OUR MISSION:
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION
We seek serious students by supporting 4 schools serving nearly 2000 students in Elmina, Ghana. Our support includes:
- Early Childhood Literacy, learning through play, using phonics in our Resource Room to help children learn to read, write and speak English.
- Libraries and Clubs at all 4 schools to support and encourage learners.
- The best Computer Lab in the District (High Schools included). We have 20 laptops, a projector, printer and various software. AND SOLAR POWER!
- After School Study Center to provide coaches and an environment for homework as well as use of textbooks, community support for parents. This is run by Nsoroma, led by our Managing Director Solo Ewusie.
- All High School students go to local and highly rated Edinaman HS. This keeps them together leading to our (and their) successes.
- OUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT IS IN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY ACADEMICALLY AND PAY IT FORWARD FOR TWO YEARS.
STARS BECOMING THEIR DREAMS!!
We have 21 University Graduates, we call them STARS!! They have thrived in our system, paid it forward for two years, selected a university and course and SUCCEEDED! They are now chasing their career dreams, each one different. AND THEY COME BACK TO INSPIRE THE YOUNGER ONES!
At left our pioneer Rudolph, at 32 he is a doctor who is now National Clinical Coordinator for Ghana Health Ministry. He is also author of numerous books on Amazon, notably “Becoming Your Dream”, required reading for our PIFs.
Center is Richard, finishing National Service as Medical Lab Tech. He spoke about developing skills that can help other university students and lecturers.
Right is Philo. She is a first grade teacher about one hour west. Her Education major was Science and Math, but she can teach anything.
SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY
We have 14 students in University now. They are in various “majors” and Universities, each is performing well. They perform well because they know what they want and what they are good at. The Pay It Forward years helped them mature and many of them are in leadership positions at University.
PAY IT FORWARD STUDENTS (PIFS)
To qualify for a University scholarship, each student must “Pay It Forward” for two years. They receive very small money as they help at the schools as assistant teachers, managing Computer Lab, Early Childhood Literacy, Libraries, Clubs, Study Centers and other activities. They also participate in development training in Public Speaking, Software, Community Services and Health Screenings. They are working together, learning new things and gaining confidence and responsibility. They learn what they like to do and what they are good at. They are GETTING READY TO BECOME THEIR DREAM!
CHRIST CARES SCHOOL
Christ Cares is a private school where we started 19 years ago and is our “flagship”. This is the location of our Computer lab, a Library, our Literacy Resource Room, and where most of our PIFs are working and teaching.
Bantuma School is a local public school where we have our first library.
Abirem Essiam school is a public school about 45 minutes away. We have a library there, our first to have a successful lending program.
Abundant Grace is a local private school where we are just beginning our 4th library.
Each of these schools provides PIFs to our system, they all utilize Jolly Phonics training to help learn English in early grades. Tomorrow’s Stars doesn’t operate schools, we support schools and students.
Early Childhood Literacy
In Elmina, parents usually speak Fanti at home, and English is often taught by rote in schools. The kids have excellent memories. About 10 years ago, Tomorrow’s Stars started our Resource room for KG with the help of 3 outstanding US volunteers. A contracted training called Jolly Phonics was learned and implemented about 3 years ago as well as simple and effective student assessments.
The kids now learn through play, interact as books are read in both languages and are better prepared for reading in Grade 1.
LIBRARIES AND CLUBS
We have libraries at all 4 schools. Our librarians are PIFs usually from the school where the library is. We read books to small children, the older ones are readers and we have contests and reading clubs. We even have book writing and printing activities.
We also have Girls Clubs in two schools to help adolescent girls have a place to talk and do activities together.
Best in District Computer (ICT) Lab.
We are very proud of our computer lab. Not only do we take good care and repair the ~20 used laptops we purchased, but we also make them available to our starting university students as part of their scholarship program. We have various software available including typing which is a big hit. And the lab is run by solar power. This trip, we purchased a security camera system for the lab and it was installed by two teachers and a PIF with some help from Solo. It includes alarms to phones and laptops as directed. Hooray for us!!
EDINAMAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
We learned long ago that it is easier to assist and monitor students if they are all in one place. What better school than nearby Edinaman. Virtually all of our students have attended there. There are about 2400 students (3 years), we usually have about 20 there at a time. In 15 years our students have graduated top 5 or Head Prefect over 10 times. Again we see success in our system.
Tomorrow's Stars 