The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the global education landscape. Schools shutting down worldwide have exposed inequities in education, deficiencies in distance learning, and the true cost of the digital divide. In response to the pandemic, organizations such as SC Johnson and three Teach For organizations have come together to work towards excellent and equitable education for the region’s children, bridging and advancing students’ learning despite the challenges brought by the COVID crisis.
“This partnership is an opportunity for us to create pathways to greater economic and social mobility for underserved communities where we operate through Teach For’s network and expertise,” said Alan VanderMolen, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at SC Johnson. “Access to a quality education is an essential need for every child, and we are pleased to be able to support these efforts.”
The SC Johnson partnership with Teach for the Philippines (TFP), Teach For Malaysia (TFM), and Teach For Thailand (TFT) provides valuable resources to support program continuity and student learning for middle to low-income school communities. Through its hallmark initiative, the Fellowship Program, these independent organizations recruit, train, and deploy promising teachers who work within their country’s school systems and eventually become an influential alumni network that continues to build their nations through education reform.
Teach for the Philippines
TFP has redesigned its programs to accommodate various learning delivery modes respecting students’ household contexts and the variety of access-to-learning challenges in the Philippines. Given the country’s educational realities, its goal is to raise continued support for foundational learning in public schools. TFP contributes to the solution through its Functional Literacy Program, a successfully evaluated early grade-level intervention for reading and math, and its Batang Bayani (Young Hero) Program, a tried and tested life skills program that builds student capability as well as capacitates parents to support their child’s learning. TFP-trained teachers can offer and deliver both programs remotely.
Partnering with SC Johnson helps TFP reach a total of 600 students in the Functional Literacy Program and 300 students plus 100 parents for the Batang Bayani Life Skills Program in hard-to-reach areas or disadvantaged backgrounds. The SC Johnson grant allows for the development and production of learning materials adapted for individualized delivery modes most applicable for students’ contexts and access to the appropriate learning resources and platforms for their parents, who now serve as teachers at home.
“SC Johnson’s support moves our programs forward for not just our students, but also for their parents and our public school teachers who remain committed to facilitating learning amid the ever-changing context of the Philippine public education system.” Teach for the Philippines’ CEO, Clarissa Isabelle Delgado, shared. “We are grateful to have a partner like SC Johnson who believes that education is a priority in social development and that trusts us to ensure that learning continues in school communities no matter the situation at hand.”
Teach For Malaysia
Through its partnership with SC Johnson, TFM seeks to improve the quality of education and access to opportunities for students in B40 communities in Malaysia. The organization aims to impact 300 students through the Fellowship and an additional 500 students through STEM home learning kits. SC Johnson also extends its support towards providing students with exciting and engaging self-directed learning resources in STEM. This initiative aims to guide students in discovering English, Mathematics, and Science concepts without relying on internet connectivity and devices. These resources are also bilingual with inclusiveness in mind to maximize the reach to different student demographics.
“The issues tackled by this collaboration reinforce that the fight for education equity remains a pressing issue and requires strong support from all parties.” Chan Soon Seng, Teach For Malaysia’s CEO, shared, “Reaching hundreds of students in underserved communities, the collective impact of these initiatives will provide pathways to greater education opportunities in Malaysia.”
Teach For Thailand
TFT is a driving force behind a network of leaders who work to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all children in Thailand. They recruit and develop talented individuals who will teach in economically challenged schools and in partnership with the communities for two years. Students are provided with an enhanced education that allows them to shape a better future for themselves and those around them.
“We are grateful for SC Johnson’s support for Teach For Thailand. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath, children in Thailand face an increased risk of learning loss. Our partnership with SC Johnson is critical to ensure teacher-leaders are recruited and developed so that children in marginalized communities continue to receive the quality education they deserve.” said Teach for Thailand CEO Vichitapol Pholpoke.
TFT’s partnership with SC Johnson helps provide high-quality teacher fellows who directly impact the students’ academic and life skills development. In the long term, the organization creates strong relationships with school leaders and community members to implement sustainable changes in fostering a supportive learning environment and increasing the students’ standard of living.
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including LYSOFORM®, AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 135-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com