Welcome to Our Global Community
This page is dedicated to inspirational leadership and stories in the field of education, whether they are our direct partners or teachers and students from the broader education community. The stories we’re sharing range from Michelle Rubio, a dedicated and creative school teacher in an impoverished community in the Philippines, to the exciting developments of our friends at NGO, Smiles in Education. We even take a moment to appreciate how architecture can impact learning with the unique design of the International School of Debrecen!
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Smiles in Education
Integrate mindfulness into the classroom with SMILES (Stress-Free, Motivating, Inquisitive, Learning, Ecosystem). SMILES uses positive psychology to create short and easy techniques in lesson plans for inculcating life skills such as resilience, empathy, discernment & willpower. These tools also improve concentration & recall power resulting in better academic and cognitive outcomes. Their founder, Vishal Sharma, founded SMILES in 2017 with the objective to bring out the inherent creativity in teachers and students for better motivation & passion for learning.
Our team are currently working on a SMILES-oriented teacher training programme following Vishal’s guidance.
Taking Learning Outside the Classroom
Michelle Rubio is a grade school teacher at Calao Elementary School in Sorsogon City, on the island of Luzon. She has been recognised for using innovative strategies to make learning fun and engaging, and for her care and compassion in teaching her students. She created a “Resort for Learning” which is a part of the school full of beach props like umbrellas and a hut. While the cool environment is fun for the students, there’s also a strong improvement in students’ focus and attention. The “Resort for Learning” has the ability to display PowerPoint presentations built in, features six reading stations geared for children of different abilities and features specific themes – Read and Spell, Shopping of Words, Read-Stop-and Dance, Pair-Reading and Pathway Reading.
Michelle Rubio and the students at Calao Elementary School are among the beneficiaries of Learnerchain’s Charitable Donation Programme.
Spaces Designed for Learning
It all begins with an idea. Our friends at the International School of Debrecen embraced a simple, yet symbolic shape which traditionally means protection, union and community, while it softly blends into the neighbouring forest area of the Natura 2000 protected 'Nagyerdő'. A circle, with its simple shape is the symbol of spontaneously formed human groups without any differentiations.
A cluster of people gather either for a discourse between equals or for paying attention to a single one of them. An area surrounded by a circle melts together groups or individuals. The circle with its primary simplicity symbolizes the union of space and community. It is also a symbol of the borders of existence, or in other words, of our created world.
Igor Klymenko, Global Student Prize Winner
In 5th grade, when the first signs of war in Ukraine began, Igor knew he wanted to do something to help his people. Always interested in science, he decided to apply his learnings to develop robots for demining and in 10th grade began incorporating quadcopters and drones into his ideas. For the last two years, he has been actively working on his latest research, Quadcopter Mines Detector, which he has successfully presented at numerous competitions and exhibitions – he was a finalist of the X Festival of Innovative Projects "Sikorsky Challenge 2021: Ukraine and the World", for example. Igor also received the Gold medal in the junior category at Malaysia's 21st Technology Exhibition (MTE) 2022. This award was particularly significant for Igor as it enabled him to successfully present his research to the world.
Such determination and effort from such a young age deserves special recognition and mention.
Harness Social Media to Change Lives
For many teachers, social media is a non-stop distraction for their students, both in class and out. But not for Tawnya Robinson. She vlogs the ups and downs of being a teacher, sharing posts and videos with different strategies in the classroom. Her series, “A Year in the Life of a Fifth Grade Teacher” offers a deep look into the daily life of teachers. Her videos branch out into other often overlooked areas such as essential financial tips for teachers. How to avoid negativity and build positivity in the teachers lounge is another must-watch vlog.
This is a great example of how social media can play a positive role in the educational space.
Fundacion Escuela de Solidaridad
Learnerchain is excited to partner with Global Works and the Fundacion Escuela de Solidaridad to deliver an exciting new Educational Travel Programme in the south of Spain. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the founder and build their volunteering hours working alongside migrants and local underprivileged youth who the Fundacion assist. Both an eye-opening and educational experience for students in equal measure.