Goals and Strategies
Step by Step Learning Centre is a nonprofit, inclusive educational institution established in Arusha to provide high quality education for all children, including those with learning difficulties. The primary goals of the Centre are:
1. To develop the literacy and numeracy skills of children to standards that are appropriate for various levels of basic education by:
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Using a child-centered approach as opposed to teacher-centered
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Employing state of the art techniques to reading fast.
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Recruiting very professional teachers who show dedication to duty, are well informed about technical approaches to learning, and are able to apply them.
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Awarding promotion to teachers on merit and achievement or effectiveness of teachers as judged by the performance of children.
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Continually providing training on the job through short courses.
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Involving parents in children's learning activities as much as possible.
2. To enhance the physical development of children with LD by strengthening the effectiveness with which they use their underdeveloped capacities by:
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Assessing and treating any treatable causes or underlying factors behind the disabilities and making referrals to specialist that can help.
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Providing appropriate physical exercises (PE), sports and games, and
therapies targeting the defects in the children.
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Providing sports and aerobics classes as part of the curriculum
because this is critical for coordination and mental alertness.
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Seeking gym equipment as donations from sympathetic individuals
and organizations.
3. To reduce the psychological stresses that hamper the learning and
coping capacities of the LD to improve their ability to learn new skills
by:
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Widening the exposure of the kids by going on outings to parks,
concerts, games and sports.
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Involving services of educational psychologist or therapists for severe cases.
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Working with parents to reduce or remove stresses originating from home and the wider community.
4. To improve the learning abilities of children by appropriate stimulation of their brains to higher levels of functioning by:
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Employing state of the art techniques and therapies e.g. NCRT, AIT, OT, speech therapy, physiotherapy, reflexology and psychological counseling.
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Training and involving parents to facilitate interventions at home
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Contacting with research institutions for appropriate tests and recommendations on interventions necessary.
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Using appropriate stimulating audio-visual aids to facilitate learning.
5. To increase the healthy development of children by enabling them to acquire and use physical education and dietary skills on a habitual basis by:
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Providing only healthy foods and properly balanced (i.e. no junk foods) for the breaks and lunches.
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Organizing training workshops for parents on healthy eating habits.
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Using locally available foods.
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Including exercises that enhance heart and muscular development, toning and flexibility.
6. To improve the welfare and development of LD by advocating for their rights and increasing their access to care, protection and education by:
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Providing a model of excellence in service provision that includes all children disabled or not
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Sensitizing parents and the wider public on the need to provide appropriate care, protection and education for LD kids
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Networking with like-minded organizations and stakeholders to get the government to increase and improve educational provisions for LD kids
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Lobbying NGO's that are involved in education to target special needs children e.g. World Vision, UNICEF, ANGONET, etc.
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Empowering the LD to advocate for themselves.