Fall 2021

Creative Life

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walk this way A day in the life of a Creative team member

Hafsa Drissi Semlali Program Coordinator, National Program for Reading

My journey with Creative began in 2012 when I started as a receptionist on a USAID education program inMorocco. The team’s impact on this work inspired me to apply for a ProgramCoordinator role with Creative on a new project. I knew I needed more education to succeed, so I enrolled in a management and communications bachelor’s program. I received the offer to become Program Coordinator on my first day of school. I have been exposed to new opportunities and expanded my skills and self- confidence as part of Creative’s National Program for Reading (NPR) team. The most rewarding part of my new role is to co-organize training sessions that educate Moroccan instructors in

trainings when some relayed their husbands’ concerns about women’s safety in commuting to and staying overnight in NPR-provided hotels and about the difficulty of assuming household and childcare responsibilities while their wives were away. I am a mother of two children who has balanced family, education and work. This empowered me to support female teachers in finding solutions to home responsibilities and helping their husbands feel confident in their safety so they could participate. I feel most proud when women who nearly decided to skip the opportunity arrived at trainings and gained new methods to develop their leadership and

Teachers learn new teaching techniques such as how to design more interactive lessons to improve students’ engagement.

Making reading fun with relevant and vibrant learning materials is a key part of the National Program for Reading.

I always feel motivated by my team because we work as a family with respect, and we support each other.” “

instruction abilities. Addressing education on such a large scale can be challenging, but I always feel motivated by my team because we work as a family with respect, and we support each other. I have worked well with other teams in the past, but this one is remarkable. Being part of NPR has reinforced my belief in the importance not only of education for children but also of continuing to grow and learn throughout life. n

teaching techniques to improve students’ engagement and experience. These trainings are part of an initiative to address the achievement gap inMoroccan schools by improving instructors’ skillsets. I am involved in developing training themes, scheduling, and collaborating with regional academies and provincial directors to publicize upcoming sessions. The participants are primarily women, and we had to adjust our in-person

The five-year National Program for Reading is a national literacy program to improve Arabic literacy skills, specifically for grades one through four.

Photos provided by Hafsa Drissi Semlali; Erick Gibson (classroom)

30 | Think Creative | Fall 2021