Citi Success Fund 2009 supports peer development among teachers

Online, November 24, 2009 (Newswire.com) - The CSF grant recipients were selected from 501 proposals and are acknowledged as having the most creative and innovative student learning proposals for students at their schools. All seventy-six teachers will each receive IDR 5 million (approximately USD 530) to implement their proposals between December 2009 and March 2010.

CSF is one of Citi Indonesia's community initiatives under Citi Peka in collaboration with Hope Foundation Indonesia to provide financial assistance for high school teachers implement their creative projects. Each year CSF encourages high school teachers to look for creative ways of facilitating student learning by providing funds to realize the projects.

This year, CSF takes its efforts a step further by launching Aksiguru.org - a website that is the first in its kind in Indonesia, which supports teachers' peer-development and student outreach. Aksiguru.org is a means for high school teachers in Indonesia to embrace social media as a new means of communication and tool that has the potential to easily facilitate information and experience sharing among the education community. Through the site, teachers can exchange ideas and thoughts, and most importantly interact with their students of who most are already tech-savvy.

"We hope to boost teachers peer development by launching the Aksiguru.org website," said Charles Ham, Country Director Yayasan Hope Indonesia. "The use of internet and social media as a means for widespread communication is remains relatively low among teachers in the country, and we hope to generate teachers' interest and eagerness in sharing their creative teaching methods with others though this site," he continued.

"We have seen Indonesian teachers ability to create interesting learning activities continues to grow over based on the 4.448 proposals CSF received in the past seven years. Now is time for these teachers to inspire one another through Aksiguru.org," says Ditta Amahorseya, Director-Country Corporate Affairs Head, Citi Indonesia "We hope for CSF grant recipients and other high school teachers become role models for each other and their respective schools as well as pioneer education methods that are innovative, creative, and inspiring."

Aksiguru.org presents quality information in a forum where teachers can freely interact with each other, share thoughts and opinions, as well as exchange comments and successful ideas. The site also includes information on CSF programs as well as articles and blogs by teachers on student learning ideas and experiences.

"The website Aksiguru.org gives a platform for teachers to interact and share their views, experiences, and teaching methods," explains Wicaksono an education and social media expert and CSF judge, "Aksiguru.org is user-friendly, and its features enable teachers to easily post their writing, pictures, and comments on the site."

Citi Peka programs focus on the long-term goal to develop and enhance education and community programs in Indonesia. To date, 4.448 proposals have been received and 643 teachers have been granted funding for their creative activities involving more than 33.136 students and 1.170 Citi volunteers as CSF teacher's buddy. With funds from Citi Foundation, Citi Peka allocated Rp 1.540.000.000 (USD 154.000) for Citi Success Fund 2009. Overall, Citi Peka contributed a total of more than Rp 13.340.000.000 (over USD 1,554.000) for CSF since the program was launched in 2003.