The purposes of the Society include:

– to advance education in developing countries by providing programs and resources that improve the standard and delivery of education;

Activities in Support of Purpose:  Teachers in Uganda follow the British education system. Although the content is well understood it is delivered using basic supplies like a chalk board. It will be possible for volunteers to work with these instructors to develop different methods of presenting the information such as small group work, hands-on activities and current B.C. educational practices (Reading Power, 6+1 Writing, Daily 5, etc.), thus engaging students in a different way. Ugandan and Canadian teachers are partnered based on the grades and subjects taught and together, based on the needs identified by the Ugandan teachers and Administrators, develop methods to deliver the curriculum that are more engaging and hands-on while respecting the limits within the Ugandan system such as a lack of books and other materials that Canadian schools have. Canadian teachers model various teaching strategies considered to be best practice in Canada and provide resources that are non-finite, such as Science equipment needed for Science classes, to be reused in future years. Teachers are encouraged to maintain contact via email.

– to advance education by providing student scholarships and financial aid to needy youth;

Activities in Support of Purpose:  Primary education is free in Uganda however there are many costs involved including supplies, uniforms, and food. Parents are often unable to cover these costs and for individuals running orphanages that house up to 100 children, these required costs are impossible to meet.

Secondary education is also free in government schools and in some private schools but these schools are not always accredited and therefore cannot invigilate graduation exams. Students who attend these schools must still pay for their uniforms, school supplies and lunch programs. When they have completed S6 (grade 12), they have finished their secondary education but they cannot sit the required exams to be able to further their education at college or university.

ISEE Solutions Society will offer funding to needy students so that they may attend accredited secondary schools or post-secondary educational institutions. A prospective recipient’s attitude and motivation to obtain schooling and their financial need will be factors taken into consideration. Decisions will be made by the Directors, who will scale any assistance in this regard to amount of funds available in order to assess where their funding can be the most impactful. The required funds will be transferred directly to the school based on the fee schedule as outlined by the bursar of the school.

– to advance education in developing nations by providing leadership training and professional development  programs and workshops;

Activities in Support of Purpose:

Professional Development Workshops (PDW)

Many people express to us that they “want to help” but don’t really know how they can. In the past Canadian and Ugandan teachers have been brought together in order to facilitate professional dialogue and development. While this was and is a valuable process, it is specific and limited to accredited members of that profession.  ISEE’s mandate includes professional development training and our vision is that this will be an inclusive, non-limited process that will match Canadian volunteers with any teachable, employment-relevant skill set to Ugandan learners and/or peers.

While specific training and accreditation is available to Ugandans in their own country, the programs offered are frequently very expensive and thus unattainable for many. Some skill sets are taught in an entirely theoretical fashion and would benefit from an inoculation of practical experience from a Canadian peer. Finally, materials, texts and/or documentation for some highly technical skills such as computer programming are simply not readily available in the country.