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The Pilot Program
When the Foundation was first formed, managing director Fleur Birch-Atkinson began to lay the groundwork for a three year pilot program to be implemented in the Kalim School. The idea was to put together the best possible program to serve as a model for future expansion into other schools. Ms. Birch-Atkinson created an estimated budget for the new program and, with the support of Tom McNamara and the Board, funds were quickly raised to finance the pilot program. The next step was to recruit and hire the Foundation’s Director of Education, U.K. born Kate Cope. As discussed in the section on our Educational Approach, Ms. Cope was brought in to develop an approach to teaching practical English that specifically takes into account the economic and cultural context within which the youth of Phuket are living and learning. As the only paid employee of the Foundation, Ms. Cope’s work is vital to its current and long-term success. Beyond developing an approach to teaching an English language curriculum, her efforts involve a thorough and thoughtful consideration of teaching materials, as well as benchmarking and ongoing assessment, all with an eye to applying the newly established program in other schools in the future. Ms. Cope is serving as the teacher in the pilot program and will work to recruit, train and supervise volunteer teachers in other schools as the program expands. With money raised, a Director of Education brought in, and months of hard work on the part of Ms. Birch-Atkinson, navigating the necessary bureaucratic channels, the Foundation was given official recognition as a non-profit entity and began the implementation of the Kalim School pilot program May 15, 2006. Visit our Kalim School photo gallery to see images of the students in the Kalim School. The Future The Kalim School pilot program is only the beginning. The Foundation has already set in motion an ambitious plan to recruit volunteer interns and fellows from abroad, including American schools like Harvard University and Smith College, to implement similar programs in other schools on Phuket and eventually, other parts of Thailand. There is enough money in donations and pledges to fully fund the pilot program for three years and the Foundation is now looking to both individual donors and large businesses to fund the programs for each new school. This innovative approach to using private sector funds in public education will of course have long-run benefits for the very same businesses that are currently being courted. Despite Phuket’s explosive growth, all businesses on the island have suffered at one point or another from labor shortages and this plan promises to provide a solid long term solution. Those who would see the Foundation’s work as loosely veiled cultural imperialism should note such a program could exist anywhere and could use any language. English merely happens to be the language or currency at present in many parts of the world, including Phuket and Thailand in general. Such a program could also be applied in areas where Mandarin, Spanish or some other language is important to the fabric of local economy. Based on Ms. Cope’s efforts in benchmarking and assessment, we expect to be able to demonstrate the success the Foundation’s approach to English language education within the first year of its implementation. The initial signs are very encouraging. The children in the pilot school were tested during the first week of the program and again, after eighteen weeks, at the end of the semester. Their scores in these Benchmark Tests improved by an average of 17 per cent. The next phase of our Foundation’s history is thus imminent. Our tremendous success so far is the product of the efforts just a handful of hard-working and dedicated individuals armed with a vision. Ms. Birch-Atkinson and the Foundation’s Board expect they will continue to find others willing to contribute to this pioneering project. We thank you for visiting our website and for your support and assistance. History The Pilot Program Board of Directors Media Coverage & Support | |
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