ISJ Fall 2022: ‘It Opened My Mind’: Namibian Teacher Professional Development Via EdCamp / Joanne M. Marshall, Rick Fitzpatrick

In May of 2022, Windhoek International School (WIS) hosted a one-day EdCamp for approximately 70 Namibian teachers from seven different urban and rural schools across Namibia. EdCamp is one part of a three-part ‘Cluster Initiative,’ which also included an exchange program between teachers and an ongoing Facebook group to facilitate networking and sharing ideas. The initiative and its activities, such as providing iPads for school leaders and class sets of small whiteboards, erasers, and a marker to teachers, was sponsored by the Australian High Commission in South Africa under its Direct Aid Program (AUSAID). The goal of the EdCamp project is ‘to empower Namibian public school educators to enhance their teaching practice using student-centered and inquiry-based learning strategies.’