EduSpots

✨ It was a pleasure to meet with Harriet Thompson, the British High Commissioner for Ghana, at the inspiring UK in Ghana event held at her residence last night. 👩🏿🏫The team (Akorfa, Abdul and I) discussed EduSpots' unique model for igniting community-led change through our practical, play-based model, culturally responsive model of education via spaces named Spots. 🔥 Abdul Wadud Suleiman shared his journey from founding a Spot with his students in Atanve, Volta Region, to moving through EduSpots' Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring leadership programmes, to overseeing the central & western regions of Spots today - a transformative journey replicated across our network of Catalysts. We explored our plans to expand the network from 50 to 100 Spots as we look to double our impact, aiming reaching over 30,000 learners in underserved communities, and we also look to examine potential scale pathways of our model in 2025 in Ghana, and beyond. EduSpots has kept a relatively low public profile across the past 9 years as we focused on consolidating our remarkable grassroots based of over 400 Catalysts, and refine the model to ensure it's effectively. 🤝 In 2025, in our 10th anniversary year, we are looking to build on our partnerships with all key stakeholders in Ghana, the UK and beyond, and strengthen our profile among potential supporters, including with the Ghanaian diaspora, to give our work a strong foundation for future impact. 📧 If you would like to learn about EduSpots' work, or join us in partnership in our bold aims for reimagining education through community-led change, email info@eduspots.org. 🙏 Thank you to Harriet, and to all at the British High Commission in Ghana for hosting and organising a remarkable new year's mixer event! 🥂 Here's to #OurCollectiveFuture! #UKinGhana2025 #BritishHighCommissionGhana #OurCollectiveFuture

📣 Are you in the UK and looking for an opportunity to engage your students in the complexities of power, ethics and agency as we unpack the localisation agenda? 🔥 The moment is here! Sign-up to join EduSpots' second UK student conference (for years 10-13, and university ages) on the theme of 'Conversations in Community-led Change'. 🗓️ The date is 8th March (International Women's Day), from 10-4pm at Corpus Christi College Cambridge - especially symbolic to me, as it's where my journey in studying philosophy and ethics began! 💥 While the full list of speakers are still being confirmed, I'm excited to announce the following participants: 1. Our keynote speaker is Cormac Russell, an established author, speaker and consultant in the area of assets-based community-development. Search online for his Tedtalk, for more inspiration! 2. We are delighted to be joined by two remarkable female Catalysts from Ghana, whose actions and ideas have helped to create the EduSpots network: firstly, Gloria Addae, one of the founding Catalysts from Abofour Spots; secondly, NIMATU ABDUL-RAHMAN, the founder and Project Leader of Savelugu Spot. 3. Next we have Dr Amjad Mohamed Saleem (PhD) manager of youth volunteering at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, with extensive experience across peace building, community engagement and wider humanitarian work, also serving as an EduSpots trustee since 2021. 4. And... myself! You can read my bio ☺️ . 🗣️ As part of this event, student social entrepreneurs and activists have the chance to apply to speak about their work. Application form for this coming soon! 📧 Early bird tickets (by 31st Jan) are £55/student with discounts available for group bookings. Email Brittany, our Fundraising Manager at bnewfer@eduspots.org today! 🎇 NB: All profits from this event will be used to fund EduSpots' work in Ghana, helping us to reach the 2025 goal of expanding our Spots from 50-100 in the next period, therefore doubling our collective impact! 🥂 We look forward to seeing many of you there, as we look to kick off our 10th anniversary celebrations with dynamic ethical conversations! #conference #community #ethics

💥 As our 10th anniversary year begins, we are excited to share our collective aim to expand our network from 50 to 100 community-led Spots in Ghana! 🔥This will enable us to DOUBLE our impact, and involve over 30,000 learners annually in our unique model of play-based, practical and community-centred education. 🕰️ Having spent the last 9 years refining our ‘Spot’ model, building our network support system, alongside our staff team and organisational logistics, we are poised for the next step in our development. Funding dependent, in the next period, we aim to recruit and enlist 50 Spots onto a specific new 6 month Spot development programme, ahead of fully inducting the teams into the wider network. 📧 If you are interested in learning more about funding this exciting opportunity to double the reach of our network, or know someone who might be interested, email our CEO Cat Davison at info@eduspots.org 🤗 There is a way for everyone to get involved! 1. Join our new ‘100 Club’, a monthly giving community! https://lnkd.in/dcd8HAEF 2. Apply to create one of the next wave of Spots (info coming in the next month!) 3. Attend our 10th anniversary events in Cambridge (eventbrite link here: https://lnkd.in/dq7a_i3q) and Accra (details to follow). 4. Participate in our first UK student conference in Cambridge (8th March) - email Brittany at bnewfer@eduspots.org 5. Sign-up to our EduChamps WhatsApp community here: https://lnkd.in/dPmQtTeY 🥂 Here's to... #OurCollectiveFuture! #expansion #anniversary #OurCollectiveFuture

💡 What if every community had a space where learners of all ages could come together to create the futures they want to see, through education? 🎬 Take a listen to Kofi Asamoah, a member of the 1st Spot created in Abofour, who describes how the library ‘has filled a very great vacuum’ in his life. 🔥 Kofi not only reads and borrows books, and shares them with his friends, but has also just signed up to be an EduSpots Catalyst, to play a key role in leading Spot activities and local decision-making. 💭 In EduSpots, Catalysts range from ages 11-80, with diverse generations coming together to lead the spaces and their activities, and engage in monthly Spot Lead challenges stretching across themes of entrepreneurship, project management and communications. Whilst the Catalysts develop their own skills in effective teamwork, they enrich the learning opportunities of thousands of learners who use the spaces and join a diverse range of clubs, with the club members of today fast becoming the Catalysts of tomorrow. ↘️So, what are the benefits of age groups coming together? 1. This builds empathy and understanding between generations, with increased understanding of the experiences, challenges and aspirations of diverse age groups, leading to strong community-based and wider societal cohesion. 2. When young people see the older generations learning, they increasingly see education as a journey, rather than an examination focused end-point, thus modelling a life-long love of learning. 3. Learners can be exposed to diverse ideas. Whilst wary of stereotypes, young people often bring understanding of the new trends and digital skills, whilst older generations may also bring wisdom, lived experience and local history and culture. 4. Having a mix of age groups can better ensure the long-term sustainability. Having the older generation involved can help build local partnerships, gain credibility, grow funding and even change local policies, whilst the youth can bring understand of their needs and aspirations, often holding the time and enthusiasm to make ideas happen. 📣 Society is multi-generational, so too, should education be! 🥂 Here's to #OurCollectiveFuture, and to Kofi's journey as a Catalyst! #intergenerationallearning #education #ourcollectivefuture 

🎇 So this isn't just any new year for EduSpots... today in 2025, we dive into our 10th anniversary year! From the Addae family and local teachers creating a community-led solar-powered education 'Spot' in the heart of Abofour (captured below!), to over 400 community-based Catalysts working as teams to create and lead 50 Spots across 12 regions of Ghana and Kenya, involving over 20,000 learners in the process, EduSpots has had a remarkable journey! This year, our team of committed Catalysts, staff, peer mentors, interns, trustees and advisory group members, are pausing to reflect on close to a decade of driving change, whilst collectively building big dreams and plans for future impact. 🎉 Across this year there will be a range of ways to get involved in the celebrations, and in building #OurCollectiveFuture! Here are a few starting points... 1. Spot expansion 🔥 We are excited to share that we are aiming to expand our network to 100 Spots in the next period, funding dependent! We will open a window for new Spot applications in the months ahead, and we are looking for funders interested in this opportunity to invest in our expansion. 2. 100 Club 💡 We are launching our '100 club' - a new monthly giving community designed to support our 100 Spot expansion, whilst building a wider network of support around our community-led model. 3. Events 🪅 We are excited to be holding events on the 8th March at Corpus Christi College Cambridge - a 10th anniversary dinner and a UK student conference, with guest speaker Cormac Russell, alongside 2 EduSpots Catalysts (tbc!). This will be followed by an Accra-based event in the summer months. For tickets, email Brittany on bnewfer@eduspots.org 4. Launching a new online course 💻 Over the years, our online courses have had hundreds of graduates exploring themes of global development and postcolonial thinking with a focus on promoting critical and empathetic cross-cultural dialogue. In 2025, we are aiming to redevelop a flagship course exploring development and charitable ethics on a new platform. 5. Bike 2 My Roots 🚴🏿 An official announcement to follow on this soon, but let's just say we have a truly remarkable Ghanaian embarking on a HUGE journey in support of EduSpots' expansion! 6. Growing the EduChamps community 📣 We aim to grow and consolidate our EduChamps WhatsApp community, equipping passionate individuals with the tools to promote our work, advocating for community-led models, and learn more about education, power, and community development. Link to sign-up here: https://lnkd.in/dR93SkGu 7. New leadership! 💫 We have some exciting new leadership roles to announce across the EduSpots' team... support for our movement for change is growing! 👀 More information will follow on all of the above in the next month, as our plans take shape. Excited for building #OurCollectivefuture? Let's gooooooo 2025!!!💃 #10thanniversary #decadeofimpact #eduspots

✨🌟 Happy New Year from all of us at EduSpots! 🌟✨ Thank you for being part of our journey to building #ourcollectivefuture Here’s to more community-led change in 2025 🤝 #EduSpots #NewYear2025 #HappyNewYear #NewYear #2025

📚 ✨ Our 10th highlight: In 2024, we distributed around 8937 books, with thousands more collected by local Spot teams! 📖 38% of these books were brand new local text books or books by African authors! 💡 Fun fact: our original founding name was ‘Reading Spots’ with a specific focus on books, reading and literacy development. Whilst we have transitioned to a wider education focus since 2019, we continue to believe in the benefits of reading, storytelling, also understanding literacy development as a foundational building block for other educational opportunities. 🙏 A huge thank you to Book Aid International and Books For Africa for their contributions towards this work! 📧 Want to support us with a book donation in 2025? Email info@eduspots.org #books #reading #community #education #OurCollectiveFuture

"It was a dance between exhaustion and hope, between managing chronic health challenges and building a movement that believes every community can lead its own educational transformation.." 🥲 "In 2025, we're not just scaling—we're proving that community-led education isn't a nice-to-have, but a fundamental reimagining of how learning can transform societies." 🙏 📝 Here we go.... my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor.studio! 2024 began with remembering my dad and ended with a dream taking flight. Nine years after planting the first EduSpots seed in Abofour, this year proved that persistence isn't just a strategy—it's a lifeline. From late-night grant applications to becoming EduSpots' first CEO, the journey wasn't linear. It was a dance between exhaustion and hope, between managing chronic health challenges and collectively building a movement that believes every community can lead its own educational transformation. This year's highlights weren't just milestones—they were revelations: • Selected as EduSpots' inaugural CEO after a competitive process • Launched our first digital app giving training for 400 community Catalysts • Expanded digital equity initiatives across 50 community Spots in Ghana • Joined fellowships with Gratitude Network and Dovetail Impact Foundation • Expanded from 4 to 13 full-time staff (60% from Catalyst backgrounds!) • Extended funding through partnerships such as mc2h foundation Three posts that captured our collective journey: "Every community has a unique path to change" - celebrating diverse approaches to educational equity https://lnkd.in/dNwtVA4g "Awards are tools, not endpoints" - reflecting on how recognition means nothing without strategic vision https://lnkd.in/dCqKcacC "Navigating post-viral fatigue while building EduSpots" - embracing vulnerability in leadership https://lnkd.in/dzTuXP3c In 2025, we're not just scaling—we're proving that community-led education isn't a nice-to-have, but a fundamental reimagining of how learning can transform societies. 🔥 To our 400 Catalysts, growing team, and incredible supporters: You don't just support EduSpots. You ARE EduSpots. #OurCollectiveFuture #EducationalEquity #CommunityLedChange #LinkedInRewind #Coauthor #2024wrapped

🎥 🎉 The final reel of EduSpots’ 2024! Thank you to everyone across our wide network and supporter base who made this year truly golden! ✨ 🥂 Here’s to… #OurCollectiveFuture #2024 #2024wrapped #education #community #endofaseason

🌟 Highlight 9 of 2024: Expanding the Team🌟 EduSpots grew significantly this year! We made a significant leap forward by expanding our team: 👩💼 13 full-time Ghana-based staff 👩💻 4 part-time staff 👥 7 peer mentors in Ghana 🎓 4 talented interns Even more exciting, 7 members of staff are international staff, and 60% of our staff team come from Catalyst backgrounds, showcasing our commitment to grassroots leadership and community-driven impact. This robust team structure ensures greater efficiency, stronger support for our Catalysts, and an even bigger impact across the EduSpots network. #EduSpots #ourcollectivefuture #CommunityImpact #staff