THE ECHOES ALLIANCE

 

ECHOES is a Global Development Alliance between USAID and World Cocoa Foundation through Cooperative Agreement RLA-A-00-07-00045-00.  Its objective is to strengthen cocoa growing communities by expanding opportunities for youth and young adults through relevant education.

 

Funding partners are USAID, WCF, Cloetta Fazer, ED&F Man Cocoa, The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Mars Inc., the Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers, Olam International Ltd. and Starbucks Coffee Company.

 

Implementing partners are International Foundation for Education and Self Help, Winrock International and Making Cents International.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Welcome to ECHOES Schools

Welcome to the ECHOES Schools Community! 

The ECHOES project recognizes that the impact of cocoa growth reaches far beyond communities in West Africa.    In the United States, ECHOES seeks to broaden US citizens’ understanding of the cocoa industry through the development and implementation of innovative classroom materials for middle school children (grades 6-8) that support and/or integrate with core content and CTE curriculum (English, math, science, social studies, business education, technology education and agricultural education).  In Ghana, ECHOES is working with teachers and trainers of out-of-school youth, providng training and materials to help youth identify opportunities in their communities.   

 

The ECHOES Schools page was developed for US middle school teachers as well as youth trainers in Ghana for the purpose of providing unique teaching and training resources, and to facilitate a fruitful exchange between US based educators and youth trainers in cocoa growing communities. 

 

 
News From the Field

 

 
 
Making Cents International Completes Pilot Trainings in Ghana and the US
In July and August of 2008 ECHOES partner Making Cents International conducted a pilot training of trainer events in Sefwi Wiawso.  The course prepared participants to facilitate the “Livelihoods Training for Out-of-School Youth in Cocoa Communities in Ghana” course.   By the end of the eight-day Training-of-Trainers course, participants learned how to plan and run a training course using the course curriculum. The twelve participants included local field agents and shadow teachers from target communities throughout Ghana.  
Global Awareness—Cocoa US Middle Schools
In September 2008 Making Cents developed and implemented a teacher training course for US middle school teachers based on a series of cross-cutting cocoa content learning modules that support core education subjects such as Social Studies, Math, and History in US schools for grades 6 - 8. These modules, once implemented, will serve as a shared foundation of learning to support awareness and long-distance learning with cocoa communities around the world. Students will deepen their understanding of each other’s communities and impacts linked by the common thread of cocoa. The themes brought out through these learning modules are global in scope as they reflect on important issues such as child labor and international trade.
The US Cocoa Modules Pilot Training for US middle school teachers took place over the course of 2 days in Jacksonville North Carolina. There were 11 teachers representing 11 different schools trained in the ECHOES Cocoa Learning Modules for US Middle Schools. The teachers gave feedback which will be integrated into the final version of the modules that will be uploaded onto the ECHOES Schools Global Learning Portal community site.  Stay tuned for new materials!
 
- December 8, 2008