By Samuel Bossman August 25, 2023 Leave a comment
I was a guest on Ana 93,3 FM Radio Station a few months ago and was asked who in the Eastern Region private school world I would love to meet. One name immediately came to mind: Dr. Gloria Morgan, founder of Global Learning Centers and the new nonprofit private school Morgan Academy.
I was able to meet Morgan for an outdoor lunch recently, where we discussed her plans for increasing STEM education in Ghana private schools. With 30 years of experience in school teaching and administration, this veteran educator is passionate, focused and brimming with ideas for how to make these private schools more focused on science, technology, engineering and math. She exudes warmth and a sense of humor, but also has a personal connection to this issue. As a mom of two kids who are science teachers in the state of California in the U.S., she knows firsthand the importance of bringing STEM to schools. This is one of the reasons she founded Morgan Academy in the U.S. and expanded it to Ghana.
Morgan Academy is a nonprofit organization in partnership with Global Learning Centers, Inc with a goal of increasing quality science education by helping rural area families with all aspects of obtaining an excellent private school experience. Once accepted into her private school, the relationship does not end there–Morgan Academy walks families through the transition to a rigorous private STEM school and helps them navigate the school experience throughout the year.
Morgan said she is proud to announce the first cohort of Morgan Academy families is hard at work on their admissions process and will apply during the 2023-24 year. Families can apply to the primary school for grades TK-6 and will be assisted with understanding the STEM education model, parent expectations, and how to best support their wards throughout the school year.
The work Morgan, her board of directors and partner schools are doing is not only important, but timely, especially given today’s environment. Because of the country’s push for science education, private schools around the nation are focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics initiatives. For some schools, this work is not new. For others, it is something they have neglected for too long and are now scrambling to address in order to make up for lost time.
Unfortunately, there has been vocal backlash from some schools who argue that they do not have the funding or trained teachers to implement a STEM curriculum. They worry that not being able to implement a new curriculum will leave them unable to compete. Morgan pointed out that fortunately, there are schools where they take a no excuses approach to providing STEM based curriculum. Change and improvement is part of who they are, so these concepts are being embraced by many in the school communities. Of course, there is always more that can be done in the area of STEM, but some schools are way ahead of others on this front.
As the debate over STEM rages at some of the country’s private schools, Morgan believes that misunderstanding is driving the tension.
“Schools must examine who they are and where they are with STEM,” she said. “It’s about looking for solutions to the challenges, partnering with other schools in the community for a joint professional development and exploring how to use recyclables in STEM experiments. It is not about one outshining the other. We are all about the business of raising up our children so they will be able to move Ghana forward when their time comes.”
As if Morgan isn’t busy enough, she is working on hosting a literacy based tv show for children, “Hezekiah’s Window”. She has started this literacy format by visiting rural area villages to read to children and do arts & crafts. I love listening because these two women can get serious one minute and laugh the next. She co-hosts with her little puppet to make a unique learning experience for children. Promoting early literacy in our small children is something we must do to prepare them for the rigors of a successful life now.
Dr. Gloria Morgan is the founder of Morgan Academy. She holds a B.A. from the University of Phoenix, an M.A. from California State University Dominguez Hills and an EdD from University of Phoenix. She has 30 years of experience as a U.S. educator with 15 years in both public and private school administration. Morgan is also the founder of two other ventures; Global Learning Centers which offers literacy skills, computer skills, and community services for the Asuogyaman District and Asuogyaman Technical Institute a TVET school for women.
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