Bidemi Carrol, Ph.D. has been a dedicated Schools for Salone Board Member since 2014. Dr. Carrol is a Senior Education Research Analyst at RTI International, an independent nonprofit research institute. She is also Board Chair of Schools for Salone partner, The Learning Foundation.
We recently sat down with Bidemi to hear more about her story and to find out what attracted her to Schools for Salone.
What is your favorite part about being a member of SfS?
Personally, I enjoy the SfS community and engaging with a team who are committed to Salone. It is inspiring to see and be a part of that. For The Learning Foundation (TLF), our partnership has helped keep us going and be able to expand our reach outside of Freetown. We have been able to work with different schools and teachers we wouldn’t have been able to work with without our SfS partnership.
When did you become aware of Schools for Salone (SfS)?
Cindy (Nofziger, SfS Founder and Executive Director) and I met through mutual acquaintances in the field. We decided to start working together because we had aligned missions and interest.
What would you say is the biggest achievement SfS & The Learning Foundation have accomplished, together?
We have been able to extend beyond building schools in a systematic way. We have been able to work with teachers to give them the skills they need.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take action to help expand education in Sierra Leone?
The need is great. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Get a clean understanding of the vision, start small, understand the issues, and build from there. Prioritize, start small, understand multiple dimensions that affect learning, work with local people.
