ABOUT EQUIP
Equip is a UK based Christian charity and Rwandan International NGO working to promote opportunity and excellence in education for young people. Equip has been working in Rwanda since 2007 and is led and managed by experienced educational professionals. It has built Kingdom TVET School and sponsored education in the southern outskirts of Kigali to train young people in vocational skills within a Christian context. In 2018 Equip became a registered INGO (International Non-Governmental Organization) in Rwanda to expand the work. Equip’s first project as an INGO was working in cooperation with the District of Bugesera which led to opening Nyamirama TVET School in January 2019 in partnership with EPR (Église Presbytérienne au Rwanda – Kigali Presbytery) in the Shyara sector of Bugesera District. Equip funds all the staff and teachers of the school as well as providing the learning resources, administration and maintenance costs. Refurbishment works have been carried out to improve the learning environment. This has included: upgraded classrooms and toilets, construction of a hangari (outside undercover workshop), installation of a water tank and the provision of a girls’ room.  Equip also monitors the quality of the schools giving educational consultancy and leadership and management support as required. We recognize the need to provide high quality education in schools and in that context, we are developing The Equip Teaching Awards.

In 2019-2020 Equip also took on three new projects, all working with young people in Rwanda. These are Miracle Soccer Ministries (MSM), which runs a football academy in Kigali providing sporting  opportunities for budding players alongside teaching them the gospel message of Jesus Christ; The Joy of a Child (JOC), a project in Kigali which provides food and educational support for orphaned and single parent families within a Christian context; and Educators for Needy Children(ENC), a group of young Christian teachers going into some of the most impoverished schools in the north of Rwanda providing uniform, educational and essential supplies for the neediest. All these three projects have been funded to date by the Rwandans who run them, giving out of their own pockets, often sacrificially. The funding now provided by Equip has ensured the sustainability of their work and has enabled them to develop and grow to help even more children. During the COVID 19 crisis Equip fed and supported a number of communities in and around Kigali, as well as in Musanze district.

EQUIP’S PURPOSE  
●  To prevent and relieve poverty by providing and assisting in the provision of education, training, healthcare projects and all the necessary support designed to enable individuals  to generate a sustainable income and be self-sufficient and to support communities to find  sustainable means of economic growth and regeneration.  
●  To advance education on the basis of Christian principles including the provision of such education in any educational establishment and the provision of one or more educational establishments for the general education of children or adults on the basis of such Christian principles.  
●  To relieve sickness and promote the preservation of health among people by providing or assisting in the provision of medical supplies, equipment, facilities, services support, education and practical advice.
●  To advance the Christian faith and worship including the preaching and proclamation of Christian doctrine and principles.

THE EQUIP TEACHING AWARDS 2023
Equip, in the context of its core mission implementation and as identified in its strategic plan, organized and is implementing an award initiative for Rwandan teachers to enable them to showcase their abilities and to be able to bring about innovations and impactful creativity in their respective fields. We believe that by recognizing the most innovative minds in educational research and practices, and building a global learning community around them, we will accelerate the adoption of the best ideas and practices and raise standards overall. This will improve the quality of education across Rwanda and will promote wider access to educational opportunity.
In the first year of the award, the focus is on TVET/VTC schools where different categories will be involved in the competition including: the Award for the Head Teacher of the Year; the Award for Making a Difference; the Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year; the Award for the Best Male Teacher of the Year; the Award for the Best Female Teacher of the Year; and a discretionary award, The Equip National Director’s Award.

TVET/VTC  SCHOOLS
A TVET/VTC school’s education is essential for the economic and social development of a country.  Having a well-trained, motivated and adaptable workforce is the key. The Education Sector Policy in Rwanda was developed in 2003. Since then, several sub-sector policies have/are being developed and TVET/VTC is one of them. TVET/VTC comprises all fields of initial, continuing Technical and Vocational Education and Training. It covers all kinds and levels of trades offered in Rwanda. TVET/VTC is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the world of work.  In the past, various terms have been used to describe elements of the field that are now conceived as comprising TVET/VTC. Within this sector, there is Vocational Training which is a system which aims to provide recipients with the necessary knowledge and skills to exercise a profession in order to be integrated in the labor market. Vocational Training includes initial Vocational Training and continuing Vocational Training. Technical Education is a structured system which aims to provide beneficiaries with the necessary knowledge and skills to continue their studies at tertiary education level or to exercise a profession in order to be integrated into the labor market. Technical Education therefore, puts more emphasis on theoretical education. It also involves Continuing TVET/VTC referring to training activities for people to be able to obtain knowledge and/or learn new skills for a current or a future job, to increase earnings and improve career opportunities in their current field.

Objectives for The Equip Teaching Awards:

● To encourage creativity and innovation in the teaching and learning environment leading to better quality education for students.

● To identify key opportunities and challenges faced in the implementation of innovative ideas.

● To recognize and motivate the best teachers.

● To promote a spirit of excellence for all TVET teachers, through the promotion of gender equality and mentorship in TVET/VTC schools.
 
COMPETITION PROCESS
Equip is launching an online enrolment and application system to enable teachers to participate in the competition based on the core six categories which are:
1. Award for the Head Teacher of the Year.  
2. Award for Making a Difference.  
3. Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year
4. Award for the Best Male Teacher of the Year
5. Award for the Best Female Teacher of the Year
6. The Equip National Director’s Award

After the opening of applications to all TVET/VTC schools in Rwanda, application guidelines will be available on the Equip website www.equipuk.org. The link will also be shared across social media, in publications and by invitation. The following stages will be observed:

STAGE 1
Self enrolment to the competition
At this stage, applicants will be awarded marks based on their performance in their answers to the eight essay questions. The pass mark to be long listed and to progress to the next stage is 70% percent. This step is given a weighting of 30 out of 100 in the final stage.

STAGE 2
Supervisor consultation
Long listed applicants will be evaluated by their direct school supervisors who will be asked to complete an evaluation form. The judging panel will verify these forms and mark accordingly to identify shortlisted candidates. This step is given a final weighting of 20 out of 100. Up to 20 candidates (a maximum of four in each of the first five categories) will be called for a face-to-face interview with senior representatives of Equip in Kigali. Some members of the panel may be present from the U.K. via video conferencing.

STAGE 3
Interview Stage.
Candidates will undergo a one-hour interview that will be assessed by the judging panel in line with set indicators of performance. Instructions for this step will be provided for the candidates. This step is given a weighting of 50 out of 100.

STAGE 4
The Equip Teaching Awards’ Ceremony
All interview candidates will then be invited to The Equip Teaching Awards' Ceremony in Kigali when winners and runners up will be announced and the presentation of certificates of recognition and competition prizes will be given in each category for their undivided support towards technical education. The Head teachers of these finalists will also be invited to the ceremony alongside the Equip Team, the judging panel and other stakeholders including the media. By entering the competition, the winners and runners up give permission for their success and biography to be shared in the media, including Equip’s social media.The prize funds will include new laptops for the prize-winner in each category . 

THE EQUIP TEACHING AWARD’ TARGET BENEFICIARIES
All TVET/VTC School Teachers across the country of Rwanda. Equip encourages gender equity, as a motivation to women to further their involvement in technical studies.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
● Recognition and motivation for the teachers who participate.
● Promotion of gender equity in TVET/VTC schools.
● Encouragement of potential partnerships and the implementation of innovative ideas
● showcasing of innovations and relevant achievements in TVET/VTC Schools.
● Creating sustainable and creative environments and engagement.

Equip hopes this competition will provide recognition and motivation for the young generation going into technical schools and also for teachers and line bodies encouraging the education in TVET/VTC schools as well as for gender equity consideration in Rwanda. The best innovative ideas to come out of the competition will be recommended to potential stakeholders. As the competition will attract different professionals and present different projects, it will be a good platform to disseminate the achievements and methodologies to the teachers who did not make it to the final level, hopefully to inspire and encourage them. It will be a chance to understand what teaching professionals see as problems or opportunities in the teaching career of a TVET/VTC school and how governments, sponsors, partners, and the private sector could  motivate, and invest in multidisciplinary collaboration among the trades to bring changes and innovation into TVET/VTC schools. It will strengthen gender equity in TVET/VTC schools, and articles covering the entire activity will appear on the website for the global coverage and value such incomparable events.

SUSTAINABILITY
With appropriate funding it is anticipated The Equip Teaching Awards will be a yearly event, to celebrate the best practices and to bring innovation into the Education sector as well as developing sustainable partnerships based on promotion of new ideas, excellence and gender equity. The Equip Teaching Awards will be strategically planned annually and apply to different levels of education from nursery schools, primary schools, secondary and higher learning. Solutions that come out of each season would be engaged in making changes that we want to see in the future generation of leaders with a huge package with innovative skills bringing solutions to the burdening challenges of moving towards gold standard education.  We also encourage the teachers to work hard to be part of The Equip Teaching Awards.