There are many things that are counted as pride for all of us. They include achievements in career, business, politics, family, and other aspects. Then there is pride, nostalgia, and forever memories associated with where each one of us went to school.
I have met a whole lot of people who in their introduction will include the schools they went to and associate their success to their former schools. Some even go ahead to come together and mobilize funds for projects in their Alma Mater. Others have started companies and associations that are an authority in education matters. We also have clubs owned by Alumni, that influence our societies and learners back in their former schools.
Alumni only require an organised platform that can help them engage their former schools. Most schools in Kenya have been able to organize their Alumni and the schools are reaping heavily from Alumni as a resource. The benefiting schools learned early enough about the need to invest in the Alumni community and went all out, for the outreach. They learned the art of building this community and started early recruitment and engagement, unlike other schools that start looking for Alumni, 20yrs later.
These schools did not stop there, they also realised that relationships are two-way. You create value to get value. With that in mind, these schools supported their students through careers, eventual internships, and employment in some instances. Then they ask the same for those behind them and the wheel of support keeps grinding years in, years out. This created a culture of giving back and now their Alumni community not only thrives but also leaves no one behind. These schools also perfected the art of communicating with their alumni and keeping a database of their engagement for long-term reference.
Now with the new curriculum in place, it’s time for most schools to explore how to effectively engage Alumni in the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), to support learners through resource provision and psychosocial engagement. According to Inhive report of 2022 on Alumni support for schools in Kenya, Australia, and Pakistan, it was noted that 65% of all educators surveyed, said alumni networks had a positive impact across all areas measured, on teacher support. This included providing resources for teachers, upskilling teachers in their career paths, donating ICT resources to enhance teacher work, and supporting effective processes for schools. This then, creates a perfect opportunity for schools to reach out to their alumni for teacher support. Knowing the CBC load upon the teachers, any collaborations with alumni and assistance would go a long way to ease their classwork for the benefit of their learners.
In the same survey, 93% of educators said alumni networks gave them access to inspirational role models for their students, through motivational speakers, club enrollment, career day forums, and awards on different activities and achievements. This is said to increase student confidence and belief in their ability to achieve and excel. With Alumni coming from many career fields that most learners admire, the alumni then, act as a shining light in that pathway, which would be very useful to CBC teaching and experiences. With 80% of educators having said alumni networks keep them up to date with their understanding of jobs and workforce trends for students, this then trickles down to the learners, in the form of sound guidance and choices. They illuminate the learners and help them focus on subjects that align with their career desires.
86% of educators said alumni networks increased their capacity to enrich the curriculum and student learning, and this is exactly what most schools need right now for CBC. Though most alumni are also taking time to understand the new curriculum, there is a lot that Alumni can give to support it. Following the great outcry by parents on the huge burden to provide learning materials, the best time to consider Alumni support is now. With CBC relying most on practicals and self-experience learning, having Alumni step in to open up their workspaces for learners is what all schools need. And with the much-needed extra infrastructure for different CBC experiences, the best bet would be the alumni community, who would be willing to change the way things are done, for the benefit of the learners. With 84% of educators confessing that alumni networks gave them and their students’ access to professional expertise that they do not have time to access themselves, it’s a clear indication of the heavy reliance CBC seeks from alumni communities.
On civic engagement and community outreach, the survey found that 91% of educators said the alumni network fostered a stronger sense of community within the school. CBC champions out-of-school learning and community engagement activities. Alumni would offer the best options for this learning and new experiences. They would support travel, and exchange programs, with career modeling programs, which would eventually enrich learners. To add to that, 88% of educators said the alumni network builds stronger connections between the school and its broader community, with 92% of educators saying the alumni network delivers a wider social good by shaping young people into successful adults and intentional learning focused not only on diversity but also in excelling, just like those ahead of them.
It would be fulfilling to see more schools re-evaluate their engagement with their alumni, and even more schools seeking to build their alumni communities, for the benefit of their learners. It will be a collaboration most educators would be watching keenly transition from the 8-4-4 style to the new CBC system, over the years.
