transformation.

The education convention will provide networking opportunities for all participants to interact with educational experts, professional development (21st Century skills) for educators and personal development for parents to learn how to complement teachers’ efforts towards inspiring creativity in their children, as well as, discussions and direct feedback on educational issues. All stakeholders will learn how to help children achieve their highest potential towards societal development.

Who should attend the education convention and what are the benefits of attending the education convention?
Teachers, head teachers, school leaders, school owners, parents and community members, as well as, government officials and policy-makers should attend. The education convention will provide the following opportunities to participants: networking opportunities for all participants to interact with educational experts, professional development (21st Century skills) for educators, personal development for parents to learn how to complement teachers’ efforts towards inspiring creativity in their children, as well as, discussions and direct feedback on educational issues. All stakeholders will learn how to help children achieve their highest potential towards societal development.

Who are the keynote speakers for the education convention?
Keynote speakers include Dr. Oby Ezekwesili (Former Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Vice President of the World Bank), Mr. Fela Durotoye (CEO Gemstone Group), Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh (Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education) and Mrs. Kehinde Nwani (CEO, Meadow Hall Group).

How can I register for the education convention?
To register, please visit http://meadowhallfoundation.org/education-convention/

Is there a registration fee to attend the education convention? If yes, how can I pay?
The registration fee is ₦5000 and this amount can be paid into Meadow Hall Foundation’s account after registering on our website.

How can I get update with respect to the education convention and other initiatives of Meadow Hall Foundation?
Kindly register for the education convention to gain fresh perspectives on pertinent educational issues from educational experts and learn how to use education as a tool for societal development. You can also visit our website www.meadowhallfoundation.org or follow us on our social media handles; https://www.facebook.com/MeadowHallFoundation/ and https://twitter.com/MHallFdn

Considering the expected large number of participants for the education convention, are there opportunities for corporate sponsorship to exhibit their product at the venue?
Corporate sponsorship opportunities exist for corporate sponsors to exhibit their products and engage participants during break session at the venue. This year, our corporate sponsors include Fidelity Bank Plc, Chams Plc., Smart City and First Bank Plc. BusinessDay, The Guardian and Edusko Africa were our key media partners for this year convention. Interested sponsors/partners for our 2018 education convention can contact us.

What initiatives have Meadow Hall Foundation created to help engage Nigerian youths positively and transform our society through education?
Our major initiatives, currently, include:
The Graduate Teacher Trainee Programme (GTTP) — a 3 month teacher training and development initiative aimed at young graduates who are passionate about the teaching profession regardless of their first academic discipline. GTTP, which started in 2013 with 30 participants, has produced over 100 professional teachers who are presently working in various schools. These trainees are also attached to Ilasan Primary School, Off Lekki-Epe Express way, Jakande, Lagos for some weeks during their training to contribute in impacting student learning and teaching quality at the school. The GTTP’s absorption rate into the education sector is over 90%.

The Free Teacher Professional Development Programme — an annual training programme organised for teachers of public and low-cost private schools. This programme is aimed at improving 21st century teaching skills.

The School Adoption Programme — an initiative focused on improving the quality of education in neighborhood public schools by providing educational support to public school teachers and students. The pilot school under our School Adoption Programme is Ilasan Primary School. We have implemented various developmental initiatives at the school including free teacher training and donation of teaching and learning aids, as well as the building of a fence to secure the teaching and learning environment.
The Leadership Programme — a collaborative initiative of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation and Meadow Hall Foundation, is aimed at building a pipeline of ready leaders to take up leadership positions in the future and has its core values built around Excellence, Integrity, Empathy, Transformation and Godliness.

The Mentoring Programme — a programme which aims to prepare people to achieve their highest potential; it comprises of conferences and mentoring sessions (educators and children) and counseling (children).

The Education Convention — provides an opportunity for teachers, school owners, parents, educators, government officials and policy makers to gain fresh perspectives on pertinent educational issues from their interactions with Nigerian teachers and educational experts. The convention comprises of an Education Conference and a Mentor-mentee Event where new mentees meet their mentors for the first time.
Kindly update us on other programmes/initiatives of Meadow Hall Foundation that are scheduled for 2017. E.g. INSEA, Teachers Resources Centres

Upcoming initiatives include:
The Inspirational Educator Awards (INSEA) — which is aimed at elevating the teaching profession and motivating teachers and educational leaders to continue to strive for excellence in their profession. The inspirational teacher of the year will receive a cash award of ₦1,000,000.00 and the inspirational head-teacher of the year will receive a cash award of ₦2, 000,000 for their passion and innovation. Participation is open to teachers and head teachers in both public and private schools in Lagos state. The process has commenced and winners will emerge very soon. For more information and update on the inspirational educator awards, kindly visit www.inseawards.org.

The Teachers Resource Centres – an initiative aimed at positively impacting the educational outcomes of educators in poor communities through professional development workshops and access to 21st Century educational materials.

What is your outlook for Meadow Hall Foundation in 2018?
In 2018, we hope to continue our focus on advancing teaching quality by providing training and mentoring opportunities for teachers through our education conferences, mentoring programmes and teacher resource centres. We, also, hope to continue to empower and motivate teachers through our Inspirational Educator Awards which will be open to all Nigerian teachers and head teachers from next year. Our overall view is to continue to encourage teachers to develop professionally because children might not attain their full potential without good education and good educators. Therefore, we must continue to advocate for continuous training of teachers on the use 21st century learning and teaching methodologies.

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