Our MissionTo bring together members of the Toktogul community — including children with and without disabilities, their parents, their teachers and their peers — for professional development, creative endeavors, health training and educational enhancement.
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Our VissionTo create a community in which people of all abilities can live, learn, work, create and contribute.
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Our Values |
Where We Work |
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Children with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan
The constitution of Kyrgyzstan guarantees all individuals access to education, and school attendance is compulsory for children aged seven to fifteen. In reality, great disparities exist across the country in access to and quality of education. In rural towns and villages, resources are strained and highly - trained teachers are scarce. Children in these areas do not have the same educational opportunities as their peers in urban centers. The AKIpress News Agency estimates that of Kyrgzstan’s roughly 23,000 children with disabilites, only half attend school. They are kept home by myriad factors — schools that aren’t constructed to accommodate them, teachers who aren’t trained to teach them, limited transportation options, and stigma related to their disabilities. Special schools and centers for children with disabilities exist in larger cities, but typically not in rural areas.
Our Work in Toktogul
Toktogul is a small city in central Kyrgyzstan. The regional center for twenty - five surrounding villages, Toktogul is nearly 300 kilometers from any major city. There are 42 schools in the region. Beyond the public school system, there are few opportunities for educational enrichment or technology training. This is particularly true for students with disabilities.
Bilim Nuskasy works with teachers, parents and students to broaden education access, improve teaching methods, improve health and promote the arts and new technologies. Bilim Nuskasy maintains a focus on children with disabilities, conducting educational programming for these children and building a network of parents of special needs children. This work of Bilim Nuskasy can be broken down into three main components:
Bilim Nuskasy works with teachers, parents and students to broaden education access, improve teaching methods, improve health and promote the arts and new technologies. Bilim Nuskasy maintains a focus on children with disabilities, conducting educational programming for these children and building a network of parents of special needs children. This work of Bilim Nuskasy can be broken down into three main components:
Teacher TrainingsTeacher trainings, including special training for young teachers and teachers from rural villages. Topics include: using computers and the Internet, curriculum planning, teaching methods, classroom management and inclusion.
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Programs for StudentsPrograms for students, which include camps, courses and workshops. Topics include English language, technology, leadership, HIV prevention, healthy lifestyle and gender equity. Many of these programs also have a special focus on including and supporting children with disabilities.
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Preschool ProgramConstruction of a new preschool in Toktogul that will have low student-teacher ratios, utilize play-based methods, promote cross-cultural exchange, provide professional development for teachers, and include students with disabilities.
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