Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in partnership with Teach for All foundation, announced today plans to launch a “Teach for the UAE program” a first of its kind in the UAE initiative that aims to attract the nation’s most promising recent university graduates of all majors to commit to teaching in high-need schools for two years.
Teach For UAE aims to attract top graduates from UAE universities to take a leadership role in serving their society and contribute to the output of education in the UAE. The graduate who will join the Teach for UAE initiative will become role model for students across the UAE as top achievers and servers of their country through one of the noblest professions in the world while enriching and diversifying their professional experiences.
The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and ADEC are currently laying the ground work for Teach For UAE in partnership with “Teach For All”, to help prepare excellent teachers and leaders in the UAE. With more than 30 partner organizations in countries around the world, Teach For All supports education entrepreneurs in expanding access to exceptional teaching and learning by calling on their nations’ most promising future leaders to ensure more students receive the excellent education all children deserve. It is also creating a global coalition of education leaders, who are working together to share the best practices from educating their countries’ students.
H.H. Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan said: ”This program is fully in line with the methodological approach of the Foundation in that it nurtures and equips the next generation of Emirati leaders with the knowledge, skills and experience to eventually transform our education system and place us at the forefront of promoting innovation in education policy.”
H.E. Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, Director General of ADEC, noted: “We at ADEC are proud with this strategic partnership with Sheikha Slamah Bint Hamadan Al Nahyan Foundation which has pioneered in supporting nationwide initiatives to support education, culture arts and culture”. She stressed that Teach For UAE is a first of its kind in the UAE and will help develop future leaders who will start their career with serving their country and by working with their fellow students… this program will allow ADEC students to get knowledge and inspiration from outstanding graduates who have been in their shoes not far ago, as well as provide these young graduates with a rich experience of communicating what they have studies and acquire a work experience dealing with the society they will eventually serve in their professional careers. The value of allowing Emiratis to start their careers by giving back to the country is a great lesson and we are proud to partner with Sheikha Slama Bint Hamdan Foundation to announce this initiative as we are celebrating the UAE national Day, this is part of the principle of good citizenship that we are both are working to establish.
Wendy Kopp, CEO and co-founder of Teach For All said “We are thrilled to continue to work together with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and ADEC as they build the foundation for Teach For UAE.” “Together we have an opportunity to cultivate the Emirates’ most valuable resource—the talent of its most promising future leaders—for the effort to ensure all children have the opportunity to attain an excellent education” she added.
Teach for the UAE, which will be an independent non-profit body that will work closely with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, will recruit top Emirati graduates of all degree disciplines from leading universities to teach for two years in high-need public schools. The participants will receive extensive training prior to and during their teaching commitment. Alumni of the program will be supported to accelerate their leadership within and outside of education.
The program will raise the profile of the teaching profession amongst graduates, attract more Emiratis to teaching, and help address shortages in English, Math and Science, encourage teaching in remote locations, and provide a pipeline of future leaders.
The success of the Teach for All models is evident in the established models of Teach for America in the United States as well as Teach First in the United Kingdom. Both programs have demonstrated a significant impact on student achievement outcomes and educational reform in their countries, propelling changes that have improved children’s opportunities for success, particularly for those who have historically been underserved. The early successes of nine new programs around the world – in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Estonia, Germany, India, Latvia, Lebanon, and Peru – also indicate that Teach for All’s approach is adaptable to other contexts. The network is anticipated to grow largely in the next two years as it continues to receive requests from entrepreneurs in many other countries to join the network. Teach for All is an independent non-profit organization.