Impact Story: New Hope Adventist Parents Academy, Rwanda
New Hope Adventist Parents Academy in Bugesera, Rwanda was established in 2017 with 3 teachers and 41 students. The school was determined to increase learner enrolment, which resulted in door-to-door marketing, and supporting parents through introducing helpful school fee payment models. By focusing mainly on improving learning outcomes, their learner enrolment skyrocketed over a short timeframe. Today, the school has 372 learners enrolled and a large teaching staff.
In its early days, New Hope Adventist Parents Academy collected 8 million RWF to hire 2 classrooms, where they conducted Nursery and Primary schooling. Soon after, they were able to secure a loan from Umurenge SACCO. These funds were put towards buying the land where the school was constructed, building classrooms, and purchasing teaching and learning materials.
The school leader, Mr. Ndayambaje Anicet, welcomed the Teacher Mentor Professional Development (TMPD) training offered by the EduQuality program in Rwanda. The teachers were encouraged to attend all sessions, and successfully delivered trainings for their colleagues at the school. This was implemented through conducting classroom observations and providing their colleagues with feedback for further improvement.
As a result, Mr. Anicet has noticed fantastic improvements within the teaching and learning structure at New Hope Adventist Parents Academy. Mr. Anicet says teaching methodologies have been improved, students are more engaged during lessons, there is an increase in teacher-student interactions, and classroom management has become much smoother. Additionally, learner discipline and performance have been positively impacted; the school’s performance reached 100% in national exams.