By Sheila WILLIAMS
Teachers are the first guiding step to ensuring quality education. Quality education is the greatest hope for the future, ensuring that students get the best, quality education is largely dependent on the teacher.
Bayport Savings & Loans has instituted several corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs that impacts on customers and their communities. “The Bayport Teacher Innovation Competition” is one of such impactful projects, which is to grow with its community.
The Managing Director of Bayport Savings & Loans Mr. Nii Amanda Tetteh, in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Head of Human Resource Ms. Doreen Baffoe express joy, “Bayport Savings and Loans went in search of teachers who change the world, to empower them by celebrating and rewarding them for their outstanding teaching methods in their areas of expertise”.
“Such innovation is essential to the transformation of our educational system here in Ghana and critical to the development of our children and youth teachers. The Bayport Teacher Innovation Competition is part of the shared growth strategy of Bayport which emphasizes on growing with the community”.
This proves that your innovative ideas that was pitched is impressive and can go a long way in improving learning for the children and the youth.
Background
The Bayport Teacher Innovation Competition is an initiative from Bayport Savings and Loans, in collaboration with Reach for Change. The competition seeks to reward teachers with innovative ideas and initiatives in teaching which can improve learning in Literacy, Numeracy or STEM for children. Bayport seeks to offer our support to the development of our educational system to ensure quality education through focusing on the teacher.
Bayport and Reach for Change have provided 15 exceptional teachers with financial support, advice, coaching and training to help develop and scale their ideas, since the inception of the competition from 2015.
Rita Siaw, the assistant head mistress at Likpe Nkwanta M/A Basic School, was declared winner of the previous competition, with an impressive teaching model that promoted English written and spoken language proficiency through a practical, entertaining and interactive approach. Her entry earned her a spot on the shortlist of 25 and after a thorough adjudication process, Rita was one of the 10 finalists who qualified for the incubator program.
Rita took advantage of Bayport sales outreach activities nationwide to engage fellow teachers and delivered a series of training sessions. More than 1,400 teachers from eight districts have attended Rita’s workshops so far. They, in turn, have taught more than 42,000 children to read and write better in English.
Congratulations to the teachers who presented the best 10 innovative ideas for this year. “I hope you go back to your various school and adopt the amazing ideas you have shared with us. Keep being passionate about your roles. Continue to apply discipline and consistency to help you progress to achieve your dream of ensuring children get that quality education”…. The Head of Human Resource Bayport Savings & Loans Ms. Doreen Baffoe emphasized “
2018 Edition
Over 200 entries were received during the 2018 edition from all the ten regions in Ghana. The competition was open to all public-school teachers from basic to secondary level. 24 applicants were shortlisted for the next stage which involved pitching their ideas and going through series of trainings through the incubator stage.
Bayport rewards 10 exceptional teachers for the quality and creativity of ideas they pitched. The 10 finalists have simple but outstanding teaching methods in their areas of expertise and such innovation is essential to the transformation of the educational system here in Ghana and critical to the development of children and youth.
Bayport spent a collective amount of 50,000 Ghana Cedis as rewards for these exceptional teachers.
All 10 winners of the Bayport Teacher Innovation Competition won a cash prize of 1,000 cedis each.
The 3 Most Innovative Teachers for 2018 are namely, Cornelius Kwame Adjia, a teacher from Dome M/A Basic School in Accra, Henrietta Adiko, from Have Technical Institute in the Volta Region and Nana Yaw Adu from Manhean Presby Basic School in Amasaman, and they won for themselves brand-new laptop each.
Rewarding these teachers and putting smiles on their faces is proof that Bayport Savings & Loans social projects are ensuring growth with their communities.
