– LRTT partners with Nations to deliver programme

SEVENTY-ONE teachers from various communities across Region One (Barima-Waini) were taught to be fun, interactive and even efficient with limited resource.

Teachers were tutored during a recent four-day training programme which was held in Mabaruma and facilitated by members of the Limited Resource Teacher Training (LRTT.
The local teachers had the opportunity to interact with and be trained by the group members, which included 23 teachers from the United States of America (USA).
Founded in 2012, LRTT is a social enterprise that improves the skills of teachers and rejuvenates teaching communities around the world.

In 2012, the group conducted a teacher training for 26 Ugandan teachers and realised that they were doing something no one else was doing.

As a result, the group developed a partnership model for teacher development and began working in Tanzania, Nepal, India, Guyana and other countries.

By 2015 LRTT had trained over 3,000 teachers across nine countries around the world and were beginning to see the impact of their programme.

“Today, Fellows from around the world join our team and become educational mentors to teachers in limited resource contexts,” said LRTT on its website.
One of leaders of the delegation that came to Guyana, Lexa Hernandez, said this is the group’s fourth trip to Guyana but that the batch comprised a fresh delegation of teachers who have never visited Guyana.

The teachers had to operate outside of their comfort zone in order to change the mindset of the local teachers.

“We had to change it to think how we would support the teachers… it takes just mind, knowledge and strategies to teach the teachers in a fun and engaging way without resources,” said one member of the LRTT.
The group observed that some of the struggles faced in the local education sector are similar to those faced in the USA, hence the group was able to relate with the Guyanese teachers.

Director of Nations Incorporated, Dr. Brian O’Toole said that the group is unique and could indeed support the local teachers.

He said that Nations has partnered with LRTT to teach the Certificate in Education Leadership- a Cambridge University programme which the local institution offers.
“Instead of coming once they will come twice a year to be part of the training and so forth; part of the workshop in Mabaruma actually focused on the educational leadership programme,” said O’Toole.