Descrição
The Africa Young Educators Network (AYEN) was launched on 23rd September 2021 during a virtual webinar attended by 40 young male and female educators aged 35 years and below. It is designed as a multi-level net work with sub-regional networks feeding into a regional structure, enabling young educators across Africa to engage, learn, and collaborate. AYEN was created in response to multiple Education International (EI) resolutions - 7th EI congress (2015), EI Regional Conference (2018), and 8th EI congress (2019) - all calling for stronger youth inclusion, union renewal and improved representation of young educators in union leadership and activities.
Objectivos
- Mobilise young educators into a formidable force of SDG4 advocates, accelerating progress towards quality education for all.
- Support the renewal and revitalisation of education unions, making them stronger, more representation and more effective.
- Strengthen peer networking among young educator-unionists within EI member organisations across the region.
- Help unions recruit, organise and mobilise more young educators inorder to imorove their rights and participation.
Atividades
Research and Knowledge Development; Research on barriers to young peoples' participation in union structures.
Leadership Development; Online and in-person leadership training workshops focused on empowering young unionists.
Visibility and Story telling; Production of documentaries highlighting young educators' involvement in union activities.
Networking and Exchange Forums; Hosting AYEN member forums during EI Africa (EIRAF) events.
Knowledge Sharing and Strategy Development; Annual AYEN information-sharing and strategy-development meetings.
Digital Community Building; Setting up Whatsapp groups and online newsletters for young members.
Resultados
- Stronger education unions; Young educators gain leadership skills and participate actively, helping unions become more representative and sustainable.
- Enhanced youth leadership capacity;Through training and mentorship , young teachers are better equipped to lead , advocate and engage in union activities.
- Increased youth participation in decision-making; More young educators tske on roles in their unions, imptoving the relevance of the union agendas.
- Contribution of Quality Education (SDG4); A mobilised, empowered youth network contributes to advocacy for free, quality and inclusive public education in Africa.
- Improved Cross-Country collaboration; Sub-regional and regional networks strengthen solidarity and coordination among young educators.
- Motivation and Long-term Engagement; Ongoing interactions through digital platforms effectively sustains participant involvement well after the conclusion of in-person events.