Learning Companion: a student to student model
Learning Companion offers schoolchildren the opportunity to interact with university students who serve as role models and mentors.
About You
About You
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Lifting the Barriers(LIBA)
Organization Website
Organization Country
Kenya, CO, Mkoroshoni town
Country where this project is creating social impact
Kenya, CO, Kilifi
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
After-School Provider, Coach, Counselor.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Other
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
There is poor educational standard in Kilifi. This is manifest by the fact that the number of primary school students continuing their studies in secondary school is low. Furthermore, the number of secondary school students continuing their studies at a tertiary institution is even lower. A strong contributing factor and problem is a lack of role models for Kilifi school children who can inspire the schoolchildren see the value of education. Furthermore, the traditional blackboard teaching method emphasizes passing an exam, but neglects critical thinking and the need for Kilifi schoolchildren to learn about the tools required in everyday life.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The solution is providing a platform for the schoolchildren in Kilifi to interact with Pwani university student, an institution that is based in Kilifi. The platform will consist of organising activities (sports, theater, camping, music, community service, debates, intergenerational dialogues, conferences and 1-1 sessions) that will take place twice a month. During these activities, schoolchildren will interact with the university students, allowing the schoolchildren direct contact with someone to look up to. During these sessions, the schoolchildren will be exposed to critical thinking and life tools that will be learned through relating and interacting with their university counterparts through sharing their unique experiences, problem solving abilities as well as success stories. This interaction also gives the university students an opportunity to serve the disadvantaged and help them grow.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Mwanaisha is a primary school student in Kilifi struggling to stay in school. She is under pressure from her parents, peers and culture. Furthermore, she is struggling with science but needs to get a score of 350/500 on her final exam to go to secondary school. However, Mwanaisha lacks a role model to show her the importance of going to and staying in secondary school in spite of the pressure. Furthermore, Mwanaisha lacks a role model from a similar background to show her that it is possible for a girl like her to be successful in school.
The learning Companion program offers Mwanaisha the possibility of coming into contact with a Pwani university student (Amina) who can be the role model that she lacks. Before coming into contact with Amina, Mwanaisha would not see the importance of school let alone think that she could be successful in academics. While interacting with Amina, Mwanaisha will see an academically successful version of herself. Amina will be able to support and help Mwanaisha, not just through example, but also with specific problems that they can talk about.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
In the Kilifi area there are three other mentorship programs that do however differ substantially from Learning companion programme.
1. MAADHO.
Difference: uses professionals to mentor schoolchildren with contact once a year
2. Plan international
Difference: hosts conferences outside of the schoolchildren’s surrounding
3. KESHO
Difference: Offers scholarships once a year
These players are seen more as projects to learn from or future partners. LIBA has decided to use students rather than professionals, keep the schoolchildren in their own environment and have frequent contact with the schoolchildren. As such, the other players are not seen as competitors.
Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Learning Companion offers schoolchildren the opportunity to interact with university students who serve as role models and mentors.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The schoolchildren are mentored on a frequent basis within their own surrounding by students that understand their perspective.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Learning Companion has so far reached 150 primary and 30 secondary school students aged 10-20 through face to face interaction with 25 Pwani University students. As result of this interaction, many students want to be in the program. LIBA and Pwani University have received five invitations from three primary and two secondary schools to reach out to them. One notable change is the students have begun looking at the inequalities in their community and want to support the disadvantaged in their community. 30 school children from three schools have came together to start “Reach Out Clubs” and have lined up pre-launch activities which include visiting two orphanages to play and encourage the children as they all share their stories and their backgrounds.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Our projected impact will be to reach 500 schoolchildren per year while involving 100 university students per year. Since the goal of the program is to maintain consistency, this would mean that in three years the program would compose of 1500 schoolchildren and 300 university students. To achieve this impact, we would have to expand the number of schools involved in the project. The schoolchildren involved in the program are expected to achieve higher tests results and drop out of school less than without the program. Furthermore, the schoolchildren are expected to have gained a different, more positive, perspective on education.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
50 university students as role models and mentors in a program to increase critical reasoning amongst 250 schoolchildren.
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Obtain permission from the Ministry of education, schools administrators, parents and the schoolchildren to involve them.
Task 2
Identify, recruit and train university students who are willing to organize and execute the program.
Task 3
To organize, fund, continuously improve and execute activities to facilitate contact between the schoolchildren and the students
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
100 university students as role models and mentors to increase critical reasoning and test scores of 500 schoolchildren.
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Obtain permission from the schools and the schoolchildren to involve them with the project using a created mentorship manual.
Task 2
Use existing involved university students to recruit more willing students to allow the program to grow.
Task 3
To organize, fund and execute activities while diversifying activities to keep the program interesting and challenging.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
LIBA came into contact with various mentorship programs that aimed at helping the schoolchildren in Kilifi. Despite their good intentions we perceived these mentorship programs to have several limitations. There is a wide gap between professionals and schoolchildren, contact is often limited and schoolchildren are taken outside of their regular environment. We felt that Pwani university students are much closer to the schoolchildren. The students are still studying and come from a background similar to schoolchildren in Kilifi. When LIBA approached the university students they seemed eager to collaborate in a mentorship program where they would work with schoolchildren frequently in their own environment. The goal of the initiative is to inspire the schoolchildren and convince them that they can also become university students.
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
-Pwani university.
students are recruited who then serve as mentors to the schoolchildren and help organize the events.
-Participating schools
Secondary schools : Kilifi township, St.Thomas, Fumbuni
Primary schools: Mtondia, Kibaoni.
-other NGO’s
Finally there are partnerships with existing organizations who can help us fund and organize the activities. We have received support from Plan International who sponsored lunch during the first event.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
Three staff members from LIBA will organize and monitor the project. The university student council (7 students) will help organize activities. A group of 50 students from the university will mentor the children by participating in the activities and peer education. Finally, there is a neutral observer (ex-volunteer from LIBA from the Netherlands) who checks up on the progress of the project twice a month to ensure the milestone is reached.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
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 | 7 weeks agoJan-Joost van den Bogert updated this Competition Entry. |
| 7 weeks agoJan-Joost van den Bogert updated this Competition Entry. |
| 9 weeks agoRichard Majors said: I really liked your Role Modelling program that focussed on life/critical thinking skills. I am a big fan of Role modelling/Mentor ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 13 weeks agoJan-Joost van den Bogert updated this Competition Entry. |
| 13 weeks agoJan-Joost van den Bogert submitted this idea. |
