Thursday, May 8, 2014

Ethiopian Education Director Visits Hampstead Hill Academy

(left to right) Larry Schugam, Michelle Chen,
Reed Fendrick, Solomon Shiferaw, and Matt Hornbeck

On March 5, 2014, the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) and Hampstead Hill Academy hosted a visit with Solomon Shiferaw, Director of Education Management Information Systems, Planning and Resource Mobilization for the Ethiopian Ministry of Education.

Mr. Shiferaw was invited to the United States under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. He was accompanied by Michelle Chen (USAID Education Office, Ethiopia) and Reed Fendrick (English Language Officer, U.S. Department of State).

Mr. Shiferaw traveled to Maryland on a program entitled “Education in the U.S.: A Project for Ethiopia” in order to gain insight into the education system and its management at various levels, with a main focus on primary school administration.

The U.S. Department of State arranged the visit to introduce Mr. Shiferaw to BCP’s objectives and mission as well as BCP’s efforts to incorporate student-focused learning and utilize information technology in the classroom.

Mr. Shiferaw was also interested in learning about BCP’s initiatives to promote ethics, tolerance, and citizenship to disadvantaged youth and their families by means of on-going education and professional development for staff.

Hampstead Hill Academy Principal Matt Hornbeck and BCP Executive Vice President Larry Schugam gave Mr. Shiferaw a tour of the school and spoke with him about:
  1. Initiatives to successfully develop education management and what it takes to enhance the learning process and raise student testing scores;
  2. How Hampstead Hill Academy is effectively taking advantage of funding in order to become a distinguished school;
  3. BCP’s process of converting underperforming, high poverty schools into high-performing charter schools; and 
  4. How BCP helps its charter schools design curricula and set standards for civic education.
We would like to thank Mr. Shiferaw, Ms. Chen, and Mr. Fendrick for visiting Hampstead Hill Academy. Special thanks to the U.S. Department of State, the World Trade Center Institute, and Janine Branch (Manager, Professional Exchanges Program and Program Development, World Trade Center Institute) for arranging this visit.

About the International Visitor Leadership Program

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States. Learn more at: http://eca.state.gov/ivlp
About the World Trade Center Institute 

The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) is the largest international business network of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic – a who’s who of the top global business executives in the region.

WTCI strives to drive the growth of Maryland’s flourishing global business community. Today more than 2,500 Maryland firms benefit from WTCI’s global connections, events, international visitors program and extensive global business services. In addition, WTCI serves as the World Bank Group’s Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO) for the region, enabling local firms to access opportunities in developing counties.

WTCI was established in 1989. Financed jointly by area businesses and the State of Maryland, WTCI operates as a private, non-profit membership organization. Learn more at: https://www.wtci.org


The Baltimore Curriculum Project has partnered with WTCI and the U.S. Department of State to host delegations of educators from a variety of countries including Vietnam, Brazil, Iraq, Egypt, and Mexico.