Since leaving CIE I have enjoyed working with many CIE grads in Somalia, Lesotho, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Afghanistan and the US. For example, in 2008 I returned to Kabul for 2 months to work with Julio Ramirez and Chris Gamm on teacher education. I have worked as: a senior education advisor for Creative Associates International; education coordinator for the Aga Khan University in Karachi; NFE specialist for CIE in Lesotho; community/parent involvement consultant for AED in Namibia; training specialist for CRS and World Education(thanks to David Kahler), and trained Peace Corps volunteers for service in Namibia, Morocco and Kenya.

In the United States I directed a Women and World Issues project for the League of Women Voters (working with Suzanne Kindervatter); I directed the Rural School Empowerment Program (a SUNY AmeriCorps program), served as Vice President for Field Services for Literacy Volunteers of America (now ProLiteracy), and as a family advocate with HeadStart in Cobleskill, NY.  I have been an adjunct faculty member at the School for International Training in Vermont, SUNY (Cobleskill and Oneonta) and visiting lecturer at CIE, University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

I substitute taught in primary, secondary and special needs classrooms in rural upstate New York and I had the honor to present with Liberian colleagues at CIES and Service Learning conferences.

My publications include: with Josephine Tengbeh, “Keeping On: ALP Brings Disaffected Youth Back to School in Liberia,” in The International Journal on School Disaffection (2008); “Taking Time for Praxis: Training Trainers in Cambodia,” in Dialogue Education at Work (Vella, 2003) and CIE’s Collaborative Programming in Nonformal Education (1979) and several manuals on community-based education.

I remain grateful to CIE (faculty and students) for a unique educational experience and to my doctoral committee (Horace Reed, David Kinsey, Jim Crotty) for the opportunity to explore brain physiology and critical consciousness for teachers.  Jane Vella’s work with dialogue education and its Freirean roots has remained central to my education practice.

For the past ten years I have delved into issues of caregiving and health services for seniors. Currently I play piano for a small rural church, curate my mother’s artwork, help support one Afghan family on their long journey to safety and try to stay in touch with of some of the old gang. [4-23]

Email: gailvh@gmail.com