With the goal of transforming Lifunga Secondary School for Girls, which traditionally supports vulnerable students, into a pipeline to Matibabu College of Health Sciences to earn diplomas in Nursing, the Lifunga and Matibabu College of Health Sciences instructors are going back to school themselves.

After an exciting STEM Camp they enlisted in a two-year fellowship program with Teach United of Uganda, an organization committed to enhancing teaching methodologies to activate the academic success of all students.

The teachers will participate in bi-weekly training, design lessons together, and observe each other. Bridget Wylie, the leader of the Nursing Promise Chapter, successfully obtained laptops from Life 360 to equip each teacher with the necessary tools to bolster their fellowship and teaching techniques.

We are enthusiastic about witnessing the school’s advancement and eagerly anticipate collaborating each year at the Lifunga STEM Camp for Girls and witnessing their graduates start nursing college.

The Nursing Promise Initiative aims to train nurses from local villages who will serve in rural communities with nursing shortages. Together, we are creating a pathway from a village girls’ school through our nursing college and into well-paying nursing jobs.

Our strategy involves:

• Sparking girls’ interest in STEM through an annual STEM Camp
• Enhancing STEM instruction methods through a 2-year fellowship for the teachers
• Build a STEM Lab and provide equipment (computers and supplies)
• Providing full scholarships for Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing ($1k per year)
• Engaging girls in mentoring and internship opportunities at Matibabu Hospital.