Projects
PROJECT 1: THE FLORENCE DILLSWORTH EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION (DEF)
This project is in memory of Ms. Florence Dillsworth, former Principal of the St. Joseph’s Secondary School
(SJSS) and she later went on to become the mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone. She was an illustrious, dignified
and empathetic educator. She positively influenced many young girls at SJSS who went on to achieve greater
things in life without force or fanfare.
The mission of TFDEF is to EMPOWER young ladies to become strong leaders of tomorrow and to make a
difference in wherever they find themselves in life. This program seeks to offer scholarships, provide a guided
mentorship program while encouraging the awardees to give back to the school and their communities. The
goal of the program is to assist all involved to gain financial independence and become better leaders of
tomorrow.
This project is divided into three parts:
- Cash Award Students as well as teachers will be considered for cash scholarships. Cash awards will be directed towards school uniforms, books, instruments, field trips, teacher certification and special school events.
- Mentorship This part of the program seeks to provide mentorships for both students and teachers. Students and teachers who are awarded scholarships will be partnered with board members and general members to guide them in their educational journey as well as their personal growth. Mentor’s will be expected to check in on their mentees at least monthly including their school progress - especially problematic subjects. This relationship can also include student’s homelife to see if there are any troubles at home preventing students from performing at their best.
- Volunteerism Awardees (both students and teachers) are expected to volunteer or give back to the school wherever there is a need. For example, students can volunteer to stack books in the library, help clean up staff rooms, have reading sessions with other students and mentor fellow students in lower classes. This list is not all inclusive.
Criteria to Qualify for DEF Scholarship
- Ambition and willingness to learn
- Appropriate behavior
- Proven financial need – students and teachers to make the case
- Field of interest
- Willingness to give back to the school and their communities
- Hobbies and extra-curricular activities
Note: 1, 2 and 3 are mandatory in order to qualify
PROJECT 2: ACELIA SMITH BOOK DRIVE
A reader today is a leader tomorrow so please join us to educate our girls and help our nation to
create and empower women leaders of tomorrow.
Various factors may be responsible, but it is an undeniable truth that the standard of education
in Sierra Leone has plummeted. Even so, in a survey of some SJSS girls, they admitted that
they do not read anything outside their school curriculum. To help respond to this dire need to
improve the standard of education, and get our girls excited to read again, SJSSAA founded the
Acelia Smith Annual Book Drive in 2019. Acelia Smith was a beloved teacher and vice principal
of SJSS. During the book drive members were asked to donate new and “unused” fiction and
non-fiction books. Members brought the donated books to the May 5, 2019, SJSSAA
Thanksgiving Service. The donated books filled three large barrels and were shipped and
delivered to the school.
On May 8, 2022, at our first Thanksgiving Service after the coronavirus pandemic, members
again heeded the call to donate age-appropriate books and book supplies. Plans are underway
to ship the donated items to SJSS.
The donated books will be used to equip the library at the new SJSS building. Please join us on
this literary initiative and positively impact the student as an individual. We are appealing to you
to join us on this literacy journey so together we can help to create an excitement for reading,
foster an atmosphere for curiosity and imagination, and empower our SJSS girls to work hard
and achieve their dreams.
The annual book drives will continue and we will continue to solicit age appropriate books and
book supplies from you. We also ask that you consider donating money specifically for the
literacy projects that are being planned. Come walk with us on this journey. Let us strive to
educate our girls and ultimately educate a nation for it is said that a reader tomorrow is more
likely to become a leader tomorrow.
PROJECT 3
SJSS BUILDING:
Two To One Shift
Because we KNOW that YOU BELIEVE in our CAUSE “The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It”--- Abraham Lincoln:
Current Learning Environment of SJSS: The school currently operates on a two shifts system. One set of students attend classes from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, and the second set of students attend classes from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
The Challenge/Call to Action: The two shifts system was identified as a leading cause for poor performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), taken at the end of Junior Secondary School level (JSS3/Grade 9) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), taken at the end of Senior Secondary School level (SSS3/Grade 12). Unfavourable outcomes from a 2 shift educational system include the following:
- Children in the afternoon shift not being at their mental best at that time of day
- Overcrowding resulting in high student to teacher ratio
- There is not enough quality contact time between students and teachers
- Poor enforcement of regular and punctual school attendance for both teachers and pupils
- Negative social consequences resulting from poor supervision of students attending the afternoon shift.
- Students stay home during the day whilst their parents are at work
- Late dismissal hours results in late night commute home.
Making a Commitment for the Future of the Girls of SJSS-Freetown/Brookfields
In February 2018, in careful consultation with the SJSS administrators, proprietor Bishop Tamba Charles, students and facility committed to SJSS becoming one school operating as one shift starting in the morning and closing in the afternoon. The 2 To 1 as ONE commitment included articulating a vision for quality education, developing a Brookfields community outreach strategy, assessing risks, as well as outlining fund-raising methods and options.
In May 2018, the Government of Sierra Leone, its Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) released a directive to secondary schools, stating that all schools operating as two shifts (morning and afternoon) would now have to merge their schools and operate over one shift. This directive provided government support for the commitment made by the Bishop and his team.
The transition will:
- Move SJSS from its current operating model of a two-shift secondary school to one shift.
- Reduce overall class size to 50 students for all streams
- Be completed by the opening of the 2021/2022 academic year.
The Gap:
A comprehensive assessment was conducted which revealed the school had 24 classrooms in use as at March 2017. 40 classrooms will be needed to support the transition to a 1 shift school schedule. 16 additional classrooms were needed to meet the gap classrooms as of March 2017.
Steps Implemented:
- Converted the SSS library into 2 classrooms
- Converted the main building book shop into 1 classroom
- Convert the JSS library into 1 classroom
The Solution/All Inter-Alumnae Hands-On Project
- The transition will create a combined community of approximately 2800 students and 105, teaching and support staff.
- The school has limited space in its compound to accommodate a new community of this size.
- To resolve the issue of lack of space, the decision was made to construct a new Multi-Purpose building that will :
- Consist of 3 stories
- Provide 6 additional classrooms
- Fully equipped library
- State-of-the art information and technology (IT) Lab
The Importance of a Positive Learning Environment
- Having an engaged and encouraging learning environment increases students’ attention and focus
- Promoting meaningful learning experiences will help booster increased levels of students’ performance, motivation. This yields critical thinkers and critical believers who will one day become transformational leaders.
- Having a space for students to feel safe, secure and empowered
- A positive classroom environment helps improve attention, reduce anxiety, and supports emotional and behavioral regulation of students. When educators foster a positive learning culture; learners are more likely to acquire higher motivation that leads to wonderful learning outcomes
- Positive trajectory and measurable improvements in the performance of students’ who take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
What’s Next:
7/30/22-Saint Joseph’s Ex-Pupils handling over ceremony of the newly constructed building We need YOUR HELP to make learning and education a comfortable piece of the academic,
PIE “Positive, Engaging and inspirational”
- Positive-A positive classroom environment helps improve attention, reduce anxiety, and supports emotional and behavioral regulation of students
- Engaging-An engaged student feels valued
- An Inspired mind yields transformational leaders of tomorrow
Dear Donors, Your support is always needed as we embark on equipping the building with state-of-the-art teaching and learning tools for our students and teachers…WITH EXTREME GRATITUDE, OUR MISSION CONTINUES WITH YOU BY OUR SIDE…
ESTO FIDELIS!!!!
