Parents International and Teacher Training in Kazakhstan

As Parents International, we are currently engaged in a variety of EU-funded projects which align with our core missions: parental engagement, education for democracy, cyberbullying prevention, and healthier and safer environment for children. One such projects is EFFEct. We are also engaged in a continuous activity on the ground to promote the advancing of those core missions, often travelling outside Europe.

Last month, we received an invitation to visit Kazakhstan and present our work at their Teacher Summit. The event, organised by the BI Group, took place on 28 March in the dynamically developing city of Atyrau, on the border between Europe and Asia, in front of an audience of about 600 teachers and school leaders.

What made it so special is that this year teachers and school leaders of traditional state schools were allowed to participate in the Teacher Summit for the first time. On the other hand, about half of those in attendance came from the innovative network of BINOM Schools.

BINOM’s Model for Innovation and Education Infrastructure

Our presentation introduced the research-informed approaches our organisation and projects implement, and it included practice-oriented information about relevant project outcomes, including the EFFEct results. We also included a short briefing on some of our ongoing projects: Participate, which focuses on cyberbullying prevention, BioBeo, concentrating on the integration of Bioeconomy in education, and Drone, that aims at promoting teacher and student digital literacy education.

Effectiveness and efficiency, combined with innovation, is very much in line with the approach the BI Group has to their schools. We could tell that the audience was very attentive and deeply engaged. The company has a major role in building new living spaces to meet the increasing demand for housing in Kazakhstan, a country with a rapidly growing population and lots of young families. When BI Group builds a new housing estate, they also build the schools for the future population of the area.

BI Group emphasise state-of-art provisions when they design their schools. After completion of the buildings, they receive the same subsidy from the state as state schools and operate schools for the first five years. During this period, they invest heavily in updating the knowledge, skills and competences of their teachers. Every second Saturday is designated as training days. After the 5-year period, the state takes over the operating of the school. As a result of investment in both infrastructure and human resources by BI Group, at the time of the handover, these schools are at a much higher level professionally than others.

Capacity Building and Teacher Training in Kazakhstan

BI Group, being a for-profit company, has a high level of interest in effectiveness and efficiency. Their main stake in this endeavour is to increase the quality of schooling in the country, and they have identified teacher training in Kazakhstan as one of the key elements to invest in.

This is why our training team has already visited Kazakhstan multiple times and conducted hands-on, large-scale teacher training in Kazakhstan, working with BINOM’s teams in the capital city of Astana and in Atyrau. The latter also included training of trainers, with the objective of facilitating capacity building in the country. The recent summit was aiming at raising awareness of current trends and local school successes among staff of traditional state schools, hoping to also make it possible for the newly trained trainers to support the professional development of teachers in non-BINOM schools.

In spite of the challenges that inevitably accompany operations of this scope and complexity, our experience in Kazakhstan was both very rewarding and extremely pleasant, and we very much look forward to future opportunities to be once again side by side with those who want to improve their competences and the quality of the education provided to children in their country.

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Into Africa – An Account of IPA Training in Uganda (English)

Into Africa – Un Racconto della Formazione IPA in Uganda (Italiano)

Into Africa – ウガンダにおけるIPA研修の実施記録 (日本語)

Parents International training in Uganda: why?

Because we go where we are called, where there’s a need, and where we can help those who want to actually make an impact. This time, we visited the Project Princess Initiative in Kampala, Uganda, to deliver practical, hands-on training to education professionals. The experience has been so rich and powerful that we have made a book about it!

When we boarded the plane bound for Uganda, we carried more than just carefully prepared lesson plans and research-backed materials. We carried with us a sense of purpose and anticipation. Yet, nothing could have prepared us for how profoundly this journey would shape and teach us in return.

From the moment we arrived, Uganda embraced us with vibrant contrasts. The deep red soil, the bustling movement of boda-boda motorcycles weaving through Kampala’s streets, and, most significantly, the unshakable sense of community made an immediate impression. Our host, Fiona, welcomed us not as guests, but as family. It was clear from the start that our work here would be much more than “just” training. What unfolded was an enriching cultural immersion and a true exchange of learning.

Delivering Impact: Parents International Training in Uganda

Our purpose was to deliver a multi-day Parents International training in Uganda, designed specifically for teachers and school leaders in Kampala. Our toolkit included content on trauma-informed practices, communication strategies, and conflict resolution. We know from experience that effective training requires more than pedagogical preparation. It demands openness — a willingness to listen, adapt, and learn.

Throughout the sessions, we encountered professional educators who amazed us with their resilience, grace, and deep commitment to their work. Many face daunting obstacles: delayed funding from the government, challenges around school security, and the everyday logistics of running a school with the available resources. Yet their passion and resourcefulness shone through. One teacher spoke of how, in her community, raising children is a shared responsibility — a beautiful reflection of Ubuntu, the philosophy that “I am because we are.”

Our approach to training emphasizes collaboration and experiential learning, a far cry from standardised, rigid plans. We adjuste our methods in real-time, creating space for our participants to teach us as well. In one particularly joyful session, we asked participants to teach us local languages using immersion techniques only. Our stumbles through Luganda prompted much laughter and, importantly, fostered a deeper bond between us. Those moments of shared vulnerability proved to be as instructive as any workshop.

These exchanges were never one-sided. Our Ugandan colleagues challenged our assumptions and prompted us to reflect on our own cultural lenses. Their questions were thoughtful, often difficult, and always insightful. As trainers, we constantly remind ourselves that our role is not to lecture or deliver wisdom from afar. Instead, it is to create an environment where discovery — for everyone involved — can thrive.

A Cultural Exchange Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the training room, we were fortunate to explore elements of Uganda’s rich cultural heritage. Visits to the Kasubi Tombs — a Unesco World Heritage site where the kings of the Kingdom of Buganda dwell after their passing or, as our guide explained to us, after they “disappear into the forest” — and to the Ndere Cultural Centre offered powerful insights into traditions that are lovingly preserved through ritual, dance, and storytelling. In every conversation and cultural experience, we were met with generosity, curiosity, and a dignified sense of pride.

As our time in Uganda came to a close, we were physically tired, but in high spirits. During our final gathering, we exchanged small gifts, danced, and shared laughter. One teacher thanked us for a game we had introduced during a session — a simple activity she planned to incorporate into her P.E. lessons. It was a seemingly small moment, yet it carried deep meaning. It was a reminder that the impact of shared learning often lingers in these quiet, personal exchanges.

We had traveled to deliver a Parents International training in Uganda, but we left having received something just as precious and profound. We returned with a renewed belief in the value of connection, the dignity of every learner, and the power of mutual respect. The experience reaffirmed our commitment to learning not just across borders, but through genuine relationships rooted in empathy and shared humanity.

In a world that can often feel divided, our time facilitating Parents International training in Uganda reminded us that kindness, courage, and curiosity still have the power to unite.

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