A STEAM-Powered Partnership to Improve Teaching at Scale

A conversation with thought leader & professional development coach Claudia Amaya

We were thrilled to welcome Claudia Amaya, an education thought leader and TeachUNITED (TU) training alumna, to the TU Podcast a couple of months ago. 

Last year, TeachUNITED expanded our footprint throughout Latin America through a partnership with PhET (Physics Education Technology) Simulation, training their educators from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, and Venezuela — reaching 325 new students through the hard work of participants like Claudia.

As a TeachUNITED Mentor for Change graduate, a PhET Professional Development Coach, and a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) expert, Claudia is now co-leading a teacher training program in partnership with the TU team. Together, we’re supporting 160+ teachers from 17 countries, positively impacting an estimated 24,000 students!

We recently invited her to sit down with Yohns Solis, TeachUNITED Director of Implementation in Latin America, to share how STEAM skills are enriching student learning while transforming professional development for educators. Check out the full episode here!

TeachUNITED Director Yohns Solis: Last year, you became a [TeachUNITED] Mentor for Change. We would like to know how it has benefited your professional growth? 

Claudia Amaya: I think the first thing, the important thing, is that we can define together what we understand by professional development. Personally, it helped me find some names for some strategies that I maybe already used, but didn’t know there was a methodology, an order, a linearity. When I discover something new and something that really impacts the educational community, I try to share it by applying it in the classroom — whether in person or transmitting it to different educators that I have the opportunity to be with in communities, on my social networks, and all that. TeachUNITED has given us that, a different way of doing education from where we are and from the context in which we are.

I’m going to speak at the Latin American level, where I have a bit more experience in terms of seeing how this is implemented. It’s not enough just to develop technical skills, but also soft skills as they are known now. This is developed through collaborative work, critical thinking. 

So here comes in [TeachUNITED’s] Mentors for Change program, because for us as educators to transmit these soft skills, we must also possess them. We are used to being given all the tools to teach a subject, a class, but we forget a bit who we really are, which is guides. We are tutors. Throughout history, there have been different roles for educators. Now, I believe, more than ever an accompaniment is needed, since technology is providing a lot of knowledge. Our skill that we must develop is that. 

[TeachUNITED’s] Mentors for Change makes STEAM education have a human foundation and no longer just that technical part that is much criticized about STEM education. It goes accompanied by developing these skills that go beyond the concrete — a little more thinking about the human being, thinking about the educator, also thinking about the students and the entire educational community.

Yohns: You have decided not to keep [TeachUNITED’s] Mentors for Change as something personal but to share it with a larger community. You truly want to be a ‘mentor for change.’ Tell us why you decided to replicate the program in the Latin American community.

Claudia: Well, I think that to the extent that I can, I replicate what has personally touched me, changed me. This community where we are replicating, this is a community that has been forming through various opportunities I’ve had. 

Definitely, PhET Simulation has been the center for gathering this community. However, I am also a Google Innovator Educator, so I also have that part, another community where I invite the Google Champions or the community of GDG, which I also belong to, here in El Salvador. So we have strengthened an incredible community. I feel very honored to be the one who has united this community, because we have teachers from Argentina who feel very distant to those in Mexico, Bolivia, Peru…

For me, it’s like adding a plus to everything we have already learned, because we have instructional strategies, we know how to use many applications for mathematics, for sciences, for biology, for chemistry, but we are falling short on the human side. That’s the best part of how the program Mentors for Change can be described, it’s about humanizing everything we are doing in these exact sciences. 

So I proposed it to the community, I threw out the hook, so to speak, and everyone was on board. It’s a community with which I feel very comfortable sharing things, and that’s why we decided to share it. I contacted you and started making the moves to make it a reality.

Claudia’s professional learning community supported by the TeachUNITED team

Yohns: I’d like to know what were your first impressions in this first session? What are some techniques that can be enhanced when we talk about STEM skills?

Claudia: First of all, I felt that it was something that needed the support of both TeachUNITED and PhET Simulations because they have been the link that allows us to work together. And at first, I felt it was something very complicated. How am I going to gather so many people in one place and make them see that it really is a program? I am always grateful for the confidence that both TeachUNITED and being a Mentor for Change have given me to replicate what I believe is one of the objectives of being a Mentor for Change: to replicate this. 

At its core, that is what is sought within the community, because the first impressions they gave were very positive.They really liked it. Everyone has something in common — to grow as educators. 

This is part of the collaborative work that is intended in [TeachUNITED’s] Mentors for Change: to give educators other instruments, techniques, new applications so they will also replicate [the training]. Because within their communities they are also leaders. 

STEM education is quite adaptable, and that’s the idea, that it adapts to the context. You can’t replicate what is done here in El Salvador in Cuba, for example. The educator needs to have those skills to adapt to their context, even within El Salvador. Each school is a world and we need to learn how, through the tools that the Mentors for Change program offers, we can do this.

Yohns: It’s a challenge. And it’s very exciting to us to be part of this challenge. We have 162 teachers, empowered leaders, passionate about education. And the challenge is to keep them empowered, involved in the process. 

Claudia Amaya: That’s right. There are no limits to this. And having allies like TeachUNITED, PhET simulations, like Big Change, and now with another ally. What it does is find the link between everyone to be able to grow education in Latin America.

Yohns: We are sure that you will achieve it, and that those 24,000 or more students will benefit. And it’s thanks to this idea, this initiative, this love for education.

Learn more about Claudia and her impressive work supporting teachers in the full podcast:

“TeachUNITED is a Powerhouse!”

Patriciah Shares How the Training Helped Her Take Her Teaching to the Next Level

Curious about what it’s like to be an educator participating in TeachUNITED’s teacher training program?

Kenyan teacher Patriciah Mutuku says “I have taken several professional development courses as an educator, but the TeachUnited program surpassed them all.” Patriciah graciously details her experience learning about and adopting new strategies and sharing them with fellow teachers as an instructional coach.

The unit on Personalization was a complete makeover! I tried it in my classes and it was magical! Thanks to TeachUNITED, I no longer struggle to find out what to do with students who learn at different paces within the same class. Personalization solved the puzzle for me, and I am a happy teacher. The students enjoy it the most because they are under no pressure to complete a task by a rigid deadline, but do it at their own pace.

At the beginning of every semester, I use the data-driven strategies before teaching anything. Since I teach language to young adults, I ask them to write one paragraph about anything they wish to talk about. I get amazing results, and this helps me know the challenges they may be facing in writing and expressing themselves. I help them overcome some of these challenges along the way.

Upon comparing TeachUNITED with other professional development programs that I have been through, I would confidently say that TeachUNITED is a powerhouse! I am actively sharing these new strategies with my fellow teachers in school.

I came to the realization that I can become a competent instructional coach since TeachUnited produces an ‘instructional coach and not a trainer.’ As stated in one of the modules, Instructional coaches ‘use professional development and differentiated coaching to increase teacher effectiveness by teaching educators how to successfully implement effective, research-based teaching techniques and practices.’

“This program should be rolled out in every continent in the world. Every educator needs this knowledge. Keep it up TeachUNITED! You are the game changers in the education sector on a global scale.”

Fifteen schools participate in TeachUNITED coaching to improve learning outcomes

CONCORD, NH — Educators throughout the state are learning how to engage students, communicate better and reach instructional improvement goals through an innovative program with TeachUNITED. 

Fifty-two teachers from fifteen schools recently completed year one of the TeachUNITED Coaching for Impact Program , which offers rural schools with individualized professional development for their leadership teams and educators. 

“By designing lessons that encourage student engagement and support student interest, educators are making real strides to improve student outcomes. The feedback we are receiving is both positive and uplifting, reaffirming that teachers are finding the work to be sincere and purposeful,” said Frank Edelblut, education commissioner.  

Heather Hiebsch, CEO of TeachUNITED, says the teachers and school leaders participating in the program already have very solid instructional practices, but are using their time with TeachUNITED coaches to dig in and apply strategies and efficiencies in their classroom. 

“In other words, making teachers’ lives easier while increasing the impact in their classrooms,” explained Hiebsch. “To have an administrator say, ‘I walk into my teachers’ classrooms and the energy is different. The students are more engaged, and the teachers are collaborating,’ just underscores the power of effective professional learning. Together, we’re making a tangible impact on education in the state.”

The program is designed to support teachers and rural school leaders with strategies necessary to set and reach ambitious student goals by highlighting strategies for mindset, data-driven instruction, personalized learning and student engagement.

Testimonials from the Henry W. Moore School in Candia: 

• “TeachUNITED has completely changed my entire world for how we approach mistakes in my classroom. I always struggle with helping students realize it’s OK to make mistakes when I struggle with that myself. It helped me specifically with math instruction. I was always concerned with getting them to the right strategy and answer, but now I let them guide the conversation and see what mistakes they catch. It’s just changed the way we work through math problems altogether.” – Teacher Hannah Withee. 
• “Some of the strategies really are just basic, good practice. Some of them are things we need to be reminded of. It’s a valuable experience for both new teachers and teachers who have been in the practice for twenty-some years. There’s something for everyone to learn.” – Principal Becky Wing.

The Importance of Practical, Contextualized Teacher Training:

A conversation with Jesús Darío Loeza of the Secretary of Education of Yucatán, Mexico

Did you know that our team in Latin America hosts regional thought leaders on the TU Podcast? 

We are excited to have kicked off season two in May with an interview with Jesús Darío Loeza, an education expert and Coordinator of the Continuous Training and Professional Development Program of the Secretary of Education of Yucatán, Mexico.

In 2023, TeachUNITED began working with the Yucatán Ministry of Education to improve educational quality and address inequities in rural and indigenous communities. The three-year project is well on its way to improving learning outcomes for 400,000+ students. 

Our team was honored to host Jesús Darío Loeza and is proud to share a few highlights from that rich conversation on teacher professional development.  

TeachUNITED Coach Coordinator Mikel Webb: How has professional development and continuous teacher training affected your career and your knowledge? And how is that personal growth affecting teachers in the area? 

Jesús Darío Loeza: I think the first thing, the important thing, is that we can define together what we understand by professional development. From the Secretariat, we have a national overview of what happens in Mexico. We have a national commission for education improvement, MEJOREDU, and MEJOREDU has a concept of professional development that refers to a learning process of the profession and the construction of the teacher’s identity. I find this concept very curious because it talks about learning the profession.

One would think that when one completes their training at university, at teacher training school, they have already learned everything they had to learn. In this field, in the educational realm, we must continuously learn about our profession, by gaining knowledge.

Personally, I believe that we have to lead by example, a figure who has the responsibility of working with teacher development, also has to be a person who is constantly seeking to stay up to date, learning about new perspectives in education. But it’s always a personal job for teachers.

Mikel: In your extensive experience, have you seen the impact of teachers’ professional development? 

Darío: We have very, very good experiences from here at the Secretariat. In the training part, we have the direct responsibility to present trainings each year. We have to look for options that align with what they determine as their needs. We work with many institutions, foundations, and associations.

For example, we have a project with the Robotics Foundation, where we work on STEM topics, technology topics, and programming which has allowed teachers to learn how to bring technology into the classroom from their contexts, which is very important.

Of course, there are also international relations like the collaboration we have with TeachUNITED, which has permitted us to open up beyond the national level. The people who have participated have realized how things work within the country, but also that in other countries sometimes things are different. And we can question why things are done in a certain way there, or how we can improve if we do things in a different way. And also discover things we share, perhaps the same issues. The fact of sharing them, of discussing them, will lead us to important solutions.

Darío: We have had the opportunity for a team who have taken the TeachUNITED training to participate in an international event in Costa Rica where they could interact with educators from other countries and be able to share their experience, visit schools, and discover the similarities or challenges we face together. I think it’s very interesting because it shows a real application of what they are learning.

Mikel: Considering those experiences, could you say that TeachUNITED has generated a positive impact within the training program?

Darío: Yes, yes, yes, it has been generated. Educators seek tools that can be applied in the short- and medium-term. Sometimes we focus too much on theory trainings, courses, workshops are very theoretical and do not take into account the contexts. TeachUNITED has strived to understand the local contexts, to understand how different participants operate.

Through this program, we have collaborated with directors, supervisors, pedagogical technical advisors (ATPs), technical advisors (ATs), tutors, and teachers who are integrated into the function. For each of them, there has been an effort to understand what their needs are. And I think the best part of this good experience is that they have been able to apply it. They have succeeded.

For example, there is a supervisor who is more than a supervisor, she works with school principals, but she also has to coordinate other supervisors. With the TeachUNITED tools that are presented to them, she can immediately implement them in the meeting next week. I think it is important for teachers to be trained, but if they cannot bring it to the classroom, then that intention is lost.

The TeachUNITED Team and Jesús Darío Loeza with participants at the program launch in January 2024

Mikel: What challenges have been the most difficult in the region and how have they been addressed? How have they been overcome?

Darío: I think one could be connectivity, which is a challenge that is being addressed in a state strategy. Currently, in Yucatán more than 90% of our schools have connectivity, and we are reaching full coverage. The intention is that before the end of this school year, 100% of schools have connectivity. 

Another important challenge is understanding the local context. Even within the same state, what happens in one municipality or region is not the same as what happens in others. The needs are not always the same. 

Mikel: What advice could you give to those teachers who are seeking better professional development?

Darío: Well, I think the most important thing is to always have that desire to continue learning. I think it’s something that a person dedicated to education usually has. But to not let that go, because sometimes it can become more bureaucratic — to seek training to obtain a score or to obtain some pass to another level. We have to be careful that the essence of the training is not lost and that we do it for personal and professional development. 

I think that would be the advice: not to lose sight of that. Always seek to improve what they do, which is something that not only goes for the topic of education but for anything we dedicate ourselves to. 

TeachUNITED’s government partnerships are driving sustainable impact on teachers and students in Mexico and beyond. Learn more about the effect of our work with Jesús Darío Loeza and his team at the Yucatán Secretary of Education in this blog.

Meet Changemaking TU Africa Regional Director, Angela Kithao

What made you decide to work in education?

My journey into education is driven by a personal story of transformation and empowerment. Growing up in a family of six on less than $1 a day, quality education seemed out of reach, a struggle millions of children are facing in Africa. But thanks to Plan International’s support, I accessed quality secondary education, transforming my life, that of my siblings, my parents, and my community. Now, I am passionate about providing similar opportunities to the millions of marginalized children in Africa, especially girls. Quality education has the power to uplift individuals, families, and communities, and I am dedicated to closing the gap in access to quality education through different interventions, especially by supporting teachers.

What have you enjoyed most about working at TeachUNITED so far?

In just two months at TeachUNITED, I have been moved by the impact of our work in the previous years. The Africa Impact Report and the Monduli Impact Study show remarkable education outcomes for rural school children in Africa. The prospect of continuing to transform education outcomes for millions of African children in rural schools is what drives me every day as I know this will transform their lives forever.

Tell me about a TeachUNITED teacher that left an impression on you.

On March 21st, 2024, I visited Kilimatembo Secondary School in Tanzania, Karatu, where I spoke with two teachers and the headteacher about their experience with the TU program. Teacher Eziekiel, who teaches English, emphasized a shift in mindset: “We used to see teachers as everything, but now we realize students are valuable resources in the learning process. Improved teamwork among teachers and students has made everyone’s job easier, including the headteacher and education officers. Teachers are now confident in students’ capabilities.“

Angela and her team visit a school in Karatu, Tanzania

Who was your favorite school teacher growing up and why?

My favorite teacher, Mr. Ntongai, was my primary school music teacher. Despite being blind, he mastered numerous musical instruments and infused his lessons with energy, humor, and excitement. His positivity and engagement inspired me, teaching me that the only limit is oneself and that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.

Have you read anything recently that inspires your work?

The Smart Buys Education Report (2023) from GEEAP offers a roadmap for enhancing learning outcomes in low and middle-income countries. It’s inspiring to see that supporting teachers with structured pedagogy ranks among the top education investments. We’re excited to now be creating a collection of lesson plans to maximize teacher uptake of new strategies and fully align our model with all four of the best practices from this report!

What hobbies do you enjoy? What do you do in your free time?

During my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with friends or family.

Do you watch or play any sports?

Netball has been my passion since my primary school days, and it’s followed me all the way through university. My love for the game doesn’t stop there! I have even had the opportunity to referee netball while working at a teachers’ training college. Whether I am on the court playing or officiating from the sidelines, the excitement keeps me hooked!

What’s your favorite food and why?

My favorite food is fried indigenous chicken. There’s something irresistible about it if it is cooked right!

Angela previously worked for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Educate!, Kenya Girl Guides Association, Education Development Trust and International Child Resource Institute. She has provided overall leadership in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating education programs for children and youth to address barriers in education quality, policy, access to education, reduce gender inequalities and to empower them maximize their potential.

Angela has a Master of Arts in Education, Gender and International Development from the University College of London (UCL), Institute of Education (IOE) as well as a Master of Education (Curriculum Studies) from Nairobi University Kenya. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Moi University Kenya.

Angela started her career as a classroom teacher and as an instructor of student teachers. Just like Nelson Mandela, Angela believes that education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to transform the world.

He describes the impact he has seen on his students at NuVision High School, in Kabuga-Kigali: “My students used to not talk in class and such a behavior embarrassed me. I searched for ways to engage them but did so in vain. With TeachUNITED, I learned to practice planning and reflection to help me experiment with new ways to increase participation. It’s always a blessing to be a teacher and a learner at the same time. Whatever I learned with TeachUNITED, I tried with my students. What made a total change was the use of ‘Hot Seat’ in my classes. They loved it.”

One of his students explains the activity’s value, “Hot Seat is when a student comes to the front, sits on a chair, and other students ask them questions they have to answer. That helps us a lot with answering and revising. Because when we’re answering, we are understanding even more.”

Ernest shares the effect of Hot Seat, one of many teaching strategies within the TU training: “I started seeing them colliding to come in front to be asked anything on the topics we learned. I discovered a lot of talents in my students, and I could not believe my ears and eyes. 

I saw a female student who is good at asking questions and another who is extremely good at answering with humility, respect, and encouragement, to name a few examples.”

His desire to continually improve his skills and those of his students is contagious. A student shares, “Teacher Ernest is the best teacher. He always tries his best to help us. He tells us revision points to help us pass exams. He challenges us with questions. He tells us the truth about what we must change and improve.” 

Beyond boosting student engagement, motivation, and confidence, these new teaching skills and activities have had a quantifiable impact on learner outcomes. Ernest’s students’ physics scores have increased by 63%!

As you may expect, Ernest does not take credit for the praises of his students, eager to pass them right back to the TeachUNITED team. “I think this should come to you, not to me. Thank you very much for your positive impact on education worldwide.”

“Daring to Do Things Differently”

Increasing Teacher Confidence & Motivation in Yucatán

In 2022, TeachUNITED partnered with the Yucatán government’s education department to address the increasing inequity caused by the pandemic in rural communities. After a successful pilot, government officials requested state-wide implementation of our program to improve educational quality and to support the adoption of national policy. Together, we are working to increase the supply of effective teachers to improve learning outcomes for 400,000+ students.

TeachUNITED recently interviewed a couple of participants one year into the training program to learn more about its early impact on instructional coaches, teachers, students, and the community at large.

After receiving on-the-job coaching through TeachUNITED, teacher Cotty Trujillo has seen improvements in her students after applying topics like growth mindset, engagement, data-driven instruction, and personalized learning. She says, “With the activities we carry out and the learning we had in TeachUNITED, it not only helped me as a teacher improve my educational practice but also the students. My children are around four or five years old. The fact that they themselves help each other improve and provide feedback to each other was very significant to me.” 

The caregivers of Cotty’s students have even taken notice of their growth, and it’s helped to motivate her further. “The fact that parents noticed this change in preschool children is important. When I implemented TeachUNITED activities, [parents] became aware of the progress they saw in their children. Really, that motivates me to continue researching and implementing.”

Multiplying Program Impact by Training Trainers

Pedagogy Advisor and TeachUNITED participant Karina shares how the program has made her a more effective and engaging teacher coach. She notes: “Personally, TeachUNITED has had an impact on me because it has allowed me to see my advisory role in a new way. Many times, I thought things had to be done the way I had already planned, without allowing myself the opportunity to get to know the teacher I was advising. [Before,] I focused more on identifying their areas for improvement rather than highlighting their strengths. I have [since] seen significant changes in how things are perceived.

Previously, it was like, ‘Here comes the advisor. I want everything to be perfect and the kids to be well-behaved.’ But now, they actually tell me, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ Now when [teachers] hand me a freshly-printed lesson plan, they know there will be corrections and edits based on the things we are working on. I can see that mentality that they have already transformed. It shows us that we’re on the right path. They seem more motivated. They feel more interested.”

Karina shares the challenges of upskilling teachers within traditional teacher training programs: “Many times, the Technical Council [principal training] meetings were somewhat tedious or tiring for the principals, because they receive training that they then have to pass on to their teaching teams.”

TeachUNITED’s long-term, customized programming is different. “What change have I seen? At our training sessions, principals are now more interested, more motivated. It’s like they’re now looking forward to what we’re going to present to them, how we’re going to present it to them. Unlike in other times where we only read, share, and present, now, it has been easier, more meaningful. Because [as we model it], they build that knowledge. Now they gather, they move around. I feel that part has had a positive impact,” says Karina.

Developing a Growth Mindset that Boosts Teacher Retention

“I won’t say it’s been easy,” Karina continues. “When you want to introduce something new, there’s this feeling like ‘What if it fails? What if I can’t do it?’ But right now, there really are no obstacles. On the contrary, [principals] are eager to know what we are going to present to them now for them to take to their schools.”

In Latin America, over 90% of TeachUNITED teachers reported improved teaching practices and the ability to engage previously unmotivated students. After participating in TU’s training, this increase in skills and confidence decreased the number of teachers planning to leave the classroom by 36% — critical in a region lacking 3.2 million teachers.

Preschool teacher Cotty has also increased her confidence in implementing new techniques:

“Well, I think the main change is daring to do things differently.”

She goes on to share that “Personalized learning, for example, was something that made me a little fearful due to the children’s age. I thought, ‘Will my classroom be chaotic?’ However, it worked! I think it’s very significant that children can now identify what they can achieve and how they can improve – not only based on what the educator tells them, but also from feedback and observations of their peers. I think this is very significant: the fact that children can reflect on their own process from an early age can help develop critical thinking that will serve them throughout their lives.”

TeachUNITED is greatly inspired by the hardworking advisors, principals, and teachers that drive impact for students every day, and we’re honored to help keep these great educators in the classroom.

“I believe that the TeachUNITED program helps us reconnect with our calling. It’s something that truly motivates us to go back to our origins, to remember what inspired us to teach.”

 – Cotty Trujillo, Teacher & Tutor, Yucatán Secretary of Education, Mexico

TeachUNITED Selected by Elimu-Soko for Project to Transform Education in Zanzibar

Our partners through the Elimu-Soko program recently announced the selection of TeachUNITED as the innovating partner for teacher training expansion into Zanzibar. We’re honored that with support from Hempel Foundation, Dalberg, Axum and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, we will expand our work within East Africa to improve teachers’ skills, motivation, and retention in the classroom as well as student achievement.   

In Zanzibar, the government has significantly invested in and improved access to universal basic education in the past four years. However, teacher training remains a challenge. Many graduates from Teacher Training Colleges are not job-ready when entering the workforce, and once in the classroom, teachers do not receive adequate professional development. This challenge has direct effects on student achievement.

This pilot project aims to improve foundational learning outcomes for 20,000 students and build the capacity of 250 primary teachers to teach more effectively using contextually relevant solutions to the challenges they face every day in the classroom.

Creating large-scale, sustainable, and community-led education transformation

Building on a long history of partnership with teachers and ministry officials in the Arusha Region of Tanzania, we’re eager to expand and adapt our program with and for the needs of primary teachers in Zanzibar. TeachUNITED Coaches will train teachers and ministry officials on a full suite of research-based strategies and help teachers strengthen their instructional practices through individualized coaching and engaging workshops. These educators will also be trained in how to coach their colleagues so that the lessons learned are shared and practiced to create large-scale, sustainable, and community-led education transformation. The pilot began in January 2024 with conclusion and consideration for scale-up in June 2024.

Learn more about our work in Tanzania.

About Elimu-Soko

In the ongoing effort to tackle the learning crisis, many social entrepreneurs and education ventures are eager to help governments create systemic change within public education. However, establishing government partnerships remains a challenge for many innovators. The Elimu-Soko program is a partnership between Hempel Foundation, Dalberg and Axum to create a marketplace where innovators in education can collaborate with funders and governments to bridge gaps in the educational landscape.

TeachUNITED works with school, district, government, and NGO partners in 14 countries. Hear from other TeachUNITED partners here.

TeachUNITED and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Partner with the Secretary of Education to Transform Education for Maya Communities in Yucatán

We are honored to announce our partnership with both the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Secretary of Education of Yucatán, Mexico (SEGEY). With the support of the Kellogg Foundation, we will continue working with the government to improve educational outcomes in rural Maya communities in Mexico. 

In Mexico, children in Indigenous schools have the lowest achievement levels: one in four Indigenous 15-year-olds cannot read or write – four times the general illiteracy rate. In Yaxcabá, Yucatán, just 14% of students complete secondary school. A root cause of these poor academic outcomes is the lack of proper training for teachers in Indigenous communities. In addition, education systems are not designed with Indigenous culture or language in mind, making it difficult for students to experience a learning environment that meets their needs.

SEGEY, Kellogg Foundation, and TeachUNITED are eager to partner together for a new project to reach an important subset of their population: Indigenous Maya. Building on a successful state-wide implementation of our teacher training program in Yucatán, we are working to improve learning outcomes for over 400,000 students.

Learn more about our work in Yucatán thus far from a Pedagogy Advisor.

Improving Access to Quality Education for Indigenous Learners

In partnership with the local government, we are working to expand to the Yaxcabá Municipality of Yucatán to support educators there with sustainable, Mayan-language and context-relevant solutions to the challenges that they face every day in the classroom. By empowering teachers in Yaxcabá, Yucatán, we can substantially improve access to quality education for Indigenous learners and promote teaching in students’ native language. 

The Kellogg Foundation’s support will enable us to work together to:

• Increase the supply of effective teachers in Yaxcabá, 
• Promote teaching in Mayan to reduce the disproportionate impact of the learning crisis on Indigenous children and educators, and
• Improve academic achievement and educational well-being of Indigenous students. 

We are proud that this partnership with the Kellogg Foundation will enable us to support educators as they improve outcomes for students in rural Mexico. We’re looking forward to sharing more about our progress.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States.

Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

TeachUNITED works with school, district, government, and NGO partners in 14 countries. Hear from other TeachUNITED partners here.