Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation

1. Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation commits to solving a perennial Nigerian disadvantage for females in education. The traditional structure favors educating male children.  Girls and young women significantly lag behind in formal education.  This results in lack of knowledge and leadership skills for self-development of girls and women.

2. Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation is a non-profit organization which builds quality girls' schools in local communities providing diverse educational environments and opportunities that build leadership capacity for self-management and socio-economic development within Nigerian communities.

3. Our vision provides education to female youth in their homeland equipping them with skills to remain and build their communities and country.  Migration is a global issue causing human drain where stability, particularly in developing countries, is most needed. Our approach aims to provide a program of studies resulting in strong female leaders prepared to alleviate this issue.

Nelson Mandela's statement,“Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world” is profoundly significant for Nigeria.

Nigeria's education system is in crisis. Among the issues plaguing the system are poor infrastructure, interruption of the school year, lack of qualified teachers, inadequate funding, and child labor. Nigeria's population continues to grow; it also continues to have one of the largest number of school age children not in school. As young people enter adulthood without an education, the problem recycles.  The country remains at the developing stage. 

Nigeria's population is approximately 201 million. About 30 million children are school age. UNICEF statistics report the number of Nigeria's school-age children not in school has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million, reflecting the highest number of children in the world not attending school. Of this 13.2 million not attending school, approximately 60% are girls. 

The consequences of not solving this dilemma are numerous: child marriage, minimum to no female participation in governance, low family income, female prostitution, and migration outside the country. Females often lack confidence and competency, exhibit low self-image, and feel inferior to their male counterparts. Education will significantly improve these circumstances. 

In building schools, Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation is providing education and leadership development for girls and young women in local communities in Nigeria. With a concentration on leadership and the development of technology skills, young women enter adulthood well-prepared to lead their communities and country.

Equipping Nigeria's young women with the knowledge, technology skills, and dispositions to be future leaders will poise Nigeria to advance as a self-sustaining nation.  Young women will actively contribute to building a more equitable society both locally and globally.  By developing high proficiency in using modern technology resources, young women will compete favorably with their counterparts globally.

To ensure efficient management, the foundation is sponsoring a candidate for the position of School President in the Department of Educational Leadership at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA. Leadership courses and a technology curriculum were designed by a team of curriculum experts for secondary education to achieve the vision of the school. The school environment is equipped with computer labs, smart boards, projectors, and graphing calculators. Wi-fi and solar panels support technology throughout the school.  

The target population is young women in Nigeria. They are the girls and women who, marginalized by tradition and customs, are unable to receive a formal education. 

To understand their needs, we discussed education concerns with families, girls, and leaders in local communities. These focus groups revealed reasons why girls have been and continue to be left out in the education arena.  Focus groups provided ideas on what can be done to enhance females'  overall development. Information gathered indicated quality educational programs will boost the self-image and sense of self-worth of young women.  A stable education infrastructure is needed for creating in young women the capacity for self-management and grooming them for leadership roles in technology and every aspect of the workforce.  They will be prepared to contribute to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Curricula modules in leadership and technology were designed using information gleaned in the focus group discussions. The curriculum of our school includes active learning using technology and extensive practice in developing leadership skills.   

Families and young women stressed the need for a boarding school environment which allows students to concentrate on their studies and self-development. In response to this urgent need, a dormitory facility was constructed.

The Challenge underscores girls and young women do not always have learning opportunities as their male counterparts. This is particularly poignant in Nigeria where attending school has a long history of male domination.

Our solution directly aligns to the Challenge associated with learning for girls and women as supported by research and verified firsthand by families and young girls in multiple communities in Nigeria. Many parents of students are economically disadvantaged, thus broadening the perspective of the challenge.  Providing a quality leadership/technology-centered secondary education for young women prepares them to become leaders in improving life in Nigeria and beyond.

The curriculum boasts a rich collaborative problem-solving environment, connecting disciplines, using technology to research and create solutions to problems while predicting solutions to anticipated ones. High level mathematics and science courses are the norm for all students.

The school is equipped with internet but learning is uninterrupted when it is down. Tablets have applications supporting project-based learning across the curriculum.  Modular classroom seating accommodates 21st century learning.

Backward design planning approach, differentiated instruction, and formative assessments are hallmarks of instruction--a new way of teaching in Nigeria.

Young women develop personal and social skills through active participation in leadership courses.  Community service activities are required at each grade. A culminating senior final project pairs student teams with women in communities, teaching skills for improving life in multiple ways.  

Entering as a novice, leaving as a leader—young women will confidently enter universities or the workplace and assume leadership in technical fields, science, mathematics, economics, business, medicine, and government.  Eradicating poverty, promoting equality, and serving as role models of self-governance and integrity, they will improve life throughout Nigeria.  

Solving problems now plaguing society, graduates bring new hope to Nigeria. Women will be educated, female leadership is respected, quality education is the norm in rural communities, and technology and innovation are the hallmarks of a stable society. 

Private schools in distant urban areas of Nigeria whose families have financial resources to send female students to school may be competitors.  But, these schools do not foster technology, science, mathematics, and leadership skills for young women.

Core technologies include: 

Computers:  Our solution is supported by laptops, computer labs and desktops for school administrators and staff. Teachers will have laptops for planning and instruction.

Smart Boards and Projectors: Classrooms are equipped with touch-screen Smart Boards which enhance the learning process by increasing interactivity among students and allowing students to showcase their own understanding of concepts while practicing their own leadership skills. Projectors augment student learning by providing visual reinforcement of the lessons taught.

Digital Library: The digital library provides a wide range of books, learning materials and valuable resources to support learning. Students can receive input and send feedback to teachers and their peers. (A traditional library with books is also available.) 

Applications, Software, Video and Collaborative Technology Platforms:  Students will use applications and software to dig deeper, extend knowledge communicate ideas, collaborate, test hypothesis, and draw conclusions related to fields including environment, healthcare, economics, energy, and education.  

Solar Technology:  Incorporating solar technology provides reliable electricity as it is not dependable in remote areas of Nigeria. The school’s solar farm creates a practical learning environment for students studying solar technology. The solar farm is a resource to other schools wishing to study solar energy. 

With an emphasis in supporting higher order thinking skills and an integrated approach to learning, technology tools  are essential in connecting concepts and solving problems in 21st century schools.  The availability of technology resources are critical to implement our Solution as designed in our program of studies. 

Our school core technologies are commonly used in the United States and in other countries in the western world. Desktop computers and laptops are prevalent in the learning environment in the United States. It is noted that these resources may not be as readily available in schools located in low socio-economic areas in the United States. 

Public schools in the United States receive federal and state funds for purchasing computers, smartboards and projectors.  Internet capability provides access to digital library resources. These technologies are commonplace across K-12 schools.  Teachers use these resources in instruction and assessment.  Students work independently and in teams using a variety of applications to better grasp mathematics and science concepts.  Google Classroom is widely used with features easily mastered by both teachers and students. Core subject, students in English and Social Studies use computers for research and writing.
 
Many schools in the United States, public and private provide students with a laptop. Laptops are used throughout the curriculum and are available for in class course work, projects, and homework. Some schools have mobile laptop stations available for use during the school day. 

Video-based learning and collaborative technology platforms are used in schools in the United States.  This supports on-going interactive and face-to-face learning environments beyond the walls of a traditional classroom.

Bringing similar technologies into the school environment in Nigeria, young women will have comparable learning experiences as young people in other parts of the world.

Our theory of change believes that a healthy society provides quality education for both females and males. In Nigeria, data reveals educating females is neglected, leaving them handicapped at a most vulnerable time in their development.  With minimal to no opportunity for advancement, females lack the knowledge and skills to improve life at home and in the community.  Research on education in Nigeria is not expansive; but, the desire of schooling for women was a loud cry in numerous visits with families in local villages. This need was verified in discussions with individuals who work in local secondary schools and at universities in Nigeria.

To influence change in Nigeria, we dedicate ourselves to establishing schools for educating young women. Our solution believes a comprehensive education emphasizing leadership and technology skills prepares young women to substantively contribute to the economic and social development of Nigeria. Our program of studies introduces new content into the science curriculum and moves mathematics from theory to practice .  Leadership courses nurture self-confidence and service activities connect the individual with the community.

Our organization structure and personnel responsibilities are created to ensure the success of our mission.  The vision for teaching and learning is aligned with the school's four pillars: truth, knowledge, leadership, and service. 

The Education Committee in the United States is training teachers in best practices for teaching girls and students in poverty. The result of our engagement activities is a dual output of immediate and long-term results of young females practicing and using leadership skills, gaining knowledge and expert skills for improving and contributing to the growth and stability Nigerian society. 

Our solution will create an indelible mark on the benefits of providing quality education opportunities for young women in Nigeria. The legacy will pass from generation to generation as young women achieve equally or outperform their male counterparts in every role and profession.  This change respects, dignifies, and educates women as partners in improving life for all Nigeria. This education model is the onset of sustainable change and continuous hope for a brighter future for girls and young women in Nigeria.   

Our first group of students in junior secondary is 120 female students. In one year, 240 students will be served.

Within five years, the school population will be 600.

With the arrival of 120 new students annually, new parents and families become school stakeholders. Within a relatively short time, 1200 adults (600 X 2 parents) are stakeholders. The stakeholder pool expands as family members interact with local businesses in villages, neighboring towns, and beyond.

The family unit in Nigeria is strong and close-knit including multiple generations and multiple kinsmen. As an international school, our solution invites young women from other locations and families from other countries living in Nigeria to send their daughters to our school. This diversity enriches the student experience particularly introducing them to other cultures and ways of living. The solution continues to grow into an even greater pool of young women scholars.

As students engage in community service projects, others will be inspired to perform similar acts of service. This ongoing energy creates a domino effect motivating more and more individuals to become involved and support the school. Programs and school-wide activities are held for parents, relatives, villagers and targeted audiences showcasing students’ academic achievements, innovations, and leadership abilities. The impact of providing high quality education to young women is now benefiting thousands and thousands throughout Nigeria. And, thousands of young women will be join the solution.

Within the coming year our goal is to construct a cafeteria, an additional block of classrooms, administration space, and additional dormitory space to accommodate program needs and needs of new incoming students. Additional computer lab space and core technology tools will be acquired during the next five years to accommodate curriculum goals for students progressing to higher grades.  A positive benefit of this growth provides jobs, helps businesses, boosts economic growth in Nigeria.

Additional faculty will be hired as the enrollment grows and students move ahead to higher level classes.  Highly qualified teachers in science and mathematics will be needed to teach these courses.  Computer Science teachers will help students gain program knowledge to create applications for a range of uses in the workplace.

Achieving these goals requires thoughtful planning and networking.  Establishing a strong and supportive Parent Teacher Association helps support these goals.  The Foundation home-based in the United States will expand its donor base and seek to acquire grants to accomplish these goals.  

Our solution to provide education to young women in Nigeria is a young one. It has only 4 years history behind it. Within these 4 yeas we have set up a very strong education mission system called Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation. Our goals are strongly embraced by supporters who believe our education mission for girls and young women in Nigeria, a developing country, is desperately needed for achieving sustainability and stability in Nigerian society.

The result of our wide acceptance has helped us in our fundraising activities for the level of progress we have achieved so far. This progress includes the acquisition of over 10 Acres of land, construction of one school and dormitory block each to house students for the first 2 years of High School 1 and 2. 

Earlier we stated our goals for first year of mission and next 5 years from start. The barriers that stand in our way for achieving those goals are provisions of the facilities at each stages of our goals-brackets. In addition to these school and dormitory blocks we also need to construct Science labs, administrative block and recreational facilities for students. These constitute specific financial barriers. To employ and keep quality teachers for our solution could pose technical challenges. Nigeria is a people of tradition and culture. So, it will be a learning curve to engage this culture and work within it. To improve on a culture that favors male demography over female could be challenging. 

 We have judged that our solution may face some of these barriers which include financial, technical, legal, cultural barriers.

1. Financial Barriers: Our solution is sponsored by a non-profit organization. The United State Government requires a governing body called Board of Directors to run a nonprofit organization because it is a public entity. Because this Board of Directors runs our organization, they direct the affairs of the mission, plan fundraising activities and implement our goals. The Board of Directors, who are all volunteers, have practically raised 100% in funding our mission in Nigeria to this point. 
2. Technical Barriers: One major technical barrier facing our solution are administrative, educational and learning process logistics. Our mission is on an unchartered area in the Nigerian society. The questions facing us are: how do we make Nigerian youths savvy in technology, change a culture of favoring female population less in national education and polity, and contribute to the general quality of education? Our response to these issues formed coordinated educational commissions both in USA and Nigeria, charged with navigating these uncharted waters.  
3. Legal Barriers: Our solution recognizes the steady changing nature of our society today. Our solution has put in place legal tools to respond to the legal needs of our solution.   
4. Cultural Barriers: As noted earlier, our solution's goals delved into uncharted waters. Some cultural issues are educating the communities to accept and engage in education of women. Consequently, we developed a local campaign logistic to address these issues of cultural barriers.  

The solution team represents two groups.

1.  Volunteers-Research and Planning,

• Board of Directors United States of America as prescribed by IRS Law - 17 members
• Board of Trustees Nigeria as prescribed by the Nigerian appropriate law: 10 members
• USA Education Committee - 7 members (4 USA board members)
• Nigerian Education Committee - 5 members

2.  School Staffing - Paid Employees

     Full Time

     School Leadership/Administration - 7 members

• President, Principal, Assistant Principals (2), Dean of Students/Boarding School Director/School Activities, Bursar 
• Teachers: 12
• Secretarial Staff: 1
• Facilities Director and Maintenance Personnel:  2

Part Time - 2

     Boarding School Staff - 2

• The President of the Foundation has 25 year Missionary experience in Nigeria and the united States. He knows first-hand the culture, conditions, and critical need to educate young women in Nigeria.
• The Vice-president/chair of Board of Directors (BOD) has 30 years’ experience in school leadership. Her research and teaching centers on preparing educational leaders to serve diverse populations. A doctorate in curriculum and instruction focusing on mathematics and leadership, and former principal of a girls secondary school, position her to direct the overall program in educating Nigerian young.
• The chief school officer is enrolled in a master’s program in school leadership in the United States gaining expertise in the overall running of school. With a doctorate in socio-political philosophy and experience in public relations at a technology university in Nigeria, this individual is the mouth-piece connecting communities to our education goals for young women.
• Master teachers in technology, science, and mathematics provide teacher training, create leadership and technology courses, and assist in monitoring student progress and school program.
• A professional finance advisor, National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) certified, shares skills in financial literacy and management
• Business, accounting, and health care professionals advise in financial matters for ongoing solution delivery
• Healthcare professionals
• United States and Nigerian legal advisors collaborate ensuring policies and protocols comply with U.S. laws and Nigerian guidelines for continued delivery of our Solution
• A 5-member on-ground Nigerian education advisory committee, including a school principal, college professors, media specialist, and technology expert, monitor progress of Solution goals.  

At the commencement of our solution we have 3 options for local engagement. Nigerian foreign business engagement requires we partner with: 

•  A local nonprofit organization in Nigeria or,  
• Directly engaging with local Nigerians schools.
• Or registering our own organization to acquire a local status. 

The Board of Directors voted that we register our organization in Nigeria to be able to fulfill the Nigerian foreign business law. The advantage of our decision is that registering in Nigeria qualifies us as an international nonprofit organization giving us both United States and Nigeria status. 

Because the Nigerian body has its local Board of Trustees, they direct our local engagement to help us address properly the local needs of the society. 

We also partner with Nigerian Education Boards at local and state government levels.  

Our Business Model emanates from a prevailing conviction that providing formal education for young women promotes strong self-efficacy and a collective identity supporting greater personal and social growth.

Our model shares the best practices in education to help young women prepare for full integration into Nigerian society. Their education will significantly impact the workforce and leadership in communities through Nigeria.

Revenue is primarily derived from donations from businesses and organizations in the United States, grants, personal donations, and volunteerism by people committed to this mission.

Key customers are girls and young women especially from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The benefits and beneficiaries are countless Nigerian families and a stable and self-governing society. 

The service we provide is high quality education for girls focusing on grooming leaders for a new Nigeria.  Our curriculum delivers an exceptional program exceeding local standards with programs assuring young women excel in Leadership and Technology. Twenty first learning prepares students for success. Academic and service activities provide experience in developing confidence and competencies to be highly functional in everyday life and in times of challenge.

We partner with local hospitals for students' health needs. Key stakeholders are Raphael-Evelyn Education Board of Directors, faculty, parents and communities, students, local hospitals, and local and state education boards.

Local communities have great need for our services. A high percentage of females lack formal schooling as the current system favors educating males. Local people are of low-income demography and resources are dedicated to males in the current culture.  

Our model is currently totally sponsored by our organization, Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation.  Our organization raises money through public donations and grants, personal donations and volunteerism.

We have raised over $500,000. Our revenue stream has so far covered  construction activities in the local community where the school is located. This includes acquisition of property, construction of classrooms to accommodate years 1 and 2 of secondary school and a dormitory for housing students in these two grade levels. 

Our foundation has on-going activities each year to raise money for our model school commitment in Nigeria. Our campaign activities are focused on gathering public and private donations.  Currently, we are seeking grants to support the educational need to which we are responding. 

Unlike the United States, there is no public school system as we know it in Nigeria.  Families pay tuition to send their students to school, public, private, or mission schools.  Students in our model solution will pay tuition.  Student tuition is one of our significant revenue streams.  Because we serve families in low-socio economic area, students will pay a highly reduced tuition.

Additionally, our school partners with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in providing services. A major role of the PTA's is ongoing discussions is supporting sustainability through local fund-raising. The PTA coordinates fundraising efforts with community members, companies and private philanthropists. It organizes an annual local founders day fundraiser, a major fundraiser and community-building activity for the school.

As a new education mission, we are still in the process of constructing the needed blocks (facilities) for our solution. As indicated in our responses we erect new structures as we weigh the need. Presently we have erected facilities for years 1 and 2 of High School. 

Our responses in the barrier section indicated that we have a major need to raise fund to begin the erection of Classroom and Dormitory blocks for years 3 and 4 of High School. This will be our project for 2022 and 2023. 

We think that Solve can help us to overcome this barrier. We are hopeful that any Solve Grant can add to capital campaign fundraising to achieve this goal of providing a learning and sleeping space of our girls for the years of 2022 and 2023.

We have strongly argued for the need to empower the women population of our mission communities. As we clearly indicated, our solution is to raise a skilled women population fully capable of contributing to the development and leadership in their families, in their community, and in Nigerian society at large. We adopted the Nigerian local educational curriculum to ensure compliance with the Nigerian state board of education, but expanded and modernized it to achieve our goal for the women population through a STEM and Leadership Technology skills driven program of studies. 

One of our partnership goals is in the area of technology resources and training. This will involve provision of equipment of learning technologies to help us drive and support a 21st learning model-school process.  A supportive partner can help in the provision of equipment or in the mission endeavor itself by sponsoring experts for on the site visits. 

Being a foundation that is set to improve the quality of Education among women and girls’ population in Nigeria, Raphael-Evelyn Education Foundation would like to partner with organizations that support learning for women and girls. Some of these organizations include:

1. Solve-MIT

2. USAID

3. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

4. Dell

5. Hewlett Packard (HP)

6. Apple

7. Brother 

8. Cannon

9. Xerox 

10. Toshiba

These organizations can help with funding and provision of technology infrastructure and equipment, and scholarships for underprivileged women. The 21st century children in the western world are computer savvy. But this general statement cannot be equally made of communities in developing countries. 

Our solution can partner with any of these organizations and others to bring hope for a better life in Nigeria through a consistent and high quality education for its young women citizenry.  This alliance will forge a better relationship between two nations rich in resources and but even greater endowed with phenomenal human resources--the United States and Nigeria.

The pride of our solution in the local Nigerian communities is to empower women through education. Our solution helps them develop technology and leadership skills; preparing them to be able to participate, like male population, in the leadership and development of their communities. Development of local communities includes but not exhaustive of technology literacy. A known fact is that knowledge of computer and technology has been employed in the business, health, education and construction sectors etc. In our mission ground, this knowledge is basically absent or at least low among women especially. We strongly believe that such knowledge will improve the lives of women also, if given opportunity to acquire it. 

To bring women to participate in this delivery of technology skills and knowledge in their society, our solution created a learning curriculum that will facilitate the acquisition of technology literacy. 

Our team uses the technology innovation to educate our female students in the classrooms. We employ the 21st learning grade both in tutorial and practical learning experience. We employ this in areas of labs, solar system facility, use of computer to become familiar with hard and soft wares, library etc. 

We qualified for this prize because we are committed to grassroots beneficiaries, the women, by affecting and transforming their lives directly. In addition, we have the learning environment, curriculum and qualified faculty for this delivery. 

Search on Google yielded this article: "GM Partners with Girls Who Code to Empower Future Technology and Engineering Leaders.1"

Certainly, GM and Girls Who Code (GWC) have set the pace for our solution among the middle and high school girls of underserved communities of Nigeria. Independently our solution developed this mission among uneducated women and girls in the local communities of Nigeria. No stronger case can be made about how underprivileged women can be in the knowledge of technology in some part of the world. 

In the trenches we empower these women and girls technologically; helping them develop leadership skills in these areas. Like GM and GWO we help them "gain increased access to computer science education, sisterhood, mentorship and projects that demonstrate the real-world impact of computing through a model that significantly increases young girls’ interest in pursuing technology and engineering degrees. " (GM Partners....1)

Today computer/technology are employed in businesses, health, education and construction sectors etc. This knowledge is absent or at least low among our beneficiaries. We believe such knowledge will improve women's lives, if given opportunity. 

Through use of technology we educate our female students in the classrooms; employ the 21st learning grade both in tutorial and practical learning (laboratories, solar system facility, computer hard and soft wares, library etc.) 

We qualified for this prize because we are committed to grassroots beneficiaries, the women, by affecting and transforming their lives directly. In addition, we have the learning environment, curriculum and qualified faculty for this delivery. 

The pride of our solution in the local Nigerian communities is to empower women through education. Our solution helps them develop technology and leadership skills; preparing them to be able to participate, like male population, in the leadership and development of their communities. Development of local communities includes but not exhaustive of technology literacy. 

A known fact is that knowledge of computer and technology has been employed in business, health, education and construction sectors etc. In our mission ground, this knowledge is basically absent or at least low among women especially. We strongly believe that such knowledge will improve the lives of women also, if given opportunity to acquire it. 

To bring women to participate in this delivery of technology skills and knowledge in their society, our solution created a learning curriculum that will facilitate the acquisition of technology literacy. 

Our team uses the technology innovation to educate our female students in the classrooms. We employ the 21st learning grade both in tutorial and practical learning experience (laboratories, solar system facility, computer hard and soft wares, library etc.)   

Because our solution in technology is very proficient, developed by our qualified technology experts and educators in the USA who are members of our education committee, it has a masterpiece technology curriculum for future pilot in Portugal.

We qualified for this prize because we are committed to grassroots beneficiaries, the women, by affecting and transforming their lives directly. In addition, we have the learning environment, curriculum and qualified faculty for this delivery.