The project aims to train a new generation of English language teachers and encourage soon to be teachers to stay and work in Moldova by engaging them in a cutting edge professional development initiative based on UN Sustainable Development Goals. Teachers will gain valuable skills necessary to find additional professional development oportunities and funding to support their educational initiatives, such as collaborating with local authorities, applying for grants and planning fundraising campaigns.

According to Ministry of Education, Culture and Research low pay determines English language teachers to work in other areas than education. About 6,250 teachers work extra hours in the Moldovan capital alone, because of the deficit of specialists in the area. At least 10,000 teachers continue to work extra time across the country. For this and other reasons, the government hires retired professionals. The young ones would not hang on a teacher’s job in spite of a package of facilities existing for them. According to Ministry of Labor 1,700 students graduated in 2017 from teacher training establishments, at a time when 2,200 new specialists are needed. and less than 50 percent of teachers who graduated last year accepted employment in a school.

• July 2018: 50 novice and soon to be teachers will be recruited (10 Chisinau, 20 North, 20 South of Moldova) and introduced to the UN Sustainable Development Goals as opportunities to bring service learning into EFL instruction.
• August: A 5-day long summer hackathon will be organized in Chisinau. Novice teachers will engage in collaborative activities meant to promote service learning in the EFL curriculum and exchange ideas that will increase the quality of English teaching through project-based and task-based instruction. Participants will work in teams to develop initiatives that will generate EFL projects that help both teachers and students to become local community leaders.

Participants will also learn how to find additional funding for their projects, as well additonal professional development opportunities.

• September-October: Project participants implement the innovative teaching techniques in their daily instruction via collaborative civic engagement projects (1 school from Chisinau will work in teams with 2 scools from North and 2 schools from South of Moldova). Individual sessions will be organized to mentor and guide each participant and team.

• November: Participants present their projects at the final event organized in Chisinau in collaboration with Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.