Raphael Oko (Nigeria ) has enabled thousands of teachers to access professional development programs; provided access to computers for the disabled; established Teaching and Learning Centers; opened a school in a displaced persons’ camp; created peace curriculum materials, and conducted HIV-AIDS courses. Raphael is noteworthy dedicated teacher with Teachers Without Borders. His newest projects, the Millennium Development Ambassadors Program (teaching leaders about the Millennium Development Goals) and the training of National Youth Service Corps members (new graduates of Nigeria’s universities) have the potential of large-scale educational transformation. I am changemaker who believes in beginning the change I want from myself. I am a changemaker, changekeeper and a changebuilder
I feel a fondness or deep connection to the education sector, where all people without exception learn about the world and how to live peacefully with others
I want to bring about fundamental changes in the education sector since education is the bedrock of societal transformation and this is where my heart lies. I want to see changes in the way we educate and the content as well as administrative structure for educational institutions. A change in the way teachers teach and how learners learn in the 21st century and how both the teachers and learners use the knowledge they have acquired.
Raphael Ogar Oko graduated in 1990 from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria where he obtained a B.Ed degree in Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology/Mathematics. Upon completion of his B.Ed degree, he was awarded the 1990 Best Graduating Student Award from his department. Following his bachelor’s degree, Raphael took graduate courses at the University of Port Harcourt from the Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology Department as well as from the Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Department.
Pursuing his call as a teacher, Raphael taught mathematics at the high school level. He also completed the Nigeria National Youth Service Corps program, where he taught at the Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria and was later employed as a graduate assistant with the University of Port Harcourt. Raphael’s passion for “education without borders” led him to receive several post-graduate education trainings with nonprofits in character and peace education, family life education, and educational reform strategies. Raphael is also the recipient of the Ambassador for Peace Award given out by the Universal Peace Federation in Nigeria which honored him for his unrelenting efforts to strengthen the education system in his country. Raphael is personally devoted to the Teachers Without Borders vision of addressing the many challenges facing humanity by building the capacity of teachers and thus nurturing them to make the changes needed in their communities to ensure a better future for the world. Raphael is not only an online teacher, but an onsite, on air and on-the-road teacher as he has developed educational programs available online, offered in several onsite forums as well as on a weekly radio show, the Voice of Teachers reaching over 5 million listeners a week and on the road teaching wherever a community of people gather.
