The most meaningful work, is one that improves the lives of children.
The most meaningful work is one that improves the lives of children For the past decade, Teach For Thailand has produced numerous batches of Leadership Fellows. Many of our alumni have chosen to continue creating a positive impact as part of educational organizations, such as Teach For Thailand and many of its partners. One of those alumni is ‘Mint’ – Paradee Lerswarit, former Talent and Acquisition officer at Teach For Thailand.
Currently, she works as a Partnership Manager at the Khon Thai Foundation under the Thailand Collaborating for Education (TCFE).
“I think being able to provide knowledge and education to people is a great cause,” Mint recalls her reason for working in the education sector. Her first exposure was teaching at student academic camps at schools in other provinces.
“I loved teaching and preparing my students for the national test (ONET), as much as spending time with them. The schools we visited also gave us good feedback, stating that their students were improving in terms of ONET scores, and they wanted us to teach there again. Knowing that my work has a positive impact on others inspired me to do more.”
“After graduation, my friends at the Faculty of Arts began pursuing various careers, including International Relations, interpretation, translation, or HR,” Mint recalled her career path. “I was considering two options: one was the work that provides financial stability, the other was meaningful. I leaned more towards the latter.”
Right after setting her goal, Mint met Teach For Thailand staff who were recruiting at her Faculty. It was an instant connection.
“This was it, the work I was looking for. It was the only position I applied for and got accepted even before I graduated. I had found my dream career.”
Mint was assigned for a 2-year post at Phravisuthiwong School, Pathum Thani. During her time, she initiated two main projects to enhance positive impacts for her students. One was a scholarship for students to learn more about positive communication, accompanied by a guidebook to raise awareness of bullying and violence in the school.
Another project was ‘Kru Phloy Kong’ (ครูปล่อยของ), a project that invited teachers to exchange and learn together. “During my last semester at school, I started to be concerned about who could continue what I had built after I left this school,” Mint told us. “So, I started forging relationships with the teachers at school and in the area, which resulted in the first-ever on-site Kru Phloy Kong event.”
Mint invited teachers in the area of her school to exchange and learn with groups of teachers from InsKru’s ‘Kru Phloy Kong’ Facebook page, as well as ‘Eduzenthai’ and many others. Teach For Thailand also subsidized this activity.
“Participating teachers have told me they gained a lot from this activity and have utilized what they learned in their classrooms. They would still mention the project and thank me even after I left the school, stating that the project motivated them to improve the lives of their students.”
But ‘Kru Phloy Kong’ did not stop there.
“‘Kru Phloy Kong’ was expanding in so many areas, such as in Chiang Mai where it turned into a Professional Learning Community (PLC) for teachers in the area to learn together.”
“It has become a very good learning community for teachers.”
After her 2-year tenure as a teaching Fellow, Mint continued to work as a Talent Acquisition officer at Teach For Thailand.
“My role was to find the most suitable talents to become a teaching Fellow. The more of these people we find, the more benefits for the students.”
“I had recruited five batches, each facing different challenges such as COVID-19, post-covid student lifestyles, etc. We sought the most suitable candidates and convinced them to become Fellows. They became alumni after completing the program.”
Currently, Mint works for the Khon Thai Foundation under TCFE as a Partnership Manager. In essence, she gathers resources for TCFE’s children and youth-related activities. This includes but is not limited to, fundraising, as well as fostering collaborations with individuals who want to help reduce inequality using their methods.
When asked about her inspiration for choosing this career path, Mint explained: “I started looking to expand my work and views. I want to be able to reach more children.”
“That was an opportunity for me to work with TCFE, connecting developmental tools for children and youths with schools. TCFE sees that there are numerous environmental factors affecting equality and educational problems, so they aim to share resources to improve the lives of children and youths in four ways: distributing scholarships to increase access to education, improving the quality of education, instilling life skills and morality, and promoting healthy eating.”
Mint found herself achieving her goal of expanding her work and reaching more children.
“From 30 schools per year, TCFE was able to reach more than a hundred schools and reached more than ten thousand students in the past year.”
Concluding the interview, Mint reflects on TFT’s 10th anniversary. For her, she takes pride in TFT alumni’s impact on different parts of Thai education.
“Teach For Thailand has experienced significant growth. Despite the challenges, there remains a strong passion for the projects initiated by TFT and among the dedicated individuals working there.”
“Anyone who has worked in this organization possesses the same DNA, whether they are new or longstanding staff, teaching Fellows, or alumni.”
“I take pride in seeing our alumni contributing to various educational organizations. They are making an impact across the board, including at TCFE. It reinforces the realization that, beyond benefiting students directly, I have made a meaningful contribution to the education sector.”
“TFT alumni have been ambitious in driving forward the Thai education system. The past decade has presented challenges but has also been a source of pride for all involved, including Mint. Her work at Teach For Thailand and the Khon Thai Foundation reflects her vision of ensuring quality education is accessible to all children in Thailand.”
