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IICD WATCH - FAQ
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Who should read this? This is primarily aimed at
people considering one of the Teachers Group (TG) schools in the United
States. These include:
A lot of the discussion here is
probably also relevant to TG schools elsewhere. I’m in a hurry.
What’s the bottom line? The bottom line is that for a
number of reasons, financial, emotional, organizational, joining a TG school
does not make a whole lot of sense.
Despite the low cost and requirements for a TG program you don’t get
much for your time and money from the organization and risk encountering needlessly
frustrating situations. The positive
parts of a TG program most often come from your fellow volunteers and the
people you meet while you’re abroad rather the Teachers Group school You can have a similar travel
adventure, meet lots of cool and interesting folks and help people in a
developing country without subjecting yourself to the TG experience. See How. Are you claiming that this site is objective? No. I doubt whether its possible to have an objective opinion about
these schools so I’ll state up front my opinion that you would be better off
doing something else with your time and energy than join a TG school. That said, you should also
recognize that the material and information you get from one of these TG
schools is not objective either. They
are advertisements geared towards getting you to join one of the schools and
like any advertisement/opinion should be treated with skepticism. I invite people to approach this
website with skepticism as well. I
think it can stand up to it. Why should I believe your argument? I rely upon the stories people
have posted at Tvindalert and in some other guestbooks (such as the one that
used to be connected to CCTG) to build an composite image of what takes
place. I concentrate on factual statements
rather than opinions and rely on several sources before making a
statement. There is an element of
personal judgment in this process but it is an unavoidable part of the
methodology. These statements are not
limited to people who are upset with the schools but also includes the
publicly available comments made by current members of the TG. All quotations are presented in italic
and bolded text. In addition, I use publicly
available materials such as tax returns, property records and court
proceedings. In large part I do not
rely heavily on news stories per se except to extract direct statements of TG
members or volunteers. This is not
because I believe that these reports are erroneous but because TG members
often argue that these reports are tabloid journalism. By drawing from direct reports from
volunteer experiences I hope to prevent this webpage from being discounted in
this manner. I also use experiences from
various times and places in order to demonstrate that the same issues keep on
coming up over time indicating a systemic organizational problem rather than
a one-time aberration. Why aren’t you drawing from Teachers Group sites for
stories? Actually I am using TG
sites but not for the stories posted there because of my concern that they
are more advertising than reflective of the average volunteer’s
experience. Often the stories posted
at the TG websites focus on the people whom volunteers encounter in other
countries and the desperate conditions in which they live. My goal is to move past this obvious fact
and examine what the TG schools are doing to prepare people to meet the
challenge of helping these people. Ah ha! So, you admit that you are censoring positive
material. Good, you’re being
skeptical, but I am not ignoring the positive stories. I readily accept the fact that there are
people who enjoy their time as a TG volunteer and go on to join the Teachers
Group. After all there are hundreds
of members of the TG and they all were volunteers at one point. However, I am uncertain of how representative
the stories posted on the sites are (it’s advertising after all) and think
that the free exchange on guestbooks are a better data source. Can you list specific instances to back your argument? Yes. That’s sorta the whole point of this. Take a look anywhere in this webpage. But you are only using the stories of relatively few
volunteers. Doesn’t mean that
everyone else has been happy with the programs? This is an important point
but it is wrong to assume that everyone else is satisfied because in truth we
really don’t know. We don’t have the
data. Judging simply from the
feelings of the posters at the Tvindalert website there is about a 50/50
split between those who like the program and those who disliked it. But this is a crude indicator There are a wide array of
experiences with some people very happy and going on to join the Teachers
Group, some who like some aspect and dislike others, others who dislike the
prep period but enjoy the travel period, some who like the travel period but
give little credit to the TG for this experience and some who are highly
dissatisfied. Generally it is the
people of either extreme (pro-TG or anti-TG) that are most likely to write at
one of the websites making it hard to get a complete picture. The real problem is the
lack of evaluations of these programs.
To my knowledge there are no reliable figures on how many people start
at the school, how long they continue in the program, at what point they
leave or stay. Information provided
from direct inquiries to the schools (IICD-MA and IICD-MI) state that between
5 to 15 percent of volunteers drop out while postings at the Tvindalert
website report attrition rates of 50 percent or higher. Obviously there is considerable
differences in these figures. Also problematic
is that there are no formal evaluations conducted on the quality of
volunteers experiences. What can be pieced together
from both reports posted at Tvindalert, information posted at TG school sites
and personal communications is the following incidents of programs groups
with attrition: ·
IICD-MI (2002) – Zambia
team lost at least 4 members. ·
IICD-MI (2002) – Guatemala
group project cancel by IICD-MI for lack of funds at the end of the
preparation people – many participants dropped out. ·
CCTG (2002) – At least three people drop from
Mozambique/Zambia program. ·
IICD-MA (2001) – A number
of students dropped out after a week ·
CCTG (2001) – One team
(unknown) dropped. ·
IICD-MI (2001) – Volunteer
in Chipata, Zambia left before completing entire travel period. ·
IICD-MA (mid-1990s) –
Unknown number of students leave in reaction to “hidden ownership” of
facility by the TG ·
IICD-MA (mid 1990s) –
Report that about 20 percent of people leave during the fundraising period ·
IICD-MA (mid-1990s) – 7 out
of 12 people leave the groups scheduled to go to Angola or Zimbabwe ·
IICD-MA (1990) – Large
number of people quit program before completion ·
IICD-MA (1988 and 2001) –
reports claim that “half of all the people that enter training leave before
they are sent on a humanitarian trip”
These reports are clearly
incomplete but suggest a fairly substantial attrition rate that is generally
not acknowledged by the schools. For
example, a listing of ten program participants for the Mozambique/Zambia programs
at CCTG continued to feature people well after they had exited the
program. I welcome more first hand
reports from people who were in these schools. Also I would be more than happy to conduct the evaluation of
the programs for the TG schools or find a third party to do it. It would be relatively simple. Collect the emails of all incoming
participants and ask them to fill out short questionnaires every three months
or so and we could have a clear picture. But the drop-out rate from TG schools is comparable to the
Peace Corp! It’s just a tough thing
to volunteer in the developing world. According to the press
office of the Peace Corp,
approximately 25 percent of volunteers do not complete the full two years at
their station. (It’s worth mentioning
that it was very easy to track down this figure and many others from the
Peace Corp in contrast to getting information from the TG schools.) However, I don’t think that
this comparison is valid. First a
large number of TG volunteers drop the program while they are still in the
US. It’s not the difficulty of living
in a developing country that makes them leave but issues with the TG
schools. Second, PC volunteers spend
24 months in country versus the 6 months commonly spent by TG
volunteers. So one would expect the
TG to have a lower drop off rate simply because the volunteers are in country
for less time. Why don’t you do something POSITIVE with your time rather
than tearing down these schools? I actually believe that I am
doing something positive by helping people make informed selections about how
they spend their time and money. Also
I have outlined alternative ways to study,
travel and volunteer internationally. Is the Teachers Group a cult?
Do they engage in brainwashing? Will I be able to leave if I want? In my opinion the whole
cult/brainwashing issue is a bit of a red herring popular among journalists
because it sells papers. My main
critique is that it makes it too easy for the TG to dodge the real issues and
cast Tvindalert and other journalistic reports as hate-inspired
disinformation and themselves as victims.
In short, if you volunteer at one of these schools you will not be
prevented from leaving if you decide. That said, once people join
there are a number of factors that make people reluctant to drop out. As a former IICD-MI volunteer notes It is easier to ignore the facts while you are there, because you have stability and you don't have to think….It is easier to be on the outside looking in and asking "why doesn't she just LEAVE?" but trust me as someone who just left, it is extremely hard, everything is constantly rationalized to you, and even now I have doubts that I made the right decision to leave. If it weren't for my family's amazing support and love I don't think I would have ever left. More specifically some of the
factors are as follows. First, is the
obvious fact that you will forfeit some of the thousands of dollars that you
paid for the program. The schools
follow strict repayment schedules and the longer you are at a school the less
tuition refund you will get. Plus, as
the following comment suggests, getting the payment can take many months. I left IICD MI on Dec16th 2001, I was promised a refund of $2000.00 us funds, after many ,many phone calls ,emails and promises, and one bounced cheque, I finally received it on May 3rd 2002, so there is hope, anyone waiting for a refund, keep bugging and you may get lucky like I did. Second, people who join really
want to go and if you stop the program you are suddenly faced with uncertain
(and perhaps uninteresting prospects).
Third, there is a atmosphere cultivated at the TG that those who stop
are either lazy, unmotivated or didn’t try hard enough. People who join these programs are rarely
any of these things and the feeling of being labeled this is a strong
motivation to gut it out. Finally,
there is the sense of “temporary transition” in which the problems that one faces
will be resolved soon. It’s a carrot
that can keep you going and because the TG schools have packed schedules,
lots of things to do and not so much time to reflect on larger issues that
these might be systemic to the organization. Aren’t you picking on the
Teachers Group? The members of the TG
can do whatever they want with their salaries and its none of your business. Point taken. I actually agree that I do not have the
legal right to inspect the finances of these schools outside of the federal
tax forms they are required by law to file… BUT …I think it is strange that a
non-profit development organization is content with simply following the
letter of the law. Shouldn’t
non-profits and educational institutions have higher goals than simply
following legal requirements? I think
that this is particularly true when a number of reports exist on questionable
practices of the schools and police charges of fraud by other parts of the
TG. After all, the TG schools are
asking the public and their volunteers to trust that their donations of time
and money will be used well. But the TG is simply trying to stretch every dollar as
far as it can go. Wouldn’t you? Yes, but the TG system is
structured in such a way that very few TG members are actually involved in
running the common economy. This
provides little oversight beyond this core group of people and there is ample
opportunity for corruption such as documented here. Simple checks and balances seem to be
lacking that could ensure that the money is well spent. I suspect that the average TG
member is not involved in deciding how their salary is used. They simply sign it over and trust that it
is well spent. My point is that this
trust has been abused by the more senior members of the Teachers Group. The Teachers Group is just
misunderstood by the bourgeois mentality that this site represents. Aren’t you just afraid of the challenge
that the community orientation and selflessness that TG members have
dedicated themselves to? Don’t you
hate the idea that the Teachers Group represents? Actually, just the
contrary. I think that the vision
represented by these schools is fantastic!
It’s what made me volunteer with them. But the reality of these schools does not match the vision
which has been twisted into a corrupt parody of itself. This website exists not because
I dislike communal living or because a TG member hurt my feelings. I highly respect the sacrifice and
dedication that many TG members make. At the same time I cannot ignore the
mis-information, manipulation and corruption that is also tied to this
group. It is my sincerest hope that
the numerous good people that are part of this organization will reform into
a new organization free from the ties of the old and with stronger governance
that will prevent a reoccurrence of what has take place. What’s this about selling used clothes and/or plantations
in Brazil and Belize? The Teachers Group is involved
in a number of projects around the world that are highly controversial. The TG’s position is generally that these
projects (some of which are for-profit) provide the resources for development
projects. Others have called these a
misuse of public funds and non-profit status. I am not going to address it here because my main point is
discussing what your experience at one of the schools will be like. However, these questions bring
up important larger issues about the TG program and it is worth checking out
the pages at Tvindalert
(and elsewhere) that cover this. I want to respond to this. How do I do that? Both negative and positive
comments are welcome although flames will be cheerfully ignored. I don’t have the means to set up a
guestbook so if you want to post your comments publicly, I’d suggest the
Tvindalert guestbook. I’m particularly eager to hear
from people who have volunteered at these schools with their
comments/thoughts on this. Feel free
to contact me via iicdwatch@hotmail.com. It may take a couple of days to get a
response. I can’t guarantee however,
that I will engage in a discussion if I feel that I’ve already made my point
in the website. I’m currently enrolled in one
of these schools but am beginning to wonder if I should stop. What should I do? Although this site is geared
towards people before they join one of these schools I am well aware that you
don’t really know what these schools are about before you get into the thick
of it. So I’m trying to give the kind
of advice that I would have appreciated early on but only you can decide what
makes sense for you…. If you are already invested in
one of these schools you have to face the fact that you will lose a large
portion of your tuition if you leave.
However, I think it would be in your best interest particularly early
on before you’ve invested to much time and money. Chalk it up as a life lesson,
dearly paid for and start working on achieving your goals of travel and
service. (See here). In the same six
months you would have spent in a TG training school you can position yourself
for a similar program on your own. If you are just days away from
leaving for the international period and already have the
training/fund-raising portion completed then it may make sense to stay with
the program. I think that if you have
already invested this much time and effort in the program you might as well
experience the portion of it that attracted you in the first place. HOWEVER, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you
take a few precautions that will allow you to leave if you have problems with
the project or Humana. 1. Be 100 percent prepared mentally, emotionally, and
financially to just walk away if you need to. Many people have done just that and have gone on to have deeply
rewarding experience without working with Humana or the TG. You’ll be in whatever country you were
preparing for and could either travel/explore or hook up with a non-Humana
non-profit or school. The opportunity
is there and the TG is not the only way to go. 2. Keep your passport and your return plane ticket with you
at all times so if you do decide you’ll be able to leave with a minimum of
hassle and argument. Humana will
probably argue that it is better to keep passports and tickets safe in a
central location (a valid point) but personally I prefer to keep things
close. Moneybelts work well. 3. Get the phone number and address of your country’s
embassy. They can provide some
assistance for you if you are really strapped. 4. Bring a couple hundred dollars in cash and a credit card
that you can use to get a cash advance.
Yes credit cards charge ridiculous rates for this but if you need it,
you need it. Keep these with
you. This will provide you with the
freedom to leave if you want. You may
not decide to but its good to have the option. 5. Buy your own personal copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for the country
to which you are going. These things
are GREAT resources on how to live and travel cheap and you want your own
copy that you can take with you if need be. 6. Establish an email account at hotmail and pass it out to
all your friends and family. It will
be the easiest (and cheapest) way to stay in contact and get their help. 7. Be demanding and pushy with the Humana people. You’ve contributed over $10,000 from fees
and fundraising to come here and you deserve attention and respect. This is particularly true when it comes to
resources for your project. 8. Don’t let anyone compromise your security or health. If you think a situation is unhealthy for
you then fixing the situation is your number one priority. You don’t have to live in luxury but
ensuring that you have a safe place to sleep, clean water and food should be
the first priority for you. Yes, many
people where you are at do not have these things but that will be the case
whether you are there or not. It’s
simply counterproductive and inefficient to spend thousands of dollars to
travel thousands of miles simply to get sick and be unable to work. 9. Keep your wits about you, your eyes and ears open and
your opinions strong. I think these precautions will
allow you to do the international period and if need be just walk away. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR CAN JUST WALK
AWAY. Who are you? I’m a former IICD-MA volunteer
who wants to pass on the wisdom (what there is of it) I gained from my and
other’s experience to people contemplating joining these groups. Although I readily admit that I don’t know
all the ins and outs of the Teachers Group’s schools I think I can give you a
good sense of likely issues you will encounter. I’ve also worked and traveled in
Central America, Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and
Southeast Asia and so know something about international travel and development
work (although I would not call myself a development expert). I’m currently a professor at a large
Midwestern university and prefer to remain anonymous at this time so my words
rather than who I am are the focus of this site. Besides maybe the mystery will make this site more alluring.
:-) It worked for Homer Simpson.
I’m motivated by a
feeling that something that is lacking in all the controversy about the
Teachers Group is an assessment of what it is like to be a volunteer with
these groups. Tvindalert, in my
humble opinion, in addition to being a fantastic resource tends to
concentrate on the more sensational aspects of the Teachers Group and sound
bites that can sell papers. The TG schools,
again in my humble opinion, do not present an honest depiction of the value
of their training, brush aside substantial evidence of serious problems and
outright corruption within the organization and incorrectly cast themselves
as the victims of right-wing hate groups. I’m simply trying to cut through
the controversy/marketing and say, “Hey. You really don’t get much from these
schools and can do exactly what they do on your own (or even better with
a group of friends) and by so doing, have a better chance of having a good
experience and really helping people in the developing world. This site is entirely my
personal endeavor, hosted for free at Bravenet and generates no
revenues. It’s not associated with
Tvindalert, IICD, IICD-MI, or CCTG although I do rely on these sites for the
materials posted here. Feel free to
contact me via iicdwatch@hotmail.com
although it may take a few days to get a response. I’m particularly interested in hearing reactions of former TG
volunteers and people with first hand experience in these projects. Copyright © 2002, IICD Watch, All Rights Reserved Permission is granted to reproduce the materials posted
here provided that they are credited as "Source: IICD Watch
(http://iicdwatch.bravepages.com/)" |
