Bilingual Grammar School Lycee Molyko - Buea
YAN began teaching a unique leadership and new media advocacy curriculum at the Bilingual Grammar School Molyko - Buea in Fall 2009. Students are asked to identify an important local issue that does not receive the international attention that they think it deserves. Students then developed an advocacy campaign that includes web-based research, social networking, basic website design, podcasting and video production to enhance the visibility of their chosen local issue. The program is going on its fifth year and has graduated over 65 young leaders with an additional 24 students in class for the 2013-2014 school year.
Government High School Buea Town - Buea
In 2012, YAN was expanded into two new schools, the Government High Schools in Buea Town and Limbe (see below). At these schools, the same leadership and new media curriculum that YAN has been developing over the last several years was used in the same manner as described above. Last year there were 32 graduates and this year (2013-2014) there are 21 potential students who will graduate.
Lycee Molyko - Advanced YAN
There are 8 motivated, enthusiastic and bright YAN graduates from previous years who couldn't get enough YAN and asked for an "Advanced" class. This class continues teaching the same leadership and new media advocacy curriculum as the original club but takes it to the next level. The classes start with a review of previous lessons and moves much more quickly into website creation, podcasts, photography and videos. The end project for the advanced students will be to sensitize their own community on the problems they have chosen for research. Students will organize their own outing in which they will present their research to the community.
Internships for Students
In 2013, Youth Advocacy Network started an internship program for students who excelled in the class and were very serious and studious. Last year, 10 students were given internships with non-profits that operate in Buea. These internships give our students invaluable experience. They allow our students to take advantage of not only helping a local NGO in their community, but also gaining knowledge and hands on experience about how non-profit organizations work. This year we are hoping to place a minimum of 8 student interns at different NGOs in Buea.
Last year the student interns were as follows:
ICENECDEV Nanjembe Nelson, Tetsop Florantine and Eyole Emmanuel
ProClimate Tazison Josiane and Nanje Lucia
ERuDeF Suh Ruth and Bessinula Emmanuel
YAN Kendja Djapa Elisée, Gwisho Norris and Gibril Labi Madaki
Past YAN Projects
Government High School Limbe - Limbe
The 2012-2013 school year graduated 11 YAN students from GHS Limbe. That year was a wonderful year for YAN as there were two Fellows which certainly maximized YAN's outreach. Ties were not cut with GHS Limbe but as for the 2013-2014 school year, YAN will not be working in Limbe. YAN hopes to make it back to Limbe and teach the YAN curriculum in the future.
Buea School for the Deaf
YAN's program at Buea School for the Deaf in 2009 - 2011 is an example of how fellows are encouraged to build ties with the local community, providing assistance as identified by those who best understand the problems in Buea. Cameroon provides public funds for blind children, but not for deaf students. This prompted the creation of Buea School for the Deaf, where deaf students from throughout Cameroon convene to learn in a supportive learning environment.
At the request of the school, YAN worked with students to produce short sign-language videos that can be distributed to the families and communities of these young people. The aim of this project was to allow those closest to the students in their own villages, whether this be their parents, siblings, or neighbours, to better communicate with them.
