Cote d’Ivoire Teacher Overcomes Conflict to Join US Training Program
February 7, 2013
Aka Blohou, teacher from Cote d'Ivoire, participates in teacher training.
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When post-election violence broke out in Cote d'Ivoire, in April of 2010, Aka Blehou, knew that he must continue to teach, no matter the circumstances. Blehou, an English teacher, and current Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Fellow recalls: “During the conflict, the village school was closed, but I gathered the students there, and I taught them twice a week, unofficially… so when the school opened, they would not forget.”
The same courage and passion motivated Blehou to apply to be one of the first teachers from Cote d’Ivoire in the TEA program. The current cohort of the program includes more than 90 teachers from 30 countries. During their six week stay at US universities, the teachers will engage in professional development, deepen their understanding of technology in the classroom, and promote cross-cultural understanding. The teachers will bring back these skills and implement change throughout their communities. In recent years, 79% of TEA alumni report leading peer training workshops within six months of their return.
For Blehou, traveling to the United States is full of new experiences -- from his first plane ride, to seeing snow for the first time. His program has only just begun but he is already thinking about the impact he will have when he returns home. “When you help someone learn, you see them become a good person in society. One day I want my students to become ambassadors and leaders. This is really important to me, and one day it will come true.”
The Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by IREX.
