At the start of 2015 we invested heavily in reflecting on past learning in order to develop and improve programs. The whole team participated in a retreat to set high level priorities for the organization in 2015 and beyond.

Continuous learning and growth are key to Dignitas’ success. In February we developed a teacher assessment rubric and a school leader assessment rubric. Our new tools track transformation at the individual educator level, as well as help coaches and educators set measurable progress goals.

We held two weeks of Professional Development workshops on the topic of leadership, developing assessments and teaching materials, and educational support for students with special needs.

Ten partner schools in Kawangware came together for a inter-school sports tournament, with over 600 students taking part.

We hosted a small group of students from the American University who conducted four different research projects to strengthen our approach and programming.

We were delighted to launch our new Dignitas website and logo! And continued sharing our stories and success on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Throughout September and October, and in partnership with Tailored For Education, we distributed over 1,400 new uniforms to students from five different schools

We celebrated World Teachers Day with a series of profiles on just a few of our amazing teachers. If you haven’t already, meet Lilian, Vincent, Josephine, and Agnes and learn more about their experience educating Kenya’s next generation!

We invited  16 partners school from Kangemi and Kawangware to apply for the Wezesha grant program. These schools submitted proposals for small grants to improve the learning environment. After providing feedback to strengthen schools’ resource acquisition skills and conducting due diligence, Dignitas began delivering inputs to qualifying schools.

In December, Dignitas hosted our first Thought Leadership conference. The theme of “Cultivating High-Quality Education in Low-Resource Settings” brought together partner organizations Africa Education Trust, Women Educational Researchers of Kenya, and Twaweza. Together, we showcased innovative approaches and developed strategies to strengthen our collective impact to improve education in Kenya.