Off to Ottawa

Ottawa – July 2 to July 6

July 2
Well, it was a busy time in Ottawa.  Caught an 8 a.m. flight from London to Ottawa.  While waiting for the public bus to go to the residences at U of Ottawa, I overheard a woman telling another that she was participating in Project Overseas.  We got to talking and it turns out that we had both come from the same town in the morning and had been on the same flight.  Small world!!

When we were lined up to check in another woman on Project Overseas was in line.  She had come all the way from Nunavut and was on her way to Ghana.  She said that there was still snow on the ground at home an that it would be 45 degrees where she was going.  Love it!

The three of us wandered around the market, the canal and the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa after having a nice relaxing lunch.   Ottawa is such a beautiful city.


That evening at 5:45 all participants were picked up in a school bus and taken to the Canadian Teachers' Federation office.  At the office we had a fabulous dinner, met our team mates and all of the other participants.  There are 57 teachers this year.  Of those, 40 are first timers, 13 are project leaders and 4 are return participants.  We learned about CTF and its involvement with International Education and met the wonderful people who organize Project Overseas.
Lunch near the Market
Locks















This evening I met Joe.  He works in Toronto and is a member of ETFO.  Joe is on his second trip to Ghana, but this time as a team leader.  Check out his blog at http://nomadicjj.blogspot.ca/.

July 3
Up bright and early to walk over to restaurant for breakfast.  After breakfast, picked up by our school bus and off to CTF.  It was a busy day with many activities planned.  We began with the experienced volunteers sharing with the new volunteers.  This was very informative.  Teachers were in groups and the experienced participants rotated to different groups.  After we were broken into newbies, experienced and team leader groups.  Each group did something relevant.  We learned more about the program and it was shared that last year over 90000 students experienced the benefits of the teacher PD  sessions.  We also learned that it is important to be very flexible and to really listen to what our co-tutors (in country teacher partner) have to say because the PD is about what the local teachers need, not what we think they should have.
 

Soon enough it is time for more great food and then back to working sessions.  The afternoon  was spent discussing finances, dealing with media requests and social media, working as a team, and preparing for Canada Day celebrations in country.

Dinner was a time for team building at a restaurant of choice in Ottawa, which was only about a 10 minute walk from the residence.

Parliament Building

July 4
Today began as did yesterday.  Breakfast and bus to CTF.  It was another day of information sharing, and team building.  Today we talked about the HIV and gender equity discussions/workshops that take place in each country.  We looked at action plans for our country and discussed the use of SMART Goals.  We were then introduced to IMAGINEACTION.  (https://www.imagine-action.ca/) It is a social justice program of the Canadian Teachers' Federation.  All Canadian teachers can access the site and can apply for grants of up to $300.00 for projects related to poverty, gender equity or human rights.  The projects can be carried out all year with the students.  The site also has some great resources for teachers. 

After lunch we talked about adult learners and development cooperation.  After dinner it was back to the residence.

July 5

Same morning routines and then a few things to wrap up before getting ready to head to our countries.  The afternoon was spent packing, reorganizing and shopping for last minute things.  Dinner was fabulous.  Each team sat with someone from their host country.  We had the good fortune of meeting Barbara.  She was energetic, happy and vibrant.  She was able to answer all of our questions and made us feel at ease with our trip to Dominica.   After dinner it was early to bed for our 3:45 a.m. departure.  

The Dominica Team with Barbara

July 6
Up and on the bus by 3:45.  About 20 of us… on our way to Toronto and then on to Barbados.  Most were carrying on to their destinations that same day.  We were lucky to have an overnight stay in Barbados.  It was going to be a long day.  We arrived in Barbados almost 12 hours later.
 


Post Selection Information for Interested Teachers


These are some details about the process from February to June.  There are a number of things to do prior to departure. 
February 17 
I received an email from the team leader, Jessica. The purpose of the attached letter was to:
(a) introduce the members of the team to one another, 
(b) provide a few details about the team leader,
(c) get you a general overview of Project Overseas 2015: Dominica, and
(d) present next steps as we moved forward as a team.
 
 Included in the overview were some timelines:
- Orientation Session in Ottawa: July 2, 3, 4, 5
- Departure from Ottawa / Arrival in Dominica: July 6-7 (layover in Barbados)
- Preparation in Dominica with local co-tutors: July 8, 9, 10
- Workshops with Dominica teachers (week 1): July 13 - 17
- Workshops with Dominica teachers (week 2): July 20 - 24
- Departure from Dominica / Arrival in Canada: July 25
The email also included the history of Dominica and the Project Overseas Participants Handbook as attachments.

By March 7
All members of the team were to introduce themselves via email.  Each of the members also arranged a phone chat with the team leader.

February 23 
I received an email from the travel agent, Jennifer.  It included my itinerary for travel to Dominica.  I was asked to read through the travel information and confirm with Jennifer no later than April 1st any personal travel requests (after the mission in Dominica arriving in Ottawa earlier than July 2nd).
Yes, that is correct!  You can travel outside the set itinerary before or after the project.  If you choose to do this, you must pay the difference and be aware that any insurance associated with the project will NOT cover you. I will be flying on to Vancouver to visit family after a 4 day stop at home to repack and regroup. I will also be doing a 3 day stop in Barbados.  I was already passing through, so why not!
Note that alternate travel plans can be very time consuming.  Jennifer is great with helping out, considering all the back and forth emails with over 50 participants.

February 24 
We received an email from Salwa, the executive assistant to the International Program at CTF, with a copy of the narrative report from the 2014 team.  This is very helpful in getting a feel for the project and what the next steps will be for workshops and content. 

March 28 
We received information about insurance coverage, what area of instruction we would be focusing on and who our co-tutor is (teaching partner).  Email addresses of our partners were included so that we could begin planning introduce ourselves.  Note that not all partners are able to connect with their partners.

May 5
We received the schedule for our time in Dominica.  The schedule covers our time from July 10 to July 24.  On the 10th there will be an opening ceremony first thing in the morning.  workshops will begin after that.  On the last day there will be a closing ceremony and on the 17th there will be a one hour Canada day celebration, which is organized by the Canadian team.  The workshops take place in a designated room for area (arts, technology, math, literacy, etc.).  Sessions will be from 8:15 to 10:25, break from 10:25 to 10:45 and then from 10:45 to 1:00.  There is no air conditioning in the school.  (Just an FYI for those of you who do not love the heat!)
The day of arrival is for rest, errands and to acclimate.  The following two days are for planning with co-tutors.

May 15 
We received an email from Alex, the International Program Officer at CTF. He provided us with a great intercultural guide and some financial information about funding and expenses.

June 8 
We received another email from Alex letting us know that a package was in the mail and he detailed the contents of the package.  Alex also provided information about our arrival and stay in Ottawa.

June 20
I will be meeting my Canadian teaching partners for the first time on Google Hangouts.

Note:  Planning and preparing workshops for two weeks can occupy a fair bit of your time from the time you are selected and the time you depart.  Baggage allowances are limited on some flights, so you have to be creative with your planning.

For more information on past projects, locations and workshops you can visit the Project Overseas Wiki, created by Project Overseas alumnus.




The Application Process for ETFO Members


Step 1 - Review the Selection Criteria

Criteria for Selection:
  • possess a passion for international development and travel (or work experience);
  • have strong curriculum and teaching leadership experience (specifically with adult     learners);
  • show evidence of flexibility, mature judgment, and a strong willingness to put the team and project needs above personal needs;
  • are knowledgeable and preferably active in their local teacher union.
Thanks to Jim Giles, Executive Assistant, Professional Services, ETFO, for reminding of this  important first step.

Step 2 - The Application (August - October)

Information and Application forms for ETFO members can be found at:

The Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) website:   CTF - Project Overseas
CTF organizes the project and sends over 50 volunteer teachers from across Canada.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) website:  ETFO - Project Overseas
ETFO sponsors 14 members each year.  The application deadline is late October.  The deadline for 2016 is October 30, 2015.

Application forms are usually available at the end of August of the year before the project.  For example, Project Overseas 2016 forms are available in August of 2015.

**** Start the forms early, as there are a number of requirements, such as letters of references (one from your local union president), an extensive application form and a medical form to complete by the end of October. ****

Step 3 - The Shortlist (November - December)

You will receive a letter and an email from ETFO advising you of whether or not you have made the shortlist for an interview.  The interview is a telephone interview conducted by members of the International Assistance Committee.  It is a 30 minute interview.  I was interviewed on November 17.

ETFO Executive approves the candidates whose names will be forwarded to the CTF for possible final selection.  I  received word by mid-December that my name had been forwarded.

Step 4 -  Final Selection (January - February)

ETFO sends a letter to let you know if CTF has selected you for Project Overseas.  You become a member of the Project Overseas team once the ETFO Executive has approved the 14 selected participants and local presidents have been notified.  For me this happened in early February.


Note:  If you are selected you may need to get shots (malaria, yellow fever, etc.).  You may also have to send your passport for a visa.