AUC lead conference to pilot educational reform projects in public schools

At their eight annual conference, students at the Leadership for Education and Development Program (LEAD) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) staged a national competition, uniting students from universities across Egypt in a contest to generate innovations in primary public education. “What is different about this year’s conference is that we opened the door for students in all Egyptian universities, not just LEAD students,” said Rania Mamdouh, chair of this year’s LEAD conference and a business administration senior.

Participants were divided into eight teams that brainstormed plans and tools with the potential to elevate education in Egypt’s public schools. The teams presented their plans to a judging panel that included Karim El Mehairy, the founder of Mirqah; Sherif Abdel Razek, business development manager at Nile IT; and Samiha Peterson, dean of AUC’s Graduate School of Education, as well as a 600-member audience of teachers, principals and aspiring educators who were convened earlier in the day for a public forum on Egyptian education.

The judges’ panel and audience selected two winning projects.  The first, which targets approximately 200 students and 50 teachers, was created to educate and reorient students to cope with the latest developments in education and to develop their productive capabilities. It also works on integrating hands-on activities to improve their understanding of the curriculum. “The main strength of our plan is that it relies on existing resources, and that it is a low-cost plan,” explained Amr Hany, a medical student at Ain Shams University who was motivated to take part because he felt it would enable him to solve problems that he had faced as a young student. Instead of introducing new activities with additional costs, the plan capitalizes on the assets and infrastructure available at schools, including rooms, equipment and green areas. “We want students to truly enjoy extracurricular classes and activities, such as playing music and gardening,” he said

As part of its plan, the team produced a book titled Waleed Mesh Baleed (Capable Not Stupid), a story that encourages students to adopt a more positive relationship with their teachers and parents. “We are primarily focused on first graders because the younger the children are, the more receptive they will be,” explained Marwa Abdel Aal, a veterinary medicine student at Cairo University.

The second winning project proposes contests between teachers to encourage them to think creatively about the way students learn and achieve. “Our plan suggests training teachers in six different areas, including developmental psychology, the theory of multiple intelligences and communication skills,” said Mai Ahmed, a graduate student at the Institute of Childhood Studies, Ain Shams University. “It is a realistic, scientific plan.”

The plan proposes that summer training for teachers who will then be encouraged to come up with creative teaching methods they can implement during the academic year. “All ideas will be uploaded to a website, and a team of education experts will choose three of them to win awards at the end-of-year competition,” explained Ahmed. The project also involves creating a channel of communication between teachers and parents through regular reports.

The two winning projects will be piloted by schools in different governorates. Implementation teams will receive a two-month capacity-building training program that utilizes partnership and networking opportunities with various educational institutions to execute plans successfully. By June 30, the two teams will begin to implement their projects in five schools: one in Cairo, one in Giza, and three in Gharbiyya. Over time, the program will be rolled out across 10 new schools.

Participants in the contest were offered training courses on a variety of topics, including market assessment and research, teamwork, capacity building, teaching methods, negotiation skills, creativity and project planning. “The training we offered to participants helped them understand how to turn their ideas and dreams into reality. They learned to think in more realistic terms,” noted Mamdouh.

For the students, the conference was a valuable learning opportunity. “Participating in the conference was a very enriching experience that helped us think outside the box,” said Hany

The Leadership for Education and Development (LEAD) program is a joint collaboration between the United States Agency for International Development, the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation and AUC.