SS #86: What Has Athens to Do With Abuja? (Classical Education in Africa)
Scholé Sisters: Camaraderie for Classical Homeschooling Mamas
Brandy Vencel
4.7 • 540 Ratings
🗓️ 19 March 2021
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today's guests are Karen Elliott and Erica Robertson from Rafiki Schools. Karen has served with Rafiki since 1990, including twelve years on the mission field, most of that time in Jos, Nigeria. Upon returning to the U.S., she became the Director of Africa Operations for the Rafiki Home Office and was responsible for managing the ChildCare and Education Programs for all ten Rafiki Villages as well as curriculum development. She served at the Home Office for ten years before being named Rafiki's Executive Director in January of 2012. Erica has worked with the Rafiki Foundation since 2010. She was the headmaster of the Rafiki School in Rwanda for three years, and held the same position in Nigeria for five years. She currently serves as the Director for Africa Operations at the Rafiki Home Office in Florida.
Today's episode is our way of remembering that Christian classical education isn't just about America or the West – it's an attempt to raise up well-educated and faithful Christians around the whole globe. What does it look like to pursue this Christian heritage in Africa? Today you'll get a very exciting glimpse!
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Are you thinking about summer reading for your kids or maybe even pulling together your book lists for next year?
How do you know what books will be best for you and your family? How do you know which book lists to pay attention to and which to ignore? Can you defend your choices when people cast doubts on them? On March 27, at 9:30 am Pacific, Steven Rummelsburg will be teaching a workshop on How to Choose Good Books followed by a 45 minute Q&A session. By the end of the class, we will understand what makes a classic a true classic and why we should seek out and study the classics. Come get your bookish priorities reinforced and reinvigorated at Steven's How to Choose Good Books workshop. Click here to register.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | When we started our own schools in 2002, we even started writing our own curriculum at that time. |
| 0:07.8 | We understood that what was available locally in Africa was not going to be suitable. |
| 0:13.0 | It wasn't all Christian. |
| 0:14.2 | It wasn't always academically rigorous. |
| 0:16.7 | And the material available in America was too American. |
| 0:20.3 | And so we started writing our own. |
| 0:21.9 | And we wanted a curriculum that was classical and Christian and just culturally sensitive to Africa. |
| 0:32.7 | Welcome to Scalae Sisters, the podcast for the classical homeschooling mama, |
| 0:41.4 | who seeks to learn and grow while she's helping her children learn and grow. |
| 0:45.7 | Scalae Sisters is a casual conversation about topics that matter to those of us in the trenches of classical homeschooling, |
| 0:52.3 | who yearn for something more than just checking boxes |
| 0:55.0 | and getting it all done. I'm your host, Brandy Vensel. You can find me over at Afterthoughtsblog.net, |
| 1:01.6 | spreading my Charlotte Mason Joy through blog posts, study guides, audios, and more. |
| 1:06.7 | My co-host today is Misty Winkler. Misty is a second-generation homeschooler with five kids and too many projects. |
| 1:14.0 | With her blog, podcast, and membership, she helps you organize your attitude so you can organize your life. |
| 1:20.4 | Find her over at simplyconvivial.com. |
| 1:23.8 | Today's guests are Karen Elliott and Erica Robertson from Rafiki schools. |
| 1:29.3 | Karen has served with Rafiki since 1990, including 12 years on the mission field most of that time in Nigeria. |
| 1:36.3 | Upon returning to the U.S., she became the Director of Africa Operations for the Rafiki Home Office |
| 1:42.3 | and was responsible for managing the child care and education |
| 1:45.2 | programs for all 10 Rafiki villages as well as curriculum development. |
| 1:50.2 | She served at the home office for 10 years before being named Rafiki's Executive Director |
... |
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