Teacher Training
Our commitment to education begins with our educators.
We strive to provide the best for our students by ensuring their teachers are equipped with the tools and skills they need.
Through training programs and workshops, we work to provide the educators at Desert Voicebox with new perspectives, methodologies, and further their abilities as leaders in the classroom to deliver our students the brightest futures possible.
These trainings are lead by skilled professionals and trailblazers who volunteer their time to help us achieve more, both in-person and online. You can read more about a few of our past trainings for teachers below.
This project is at the forefront of our fundraising goals as we head into 2026. We hope to connect with more experienced educators to bolster our offerings for the betterment of Desert Voicebox. Donations to our mission help aid in the costs of operations and expenses for lessons and trainings like these. Learn more about how your donation can make a difference.
2026 Teacher Training Summer Programme
This year at Sandblast, our mission is to bring our teaching standards further into focus. In 2026, the demand for Desert Voicebox continues to grow, and in order to provide the best for our students, we plan to start with helping build the best teachers.
Our teachers face unique obstacles as educators in the context of a refugee camp. With that in mind, we provide bespoke teacher trainings through the support of volunteers and professionals. The primary goal for 2026 is to craft an immersive training over summer break, where our teachers are able to study, learn, and practice in a classroom of their own. This project will be a huge undertaking, and involve months of coordination, planning, and funds.
By enriching our teachers, we will able to raise our educational standards, and can continue to deliver stimulating, horizon broadening workshops and activities to our students. Desert Voicebox is staffed by Saharawi Refugee women with limited opportunities for professional enrichment and higher education. Our teachers have an abundance of passion for the project and our students, bolstered by a forceful determination to see Desert Voicebox continue to develop.
Are you an educator looking to make a contribution?
We are always looking for new opportunities to collaborate and deliver innovative trainings for our teachers. We encourage you to share your ideas and CV at commssandblast@gmail.com.
Past Pedagogical Training
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![A saharawi girl in a pink and yellow headscarf playing a white digital piano with sheet music on the stand.]()
Music Theory & Piano Pedagogy
Date: February 2025
Leader: Mohammed “Momo” Absi
Description: Momo introduced new teaching methods for music theory and piano playing to the music teachers, helping them integrate fresh techniques into their existing curriculum.
Biggest Takeaway: Teachers became more confident teaching time signatures, note values, and reading sheet music, laying a solid foundation for instrumental learning. -
![Group of seven women standing in front of a plain white wall, smiling. Some women are wearing traditional colorful headscarves and clothing, while one woman in the center is wearing a striped shirt and jeans.]()
Teacher Training with Jade
Date: Dec 2023 – Jan 2024
Leader: Jade Blue
Description: Jade worked across the teaching team to instill a creative, interactive, and structured approach to lessons. She introduced a framework of core teaching principles and created templates for reflective weekly reports.
Biggest Takeaway: Teachers reported feeling more supported and structured, with clearer tools to improve their teaching style. -
![Three women wearing traditional scarves standing on desert sand with Egyptian pyramids and flags in the background.]()
Teacher Training with Farida
Date: October 2022
Leader: Farida Alvarez
Description: Farida provided guidance on lesson planning, classroom delivery, and supporting diverse learners. She collaborated closely with Nanaha and Takween to refine teaching methods.
Biggest Takeaway: Teachers gained more confidence and a stronger toolkit for managing their classrooms effectively. -
![A woman standing in front of a classroom blackboard, gesturing with her hands while teaching. The blackboard has handwritten notes about a story involving Mohamed and Luda. To the left, a colorful clock poster is visible on the wall, and to the right, a world map is displayed.]()
English Language Curriculum Development
Date: January 2020
Leader: Andy Pitts
Description: Andy worked with teacher Nanaha to co-develop the Level 4 English curriculum. He modelled teaching practices by leading classes using the new materials.
Biggest Takeaway: The training helped raise the quality of English lessons and supported the development of a more robust and engaging curriculum. -
![Two women are standing in front of a chalkboard in a classroom. One woman is writing on the blackboard while the other looks on. The chalkboard displays musical notes, symbols, and a list of words and phrases. There are educational posters and drawings above the chalkboard and papers pinned on the side.]()
Musicality & Music Theory for Teachers
Date: 2019
Leader: Maita Heres
Description: Maita focused on developing children's musical sensitivity and gave targeted theory training to the music teachers to improve their lesson delivery.
Biggest Takeaway: Teachers gained clarity on how to explain core theory concepts in accessible ways.
