Collection Drive Appeal

Collection Drive for Myanmar Teachers and Students

Dear NIE community,

Project SMILE – Singapore-Myanmar Igniting Love for Education is a 17-day overseas service-learning project by the NIE Service Learning Club comprising 16 student teachers and NTU Myanmar students. We will be going to Myanmar from 7-23 December 2009 for an educational and cultural project with Myanmar teachers and students.

We will be servicing a village that was affected by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 - Kayin Chaung Village in Twantay for our main educational and cultural project. Kayin Chaung village is at the heart of a cluster of 6 villages along the river and its sub-high school serves about 1000 students from the cluster. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, Singapore donated a hospital to the village and SM Goh Chok Tong officiated the opening of the hospital during his visit to Myanmar in June 2009.

Project Scope and Objectives

1. To seed fund the village community library, refurbish the existing library of Kayin Chaung Sub High School with furniture, English and Myanmar books and train student librarians.

2. To further build up the resource bank for the teachers that was set up in 2008. The bank will comprise of visual learning aids such as large picture books, craft books, magazines with many photographs, posters, flash cards, models, maps, learning toys and art materials.

3. To help students gain interest and acquire a better mastery of English through English workshops focused on Reading, Speaking and Writing skills (Phonics, Dialogue, Drama, Storytelling and Postcard) organized by our team with the Myanmar teachers.

4. To conduct Science, Art and Craft, Social Studies enrichment workshops and organize a Learning Festival with the teachers and students in Kayin Chaung Sub High School. The Learning Festival comprises of a cultural concert, games booths and learning booths where students will demonstrate what they have learnt in the workshops to their peers.

5. To conduct Teachers Sharing Sessions between NIE student teachers and Myanmar teachers to exchange ideas and teaching experiences.

Appeal for Sponsorship and Visual Learning Aids
Project SMILE needs your help! We hope that you can contribute in the following ways:

1. Help us seed fund the village community library and refurbish the school library

We aim to raise SGD4000 to seed fund the building of a village community library and build tables and chairs, bookshelves, buy Myanmar and English books and train student librarians for the school library. Please contact us if you wish to be a sponsor.

2. Contribute Visual Learning Aids for the Teachers Resource Bank

We have set up a collection box at Level 1 in the Student Hub (UiD) for the following items from 26 October to 26 November 2009 or you can contact us and we will collect from you directly.

§ Flash cards, Maps and Posters

§ Large Picture books and Magazines with Large Photographs

§ Art, Science books, Picture Dictionaries

§ Learning toys and Board Games, Globes and Models

§ Art Materials (Paper, markers, paints, brushes), Stationery

§ White tops and Green Bottoms/Skirts (Standard Uniform in Myanmar)

For more information, please contact Li Jun at 9151 9406 / Siew Kuang 9239 5993 or email us at nieprojectsmile@gmail.com. You can also visit our website nieprojectsmile.blogspot.com

Yours Sincerely,

Teo Siew Kuang

Project Leader

Project SMILE 2009