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Report on meetings with
LEAP Board Members in Liberia
October 12—November 12, 2005
by Jim Bowman and Frank Ardaiolo, FOL Board Members
Two FOL board members, Jim
Bowman and Frank Ardaiolo, participated as international
election observers under the auspices of the Liberian Council
of Churches for Liberia’s October election and the November
runoff. In the days following the October election and the
November runoff Jim and Frank met with individual board
members and with the entire board of Liberian Educators for
Action and Peace (LEAP), a registered Liberian NGO, that has
emerged out of FOL’s teacher-training program called Liberian
Education Assistance Program. Both projects have the same
acronym, LEAP.
In addition to providing
training for individual board members on strategic planning,
data documentation for evaluative purposes, and record
keeping, there was opportunity to meet with the entire board
to assist it in developing both broad and specific goals for
the future.
A major long-term goal they
all supported was to conduct teacher training workshops in all
15 Liberian counties (the board members currently represent 5
counties). A second long-term goal was to establish
skill-training centers in all 15 counties.
The board also spent time
planning two teacher-training workshops by an all-Liberian
staff that was certified as trainers in previous LEAP
workshops. The first one was held in Grand Bassa this
November. These county workshops were in response to the FOL
board’s approval of a $10,000 grant submitted in September
2005 for LEAP training workshops.
The LEAP Board of Directors has identified several specific
needs, including:
1.
Secure office space for the organization in Monrovia. The
office space should be low cost, secure and accessible to
board members. Board members feel this will also give them
credibility with the national and international educational
community.
2.
Fund the costs associated with bringing the board members
together for regular board meetings. Board members should not
be expected to pay for this out of their own pockets. Are
there more creative low-cost ways that decisions can be made
between board meetings?
3.
Find additional sources for training in grant-writing and how
to make contact with potential donors, especially
international agencies now in Monrovia.
4.
Expand board membership to include some new key players on the
board that will bring more visibility and more national
credibility to the organization.
5.
Develop a plan to meet with key personnel in the new
administration, especially in the office of the Minister of
Education.
An idea discussed with LEAP
leadership and with some University of Liberia personnel and
FOL board members is the possibility of teaming LEAP-trained
teachers, expert in adapting to local conditions, with UL
education faculty who will be teaching theory in the classroom
and the possible use of LEAP schools as laboratory schools for
teachers in training.
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