1,600 Educators Trained! A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a New Onboarding Challenge
- Projet Jeune Leader
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
The second chapter in our journey to scale!
What does it take to train 1,600 teachers? For the first time, our team can say: we did it!
This week, we wrapped up the second phase of our training program with 1,115 public school teachers — now trained and specialized as CSE educators — as we prepare for the national expansion of our program. This new cohort joins the first group of 485 CSE teacher-educators trained back in January.
This first training sets the foundation for the quality of implementation later on, when the educators begin working in their rural public school sites. So, to circle back to the question… what does it take to train 1,600 teachers?
A lot of energy, a lot of patience, and above all, a rigorous and intentional approach!
Across 16 regions of Madagascar, the training was led by a dynamic team of 30 PJL staff members and veteran CSE educators we've been working with over the past three years who brought their real-world experience to this new generation.
Here are a few highlights that made this training special:
Beyond skill-building alone, and a transformation from within
In addition to building pedagogical and teaching skills, the training was designed for deeper leadership development, too.
Developing soft skills in CSE educators is at the heart of our approach, because being an inspiring role model for young adolescents is what makes meaningful teaching possible.
And in just 20 days, the sessions were already making their mark. One educator who took part shared:
"During the training, I discovered so many new things, like emotional management and balanced communication. These were genuinely new concepts for me." Another added: "The training was memorable because it also covered behavioral aspects — not just for students, but for teachers too."
Depth of curriculum
All 81 themes in our CSE curriculum — from building self-confidence to understanding adolescent development to setting personal goals — are explored in depth and reinforced through hands-on simulations such as role plays.
It's a lot to cover, but we want to make sure the educators understand not only the content but also the values that underpin it, from its age-appropriate sequencing to its gender-transformative approach.
One educator reflected on what resonated with him most:
"The fact that it's centered on education that shapes well-rounded, responsible young people. That's truly the foundation of this training, and what gets passed on to students."
An empowering learning environment
One of the aspects of the training most valued by participants was in the learning environment and culture. One new CSE educator shared with gratitude:
"What stood out to me was that everyone's opinion had value. When you shared your thoughts during the training, they were respected. The understanding was that if someone expressed an idea, they had their reasons. There were no negative comments or judgments."
For us, this is a core priority: honoring each person's voice is how we build the self-confidence we want every young person to carry with them. And that process starts with the educators.
And, in classic PJL fashion, the energy in the room was palpable! Our trainers modeled the kind of participatory, engaging, and often fun learning environment that the CSE educators are expected to bring into their classrooms.
"The facilitation was really dynamic and motivating. It brought so much life to the training."
In short… the training was an intense, wonderful start for these teacher-educators, who are now ready to bring our program to 1,115 public middle schools across Madagascar for the first time!
And for our team, there's no rest for the weary! They are already planning for upcoming support and refreshers so we can best support the CSE educators over the long haul. They are also already reviewing every aspect of this training — fine-tuning the structure, methodology, and content — so future editions keep getting better.
Training 1,600 teachers was quite the challenge… and now, we're ready for the next one!
