Our Teach2030 Ambassadors work extremely hard for us in highlighting the importance of teacher professional development and how upskilling is key to successful teaching and learning. They demonstrate how successful TPD leverages great results in their classrooms, testing out strategies and ideas that they have gained from completing our low-data, bitesize courses and sharing good practice with colleagues and their wider communities.

At the Commonwealth Education Trust and Teach2030, our work is grounded in four pillars: We Build, We Advise, We Work Together, and We Elevate. We advise schools, systems and partners on approaches that can strengthen teaching and learning. We work together with educators, communities and institutions to ensure our programmes are grounded in local realities, and we elevate the voices, experiences and leadership of those driving change in their own contexts.

Our team of Ambassadors are helping to drive this change in their communities and beyond so that teaching is elevated and learning is successful and reachable for all. Our Ambassadors are trusted educators, advocates and connectors who understand their local contexts and can support other teachers in ways that are practical, credible and inspiring. They help us grow communities of practice, extend our reach and ensure that teacher development is not something done from a distance, but something shaped with and through the people closest to the work.

Festus Manda, an ambassador in Zambia is tirelessly working to champion Teach2030 as a key training programme throughout numerous schools in his community. He has a clear and strong belief that effective teacher professional development leads to high achieving teachers and students and overall success in the learning journey.

Festus’ big ambition is to engage over 100 educators on the Teach2030 platform in the next few months and he is actively carrying out his project in various ways; from delivering a presentation on the Commonwealth Education Trust to key stakeholders as well as leading interactive orientation sessions with hands-on assistance for teachers to register on Teach2030.

In his reporting, Festus told us that the Leadership Engagement meeting served as “a high-level strategic introduction of the Teach2030 platform” and a “scalable cost-effective solution for teacher professional development that aligns with the organisation’s mission and the Teaching Council of Zambia regulatory requirements”. He reports that “Leadership noted the platform’s low-data requirement as a vital feature” and “the focus on practical, bite-sized learning was welcomed as a way to avoid “training fatigue” while ensuring continuous pedagogical growth”.

When responding to questions from Leadership, Festus confirmed that course certificates from Teach2030 could act as “Evidence of Practice” – a mandatory requirement for teachers when renewing professional licenses with the TCZ. In addition, he explained that “the platform is designed specifically for low-resource settings, browser-based and very low data, with most courses requiring less than 20MB to complete.” The model includes Teacher Portfolios where educators document their reflections and certificates allowing management to track teacher training.

Festus has since moved forward with his project and engaged a school very close to his heart, where he previously worked. This is his story:

A Full Circle Journey: Returning to Village of Hope with Teach2030

By Festus Manda, Teach2030 Ambassador – Zambia.

In the heart of Chongwe District, Lusaka Province, lies a place that holds a very special place in my professional history: Village of Hope (VOH). Returning here on Thursday, March 5th, felt like a homecoming. It was within these very classrooms in 2020 that I first encountered Teach2030 as a teacher. I remember the excitement of my first enrolment and how those initial modules transformed my approach to pedagogy.

Now, six years later, I had the immense privilege of returning as an ambassador to hand that same spark of digital growth to the next generation of VOH educators.

The Orientation: A Room Full of Potentials

The atmosphere at VOH was one of high energy and focused ambition. While the school has a total staff of 26 teachers, 18 were able to attend the orientation (with the remainder away on a school assignment). Watching this team embrace the Teach2030 platform with enthusiasm was a powerful reminder of why we need to take Teach2030 to every teacher in Zambia.

We moved quickly from theory to practice, guiding every teacher through the registration process. By the end of the hour, 100% of the participants had successfully accessed the platform.

Real Voices: Feedback from the Field

The data from our post-orientation survey tells a story of a teaching staff ready for the future. On a scale of 1 to 5, the teachers rated the platform’s ease of use highly, with some giving it a perfect 5/5.

When asked how these courses would impact their learning, their responses reflected a deep commitment to student success:

Temwa Mwagomba shared that the courses will help in “ensuring that each child is able to understand.”
John Simusamba noted the practical nature of the content, stating it would specifically help him “improve class management skills.”
Cecilia Mulenga was eager to dive into Effective Questioning to stimulate deeper thinking in her learners.

The “Learning Partner” Model

One of the most encouraging takeaways was the enthusiasm for the Learning Partner model. VOH has always been a community, and teachers like Cecilia and Temwa expressed genuine excitement about working in pairs to share reflections. This peer-support culture is exactly what makes the Teach2030 model of teacher professional development sustainable.

Looking Ahead

Returning to my former workplace in Chongwe to launch this orientation was a milestone. These 18 teachers are now the catalysts for the colleagues who were away on assignment. As they build their Teacher Portfolios, they aren’t just following a program; they are continuing a legacy of excellence that I was proud to be a part of years ago.

The future of Zambian education is digital, it is accessible, and at Village of Hope, it is now firmly in the hands of the teachers.

We are all very proud of Festus for excelling in his role as a Teach2030 Ambassador, sharing his knowledge and experience and elevating our aim to ensure that all children receive a quality education from a transformative and supportive teacher. Well done Festus!

The Commonwealth Education trust seeks to upskill teachers around the world, providing accessible teacher professional development to bridge the gap in qualifications and provide teachers with the opportunity for growth. The global community and Ambassador Programme are giving teachers a platform for their voices to be heard.