If You Can See It, You Can Make It Happen
“Most students who joined this program decided to pursue college; normally, only 10 out of 50 would consider continuing to high school.”
As part of Teach For Thailand (TFT)'s first cohort, Ponpapatch Pisantechakool (Khae)'s story inspired our curiosity about this 'program.' It was called "Learners to Leaders," a collaboration between Khae, who was teaching at Wat Sangkharacha School, and five other friends. They took 25 students on a field trip to Singapore.
“One of our goals was to inspire a sense of possibility and leadership. Since I was also teaching English, we aimed for the students to practice their English skills too.”
“A student who became very close to us was very intrigued by our preparation for the trip, such as how we booked the plane and hotels. After graduation, he started working at a travel agency, became a manager at 23, and now plans to bring his family to Singapore.”
Learners to Leaders was held from October 22nd to 25th, 2018, taking 7th and 8th graders from five TFT schools to visit iconic locations in Singapore. The idea began with Katia Chowattanakul (Karntie), a TFT Fellow teaching Science, who wanted to take her students to a Science museum in Singapore. She assembled Khae, May, Mai, and Tipper to make this happen.
“Our school was close to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, but none of our students had ever flown,” added Khae. “Some of them asked if the program would be canceled if we couldn’t find enough funding. I told them, ‘We will do it’.”
The five friends divided the tasks: organizing, documentation, logistics, and perhaps the most challenging, fundraising.
“We held a charity busking session in Chatuchak, and our students sold jelly and totes – anything to get us money,” Khae recalled. “TFT also introduced us to potential donors – Mr. Vichien Phongsathorn from Yuvabadhana Foundation donated to us last-minute, and we were able to make the trip happen.”
For some, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“When we announced it, everyone was so excited. It spread the spirit of possibilities.”
The trip consisted of many activities: visiting the Science Museum, observing Singapore’s water management system and government-built apartments, and a visit to Google’s Singapore office.
“All the kids were very excited. We got the chance to talk with P’Fon, a Thai staff member there, who shared her thoughts with us on success, interests, and necessary skills such as flexibility.”
The team evaluated the program by assigning the students to do a project in their school.
“Many of them took what they did with us and shared it with other students,” Khae recalled. “They also shared their thoughts on how the Singapore government runs the country, particularly in areas like waste management, with our donors. They want Thailand to have it too.”
“Most of them ended up pursuing and obtaining, a college degree. One student actually went on to study Education and is coming back as a teacher trainee at Wat Sangkharacha School.”
For Khae, this trip also inspired a sense of possibility in her.
“We did what others thought was impossible,” Khae reflected. “I also gained experience as a facilitator, which is what I currently do for a living.”
At the end of our interview, Khae shared her thoughts on Teach For Thailand’s 10th anniversary and for the next Fellow cohort, as well as for those interested in becoming one.
“TFT gives us an opportunity to improve ourselves and expand our quality network. For the current cohort, I challenge you to try something outside of your comfort zone and realize your potential.”
“For those hesitating, I’d say that as the first cohort, it was like hopping onto a train without knowing the destination. It’s a leap of faith. But now you have proof that it works, so why not seize the opportunity?”
