This past summer, Ian Schwenke and I worked for Rising Academy Network (RAN) across Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana. RAN operates a low-cost private school network and works with government schools to improve their learning outcomes.

We worked on several initiatives, most notably overseeing an all-staff survey and development of an in-house professional development program, “Rising U”. The staff survey polled 62 employees to gauge their perceptions of RAN as an organization and their response to COVID-19. The professional development program included researching diverse staff development options and culminated in the implementation of an online Learning Management System (LMS). This platform provided staff at RAN with professional development and skill-building opportunities.

In working with RAN, we were able to refine our quantitative and qualitative analysis skills through analyzing survey data. We also improved our communication and presentation skills through pitching Rising U ideas and implementation strategies to senior management.