País: United States

Organization: The Catalyst Academy

Sport - Other

Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2007

Project URL: http://www.thecatalystacademy.org

What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Transforming Uganda's education system from teacher-centered, to student-centered through sport and entrepreneurship.

Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - In Uganda, there are local and international organizations, such as Build a School and Habitat for Humanity that build schools, homes and clinics. There are also organizations, such as Right to Play, that use sport as a tool for development in Uganda. However, our joint American-Ugandan project is unique from these organizations. TCA is not just about sport, not just about education, and not just about infrastructure. Long-term social change requires more than one approach to education and development. Whereas the efforts mentioned above should be commended, TCA aims to tackle a major hurdle to Uganda's long-term development: an education system that is out of touch with Uganda's goals to prosper in the 21st century. Therefore, TCA is truly innovative because we are pushing the envelope by using sport, entrepreneurship and a peer-leadership model to transform Uganda's education system. While TCA unequivocally endorses the "I" in Innovation, there is no "I" in team.

What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - About 1 year ago, Uganda's Minister of Youth, James Kinobe, explained to us at a meeting in Kampala that Ugandan youth will not find jobs in Government, but that they are better off creating jobs for themselves using ICT, sport and other modern tools. He was optimistic that the youth's entrepreneurial nature will make this possible. However, we also learned during that trip to Uganda that six million pupils receiving primary education in Uganda had class sizes over 100 students, that three or four students are sharing one text book, and only 40% of these six million children go on to secondary school. The sad statistics did not end there. Although 9,000-12,000 students per year graduate secondary school, only 25% of them are able to attend university due to high tuition and limited space.

Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - TCA is a rigorous two-year sport and entrepreneurship certificate program. In our first year, we will enroll 50 students from across Uganda, and by year three 100 students. TCA faculty will be recruited from across Uganda and Africa based on their credentials, and their creative and entrepreneurial spirit. TCA classes will run from 9am–4pm daily, and on a semester system (August–December and February– June). During the summer months, TCA students have the option to live on campus and participate in intramural sports and national and regional tournaments. In Year 1, coursework will include empowerment, leadership, entrepreneurship, collaborative learning, Internet Training, social sciences, health and fitness, and writing. In Year 2, coursework will include
business fundamentals I and II, NGO or small business incubation, Internet Training, health and fitness, and career counseling. Students live on campus, and volunteer their time in the TCA kitchen, guest house, sports facilities, conference center, and community gardens. TCA will host seminars on a range of topics connected to TCA's 4 Pillars. Seminars may also include cross-regional and cross-cultural exchange.

How do you plan to grow your innovation? - We have several long-term desired outcomes, including: cultivating a cadre of entrepreneurial leaders who tackle Uganda's social, economic and political challenges; placing graduates in jobs in sports, and local public and private sector; employing interested TCA graduates at TCA; developing a TCA portfolio of fundable start-up income-generating NGOs and small businesses created by students; and establishing a TCA alumni network. These desired outcomes will be measured quantitatively through research assessments and surveys by TCA administration and noted in our annual reports. Throughout the year, TCA will publish a quarterly update on the TCA Blog. However, our primary long-term desired outcome is to transform Uganda's education system through our students and innovative approach to education. We will measure progress with the help of our TCA alumni network. TCA alumni will serve as chief spokespersons who inform and educate the public about TCA, serve as a resource to students, and increase the number of applicants so much that it would create demand for other TCA-like educational programs across Uganda.

Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Transform Uganda's education system from teacher-based to student-based so that it leads to domino-effect of TCA-like projects across Uganda.

What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - Our main objective is to transform Uganda's young students by improving confidence and leadership through sports as well as hands on business and technology training. The scope of our innovation is long term and will start with the opening of the academy in 2009. We plan to invite students back to the academy after they graduate to help teach camps and classes as well as mentor younger students making this school generationally sustainable. The social and educational impact this academy will have on young people will grow exponentially as more students complete the program.

Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - We hope to encourage a deeper awarness and sensitivity to the environment. TCA will employ sustainable design strategies in its architecutral concpet including rainwater harvesting, solar and wind power, natural ventilation to cool the classrooms, and onsite agriculture for consumption and resale. Through example, we plan to train Uganda's young leaders to make climate change and biodiversity a priority in their lives.

What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - TCA faces the difficult but important challenge of changing the way classes are taught in Uganda. Many teachers take an authoritarian perspective in their classroom that is accepted culturally but also discourages creativity in students. As a team, local and foreign teachers will be challenged by having to work together as a team. Together, this group of people will overcome these barriers to revolutionize the educational system in Uganda.

How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Through a number of grants , fundraisers and private donations, our team plans to raise close to $1 million USD for the construction of a 25,000 square foot academy. The construction will be phased into four seperate portions starting with the classrooms. This will allow construction to start early. With an additional $600,000 USD, we plan to open and run the academy for two years. At the beginning of the third year, the academy will have sustainable income coming from agriculture and ecomtourism. Recent graduates will be volunteer teachers and coaches will decrease the operational costs of the school and encourage solidarity.

If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. No information, this is a new initiative and we are seeking start up and seed funds.

What is the potential demand for your innovation? - After two years, we hope to have at least 150 students and inquires into creating similar academies in other parts of Uganda. This concept has the potential to reach all young Ugandans attending school and who want to particpate in sports.

What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - It is imparitive that TCA is finanically sustainable locally. It is the intent of our team that the academy does not rely on foreign aide after a short time after its implementation. To achieve this, we need to create a source of income that does not impede the work of the school. The students should work to sustain the school finances and learn from this process but we do not want the school to be used for profit.

What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - The directors of TCA, Jeremy Goldberg and Terry McCormick, met when they were 9 years old at a YMCA Summer Camp in a rust-belt city on the West side of Cleveland. After summer camp, they caddied and played youth basketball together. When they were 16 years old, they co-created a student organization that successfully facilitated new voter registration, established an independent student newspaper, and organized community meetings with the City Council and School Board to discuss students civil liberties and enriching our educational experience. They remained friends as they left Ohio to attend different colleges. The idea for TCA evolved in 2007 out of our mutual love for sports. While in Peru in 2006, Terry witnessed the positive impact sports had in educating Andean youth. Similarly, in Uganda, over the past three years, Jeremy observed the power of soccer as a tool for social change when he organized the Ugandan Homeless World Cup team for Cape Town and Copenhagen. We agreed to launch TCA in Uganda and eventually bring TCA to Peru.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - Jeremy Goldberg has never taken the conventional path. Rather than take a full-time consulting job or head to Wall Street after college, Jeremy wanted to explore. Immediately after graduation he led a group of peers to Uganda to explore the culture, the hopes and the challenges facing the country. This visit to Uganda and the culmination of his passion for dreaming big, led to his co-founding the Global Youth Partnership for Africa. Since then, he has coordinated community development projects across Uganda, organized youth summits, immersions and campus programs for Americans and African students in Uganda, Cameroon and Sierra Leone. He has raised more than $250K in direct donations and in-kind contributions and has developed relationships with domestic and international media to promote his work. Terry has taken his energy and expertise to the rural mountain villages of Peru where he built water supply tanks, toilet rooms, schools, and playgrounds for orphans. He speaks widely about how designers can change the world by improving spaces for marginalized people across the globe.