Today is a day our team has dreamed about.
Today, the TeachUNITED program has reached one million children around the world.
When the first TeachUNITED program launched in 2016, we were a small organization with big aspirations to ensure one million children had access to a more quality education by 2030. And here we are, through the first quarter in 2023 having already reached 1,130,329 children in 14 countries worldwide!
That’s one million rural children with access to a more motivated and engaged teacher and the opportunity for quality education.
Together we are keeping girls in school longer, preparing more kids to graduate, and keeping the best teachers from leaving the profession. And it is all because of you, our partners, and our team.
OUR TEAM is a mission-driven group who have shown up through pandemics and worldwide school closures to improve education every day, especially those in underserved and rural communities worldwide. From the coaches working directly with educators, to regional leadership expanding the program to local communities most in need, to our HQ teams constantly working to improve our program, measure outcomes, and ensure financial sustainability—our team and partners are why we can celebrate this achievement.
We also celebrate with our DONORS AND NGO PARTNERS. Our donors and partners truly understand the transformative impact their investment has in these communities. The ability to bring such a collaborative program to some of the most rural, remote, and underfunded communities can be life-changing for both the teachers and students—our donors are also why we can celebrate this achievement.
FInally, our biggest celebration is for the DEDICATED TEACHERS working in classrooms today who have gone through our program, carried those skills forward, coached other teachers in their schools and communities, and changed the way their students learn and grow. As they have strengthened their skills, they have increased their own engagement —staying in the profession longer and finding new ways to show up for their students. Our teachers are why we can celebrate this achievement.
One million students reached is a staggering achievement, one in which I hope you all share pride. At TeachUNITED, though, we believe that scale is only a celebration if it is combined with measured positive outcomes for our teachers and students. This program builds educator capacity so that rural communities are empowered to make big changes – closing the equity gap and sustaining the improvements for years to come.
No one person or organization will solve the global learning crisis alone.
Thanks for pausing with us for a brief moment to reflect on this great achievement of reaching one million students. But we won’t stop here. There’s more work to be done. Join us!
With gratitude,
Heather Hiebsch, Co-Founder and CEO