One of A2S’s Most Trusted Advisors

Courtney Wright has been with A2S since the beginning. Her work as a volunteer and a board member have been pivotal in our growth as an organization over the last 10 years. Courtney went to graduate school with A2S co-founder Morgan Clark. At the time, A2S was collecting shoes and running an annual basketball camp.

“In 2011, after a particularly challenging consulting assignment in South Sudan and having seen development work take the usual top down approach which doesn’t allow the voices of those benefiting to be considered, I reached out to Morgan to get more involved in A2s. I appreciated the grassroots, community driven approach and wanted to support the work of A2S in a meaningful way. My first trip to Nigeria was in 2012 where we were able to do community mapping learning more about the needs of the community.”

The team’s community mapping that year determined that the best way to serve children in the area would be through an After School Academy. Gospel Bible Ministries, our church partner in the community, helped us launch a Vacation Bible School camp that year as the team did their research. Courtney and the team also developed the concept for Empowerment Camp that year to accompany the Basketball Camp while campers were spending time off the court.

“During this camp, Thecla, was facilitating a session for the campers. The energy she brought and her ability to own the space creating a meaningful experience for campers is when I knew that she would be pivotal to the growth of A2S in Nigeria. I encouraged Andrew to bring her on the team full time and he did. From then, Thecla, myself, and a team of volunteers would discuss topics to be incorporated in the annual empowerment camp. After designing the first couple of camps, I shared with Andrew that for sustainability and to maximize the team’s skills, it is important for them to incrementally take on more responsibility with the design and development of the camp. Over time, my role as the designer of the camp would shift to the role of an advisor. The team now has full ownership over the topics and delivery of the camp and I support in ensuring learner friendly, youth centered practices.”

Empowerment camp has covered topics from stress management and personal hygiene to goal setting and time management. The camp has evolved from using primarily U.S. volunteers to facilitate sessions to the sessions being led entirely by A2S staff and local coaches.

“In the 10+ years that I have been supporting A2S as a volunteer and board member turned volunteer again, I have seen the staff in Nigeria grow in number and skill. They are the driving force behind the success of A2S and move with integrity, compassion, and empathy. I am excited to see how they continue to grow in the years to come.”

We are so thankful for Courtney and how she has shared her expertise with A2S over the years!