Members of the Arise Education team have been working in Uganda since 2007 and we have had team members living in Uganda since 2014. Together, the local and international teams have been analyzing how we could make a real difference for children in Uganda (a substantial, long-term, large-scale, measurable difference). A difference that would not only help a few individuals but could impact the greater needs of Uganda as a nation.

We believe we must target core issues to trigger a real change. We also believe that education is a transformational gateway to other spheres of society. By producing future ready citizens that have the knowledge to thrive today as well as the ability to adapt to and create the future, Uganda’s education system will create a future where there is opportunity. These well educated and highly motivated citizens will improve the countries GDP through business activities and good governance, impact society by building strong families, and reduce corruption by increasing earning opportunities for many.

To achieve this vision, the current education system must be disrupted and something better must take it’s place. Uganda must redefine its educational target of simply passing government exams. Uganda needs to place excellence at the center of the educational process and produce future ready individuals who are able to thrive.

The Profound Learning education system is developed by the Imaginal Education team at Masters Academy & College in Alberta Canada. Profound Learning has a well documented record of results with more than 90% of their learners achieving provincial academic excellence year after year. The Profound Learning education system is currently in use in Canada, Spain, Nigeria and Brazil with other countries considering adoption. The Arise Education project is working to bring Profound Learning to Uganda.

The teacher-centric education system invented in the 1950’s was designed to produce factory workers for an industrial age. Profound Learning is a completely new education system that shifts the responsibility of learning to the student (where it belongs) and tasks educators with making knowledge inviting, accessible and measurable.

In Ugandan schools today, students are considered smart if they can memorize details for tests and get good scores. Using the Profound Learning education system, students are considered smart if they know what they don’t know and have an action plan to fill the gaps. This fundamental strategy change reshapes learning, allowing students to take control of their own education. It also prepares learners to self-assess their skills and knowledge at any point in the future. These children become “future ready”.

The Arise Education team intends to build a proof-of-concept school to demonstrate this future of education in Uganda. Using 21st century tools and methods, this school will allow Ugandan teachers, administrators, authorities, and parents to taste-and-see the results of a better educational system.

Yes! Arise believes that three specific lanes of work need to be undertaken in order to render the current Ugandan educational methods obsolete.

The initial body of work is to implement the proof-of-concept school. This school must prove not only that Profound Learning will create individuals that can thrive in Uganda but also that the school can be operated profitably. With this school in operation, educators and authorities must then be educated about Profound Learning and invited to analyze the school and its strategy. Finally, early adopters need to be enabled to migrate away from old practices and methods.

Yes, education is foundational to the success of any nation. Ignorance creates an environment where exploitation and poverty persist. Knowledge, creativity, innovation and integrity is established through excellence in education and provide the foundation for success in all spheres of society.

By replacing the obsolete educational practices which produce poverty and corruption today, we can establish a new education system that enables children to grow and thrive. These children will impact their spheres of influence and bring about a wider transformation for their nation.