Introduction:
Communities of Thinking (CoT) is a solution and purpose-driven Education Non-Profit Organization founded upon conviction that, Education must stimulate learners to utilize their thinking faculties in full capacity to address societal challenges. The Organization promotes Quality Education through implementation of Innovative Project-based, Practical and Assets-based Learning approaches. The name of the Organization basically refers not only to a Community but also the School which is supposed to be a type of Community where "Thinking Development" goes on. CoT works initially with Basic and Second Cycle Schools (thus Kindergarten, Primary, Junior & Senior High Schools), but extends successful programs will be extended into Tertiary institutions like Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities. That is to say, such successful activities will stimulate further collaborative research works in the institutions of higher learning. At Communities of Thinking, we believe that we can provide solutions to society’s problems through project exploration opportunities for learners. CONCEPT / BACKGROUND
Who has the right and the power to define Quality Education? Does one size (learning/teaching model) fit all? Are we achieving Adaptive and Holistic education? These and many more are the questions that remain unanswered but stimulated the establishment of “Communities of Thinking” when the founder engaged other well-meaning colleagues in an academic discourse to assess the causes and extent of the gap that exists between the Education we achieve and the numerous developmental challenges that still exist in our communities. Learning achievements of children in schools must be meaningful to the needs and challenges of society. Education is but the single most important tool that can be used to achieve such learning achievements. Learning therefore must be a mixture of involvement and understanding in the right proportions. Children in most schools in Ghana and other parts of Africa or the world have not been offered with the opportunity of involvement in the learning process. It has become necessary to introduce a new way of doing things that will challenge young learners to become highly creative and innovative. The idea therefore in forming this organization and developing projects within it is to introduce the new dimensions of Practical Project-based learning and experimentation into the schools which will be encouraged and expected to develop models that give different approaches to learning and problem solving in our schools and communities / societies. Our Objectives include:
a. Lead Advocacy to change schools into “communities of thinking”
b. Promote Innovative Assets-based & Experiential Learning Models in Schools
c. Increase Re-integration of School Drop-outs and promote Girls Re-Entry (Teenage mothers and Drop-outs)
d. To build Technology assisted Career Guidance model for at least 1000 schools
Vision and Mission
VISION: Societies with unique solutions to challenges
MISSION: Promoting assets-based learning and skills development through inclusive and analytical thinking initiatives
MOTTO: Passion, Practice & Excellence
Specific Programmes / Activities:
Pedagogy Management:
e. General Advocacy for Effective Practical and Project-Based Education
f. Promote Innovative Assets-based & Experiential Learning Models in Schools
Girls Education & Drop out elimination:
a. Girls Re-Entry (Teenage mothers and Drop-outs)
b. “Come to my School” – Community Radio Programme to support enrolment drive
Innovation & Technology:
a. Technology-Based Career Guidance
b. Music & Art for Student retention and Completion
c. Early Grade Reading and Spelling Bee
d. Robotics in Education
Our targeted beneficiaries are:
500 communities,
4,000 schools
25,000 Teachers and
800,000 school Children
Contact details: Postal address: Nursery Road, No. 23, P.O. Box HP507, Ho, Volta Region Email: [email protected] Phone nos: +233 24 411 5815, +233 36 202 8226 Facebook: www.facebook.com/communitiesofthinking
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Bright Dey is a professional educator who is passionate about achieving Quality in Education for Sustainable Development. He has over ten years’ experience in Pedagogy management and Education Administration. Bright also has a background in Art and Information Technology. He heads the Planning and ICT Unit of the Volta Regional Education Directorate in Ghana. He is a young, versatile gentleman endowed with various skills; hence he’s often popularly referred to as a “Man of Many Parts.”
As the founder and CEO of “Communities of Thinking” an Education-based NGO, He is noted for innovative introduction of programmes in schools which contribute to improved learning outcomes of over 700,000 targeted school children. Bright Dey is a Rotarian and he has special skills in Music making on various instruments. Bright is a committed social enterprise person who trains out-of-school children in music. He has won several awards including the Most Well-Behaved Male Student (2003), Overall Best Worker Award (2012) and the Young Servant Leadership awards (2015). He is a 2014 MASHAV alumnus (Israel) and he received the YALI - Mandela Washington Fellow (USA) award from President Barrack Obama in Washington D.C in August, 2015.
