Founder's Note
Inspired by the prevalent rates of crime, poverty and teenage redundancy that I witnessed as a teenager in Ibadan, I founded Teens Going for Gold Network in 2012 with the invaluable help of a group of friends. It started as a learning community to inspire teenagers to dream more, do more and become more, and it is amazing to see how it has evolved into an organization that provides practical tools that teenagers can exploit in order to become relevant in the 21st century.
Teens Going for Gold Network is a development initiative that educates, inspires, and empowers disadvantaged and under-served teenagers to become financially self-reliant and socially conscious individuals. We achieve this with the instrumentality of annual training projects known as Project Teach a Teen, annual conferences known as Project Inspire and quarterly publications. Our ultimate goals and objectives are to contribute to reducing the rates of crime, poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.
Managed and driven by a dedicated body of volunteers, the organization’s vision is to become the foremost organization of reference in teenage education first, in Nigeria and then in other countries of West Africa, most especially in Sierra Leone and Senegal where plans are already under-way to start up teenage projects and programs.
The Teach a Teen program
Though it officially took on the name Teach a Teen in 2017, the Teach a Teen program started in 2016. It is both a campaign and a series of training projects designed to develop the entrepreneurial, financial, vocational and leadership capacities of secondary school students across Nigeria. The most recent of the training sessions which held in Edo, Lagos and Oyo states in July and August 2018 to 23rd had 110 beneficiaries.
The Teach a Teen program also features the #TeachATeen campaign which advocates for a system and culture of education that meets up with the changes, challenges and needs of the 21st century focusing on financial education, enterprise education, Global Citizen Education and Skill development.
Project Inspire
It is our annual conference where social reformers and trained teen mentors are invited to speak to participants on different issues like ethics, self-esteem, and stepping up to pace with the digital world.
With the TeenAchiever bulletin, which features a teenspiration column, teenagers are inspired and educated on how to contribute positively to the society. Over 1000 copies are published and distributed to teenagers free of charge. Online copies are also available for download.
Through all our programs and publications, we have directly reached 7,547. It has been the most fulfilling journey so far and I believe that the future holds more things in store for Teens Going for Gold Network! I hope you will join us to make a change.
VISION
With the ultimate goal of reducing the rates of crime, poverty and unemployment; Teens Going for Gold Network’ vision is to become the foremost organisation of reference in 21st century teenage education first, in Nigeria and then, in other countries of West Africa.
MISSION
With the instrumentality of our projects and publications, we have the mission to;
* inspire, educate and empower teenagers across Nigeria to become socially conscious and financially self reliant.
* develop the business, leadership and vocational aptitudes of teenagers.
* advocate for a system of quality and inclusive education that can sustain development with the #TeachATeen campaign.