This collaboration establishes the EPI Center as the premier provider of high-quality, professional development for teachers. Ghana’s Minister for Education, the Honorable Haruna Iddrisu has officially endorsed the signed Memorandum of Understanding, signaling strong governmental support for this initiative.
At the helm of this transformative partnership are key figures from both organizations. Dr. Damara Hightower Mitchell, CEO of the EPI Center, and Professor Samuel Atintono, Principal of the Accra College of Education will be instrumental in guiding the collaboration.
“Our goal is to empower educators globally to develop students’ critical thinking and global perspectives. We do this by building strong partnerships with teachers and universities, ensuring our work is informed by their needs and insights,” said Dr. Hightower Mitchell. “By focusing on educators, they create a ripple effect; a single empowered teacher can, in turn, influence hundreds, if not thousands, of students over their career.”
Directly coordinating efforts to enhance teaching and learning capacity are Dr. Gwenda Richburg Greene, Senior Strategist for Higher Education and Global Initiatives for the EPI Center, and Mr. Mathew Ayamdoo, Coordinator of Innovation, Research, Professional Development and International Relations for Accra College of Education.
“I am deeply honored to be at the coordinating helm of this visionary partnership. Together, the EPI Center, Accra College of Education, and Voorhees University are co-constructing a model that celebrates reciprocity, elevates global competencies, and builds enduring bridges across borders. This is more than a collaboration—it is a shared commitment to educational excellence and transformative teaching and learning,” said Dr. Greene.
The Honorable Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije of Ghana’s Office of Parliament serves as the pivotable official liaison for the partnership. He lauded the bilateral relations between the two nations and joined the Minister of Education in commending this mutually beneficial endeavor. They hailed the partnership as a “valuable step toward broadening the global exposure of our teachers and student-teachers, while also sharing Ghana’s own strengths in education,” highlighting the significant impact the EPI Center, Voorhees University, and its partners will have on the educational landscape in Ghana and EPI’s visionary goal to work with international teachers in the United States.
The EPI Center provides services to educators across the country in seven states: Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, as well as 25 public school districts in South Carolina. EPI also collaborates with educators in universities and schools worldwide, including in Barbados, Guyana, and Canada.
