Nurturing Learning Communities in a Time of Crisis

Dear Kind Donors and Supporters,

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your donations to our project, “Nurturing Learning Communities in a Time of Crisis,” on GlobalGiving. Your support gave us the freedom to bring new members of our high-level leadership training program to connect with a group of displaced Myanmar teachers in a Thai border town in October. This meaningful encounter opened up opportunities for deeper relationships and helped lay the foundation for a wider network of young, committed leaders who are deeply aware of their political and socio-economic contexts.

Following the SENS 2025 program — our three-month English and leadership journey — we invited three graduates to join ALPS (Apprentice Leaders Program in Sustainability). They include Adity (nickname) from Darjeeling, India, as well as Lien (nickname), and Linhthi (nickname), who are both from Central Vietnam. As part of our integrated design between ALPS and our work in the border town of Mae Sot, Lien and Adity joined us this year for a one-day gathering with our Myanmar teacher alumni and other field visits there.

We believe that creating the conditions for genuine care and appreciation between individuals who meet face-to-face in our programs is vital in building strong networks. In our continued work with displaced Myanmar teachers, we’ve seen how being treated with dignity and respect — simply as fellow human beings — nurtures deep trust and connection. The external circumstances faced by those forced to migrate for work or safety tend to diminish the dignity of the individual and the skills or experience they bring. Treating our migrant colleagues with the respect and appreciation they deserve brings out the deeper common ground of humanity in our relationships. The Myanmar teachers and participants we work with also bring a degree of personal warmth that is rare in many other communities.

Here are some updates on our work of building connections and growing learning communities alongside our alumni:

1. Myanmar Teachers Gathering

On October 11, about 20 of our Myanmar teacher colleagues gathered and shared the joy of reuniting after almost a year. We were once again struck by their gratitude and by observing how much they enjoyed talking and connecting. As the core of our relationship building, we spent significant time doing Co-Counseling, a peer listening practice. Our impression was that everyone loved these chances to share deeply. Their smiles, stories, and laughter reminded us of the lasting bonds formed in earlier trainings. Our ALPS members, Adity and Lien, were also quickly and warmly welcomed and found themselves truly moved by the human connection they experienced.

1. Follow-up Workshop on Co-Counseling for Myanmar Youths

The next day, we hosted a follow-up Co-Counseling workshop for a group of Myanmar youth who had previously trained with Ted (our director). This group was brought together by one of our ALPS members, Paung (nickname), as a way to support her migrant communities. New friendships formed.  And we are confident that by working with those young minds, we are strengthening the network that we are aiming to build.

1. School Visits

On this trip to Mae Sot, we also set up visits to some of the migrant learning centers where our teacher alumni are working. For us, it was a lovely time when we had the chance to interview the teachers at one of these schools. They are mostly ethnically Karen and have lived in the border area for years. One common feature in the upbringing of several teachers is that they have lived virtually their entire life in a refugee camp. This may have been one source of their admirable commitment to supporting migrant children in their education. With very limited resources, the school we visited manages to host about 160 students. What we saw in these teachers was unwavering dedication and hope for the future of their students.

1. Strengthening the ALPS Team

For all of us in the ALPS team, the 7 days we shared in this journey deepened our relationships as we worked and encountered new experiences while also having the chance to share and reflect on a more personal level. These moments have helped us grow together — and we believe they form a strong foundation for our work team as we prepare to launch SENS 2026.

Your generosity continues to ripple through our network of young leaders, teachers, and learners.

We would be grateful if you could share this report and/or talk about our work with your friends and family!

A heartfelt thank you on behalf of our entire community of dedicated young teachers and change-makers,

Au, SENS Program Assistant

Links:

• INEB Institute Website

• SENS 2026 Brochure (PDF)