DIRECTORATE OF ALVAN VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICES (AVCS)
The Directorate of Alvan Volunteer Community Services is a unique Directorate that is not so common in other conventional higher institutions in our country, Nigeria. It was established in 2012 by Dr Blessing Ijioma, the former provost of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri. It started as a unit and then progressed into a Directorate.
The Alvan Volunteer community Service (AVCS), is a Community Service based initiative of the Management that enables the university to give back to the communities around us. The Directorate consists of a crop of staff volunteers who donate their time, energy, intellect and talents in various humanitarian and charitable assignments free of charge.
As a leading Educational institution in the country with an outstanding pedigree, the University understands its place in the community and makes conscious efforts to impact the public and the community through various free academic activities for the service of humanity.
The Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri takes its community services seriously. Today we live in the age of philanthropy, staff are encouraged to donate their time and talents to various charitable endeavours, one of which is the Alvan Volunteer community Service (AVS).
Since its inception it has become a veritable tool for the University to realize its Community services initiatives.
The activities of the Directorate include the following
- Organising free Secondary and primary school teacher’s development programmes
- Organising free Intensive physics practical lessons for secondary school students.
- Organising Monthly clean up exercises around the school compound.
- Organising free Secondary school debate and quiz completion.
The essence of these holiday refresher programmes for secondary and primary school teachers is to train-the-trainers, to equip the teachers with current trends in teaching and learning, update the skills and knowledge of the teachers who in turn transfer the knowledge to their students. These workshops are performed free of charge by the University as the Alvan Ikoku believes that the problem of ‘half-baked’ graduates can be mitigated if the students are provided with a solid foundation and what better place to start than to upgrade the capacity of their teachers.
Since the Inception of this programme we have carried out several retraining programme, As a matter of fact, this refresher course carried out by the Directorate of AVS has become an annual event of sorts, for example:
Two years ago the AVS was at Ohaji/Egbema local government area and trained over 300 teachers under the employment of the state government.
On August, 2023, the AVS goodwill ship berthed in Aboh Mbaise to train over 400 teachers on “21st Century Teaching Methods.”..
Last year, 2024 the Directorate carried out a five-day intensive physics practical programme for secondary school students in Owerri West, It was held at Technical secondary school Irete, Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo Sate.
STAFF STRENGTH:
The Directorate is directly under the Vice-Chancellors’ office. It is headed by an Ag. Director, Dr Mrs Joy Ngozi Oruwari, who directs the activities of over a hundred Volunteers from within the College. The Director is currently assisted by one administrative staff and an attendant.
