Dr. Blidi Stemn never intended spending his days in a school classroom, nevertheless classrooms on each side of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, Stemn, an assistant professor in Old Westbury's School of Education, has dedicated his life to increasing access and improving the quality of education through his roles both at the College and through Education First, Inc. – a non-profit organization he founded in the United States and Liberia.
Stemn’s story begins in Liberia, which was severely affected by 14 years of civil unrest from 1990 to 2004. He was encouraged by a secondary school principal there to consider a career as a mathematics teacher, which he felt inspired to pursue, as he never had a Liberian mathematics educator or mentor when he was a student there. Currently, nearly 60% of the country’s school age children still do not have access to primary education.
“After years of being an educator in Liberia and abroad, I founded Education First, Inc. in 2011 to provide quality education to children and youths in rural and underserved communities in Liberia,” said Professor Stemn.
The organization's school, Education First Academy (EFA), has grown from an enrollment of 40 students in 2012 to 300 students today. In addition to establishing the school, his organization has donated school supplies to more than 500 children in the southeastern region of the country, and has provided five schools with instructional materials and a number of professional development workshops. Due to the rapid growth of Education First Academy, the organization is currently fundraising for construction of its own Pre-K-9 building to accommodate more students.
Stemn plans to continue his passion for access to education with his involvement in the College’s recently acquired New York State Education Department Teacher Opportunity Corps II grant, which seeks to increase the participation and retention of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers.
“I see my work with children in Liberia as an extension of my professional career at Old Westbury, in that I am putting into practice the College’s mission of social justice by making quality education accessible to youths in an underserved community,” adds Stemn. “Although each institution caters to different student populations, these scholars will one day become meaningful contributors to the diverse global economy.”
For more information about the inspiring work that Professor Stemn does inside and out of classroom, visit https://www.oldwestbury.edu/schools/education.
Image caption: Stemn working with students at Education First Academy in Liberia on a water sanitation project.