Name: James Ibell-Roberts
Title: Management Advisor
DOB: 10/01/1989
Gender: Male
Village & Island: Chester, United Kingdom
Educational Background
I began life at Wood Memorial Primary School in my home village of Saltney, a suburb of Chester, before spending five years at Ysgol Uwchradd Dewi Sant (that’s Saint David’s High School for those of you that don’t speak Welsh!), also just a short walk up the road from home. I moved to Queen’s Park High School in Chester for year 12 and 13, following my love of mathematics so that I could study Further Mathematics, a course that wasn’t offered at my previous school.
At eighteen I headed off to Oxford University to study a BA Matheamatics, which was the focus of the next three years of my life. In my final year, having joined a couple of teaching and mentoring programs in local schools, I was fortunate to hear of a teaching opportunity in the South Pacific! I applied on a whim and was successful, dropped all plans for the immediate future and with six months was on a place to a country I’d had to search for on a map! Little did I know that it would develop from an 18-month round the world adventure into the passion of a lifetime!
Just recently I’ve followed my interests in environmental sustainability and development and have been studying an MSc Sustainable Development at the University of London (by distance) since the beginning of 2017. I’m glad to say that much of what I am learning is being applied to VLSSS!
Work Experience
I taught at Ranwadi Churches of Christ College on Pentecost Island in 2011 (where Director Jayford Sarial, Deputy Director Graham Hinge and Local Teacher Program Manager Hancy Tabi were all students of a fresh faced young Brit who thought he could teach!). Getting to know many of the educational barriers in Vanuatu, I decided to cancel my ticket back to the UK and teach at Ranmawot Primary School in 2012, to investigate the root causes of the challenges further up the system. In May 2012 the idea of a summer school focused on breaking down those barriers and developing future leaders came about, and the story of VLSSS began!
Aside from my teaching experience, I’ve worked for the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in various consultancy roles over the last few years. Those experiences have certainly been steep learning curves, but very valuable development practice.
VLSSS Experience
I believe VLSSS will be the forum to bring about development in Vanuatu, and has the capacity to positively impact the lives of the whole population. It’s a long-term vision, but one we are already taking great steps towards achieving. I have been so fortunate to work with some unique individuals over the years since founding the organisation. At the most recent summer school the team of teachers, staff and students, all one hundred and twenty-six of them, didn’t fail to inspire me every single day. Vanuatu is so fortunate to not only have a beautiful environment, but some truly inspirational young men and women. This is why I don’t doubt they will bring about positive changes that have never been achieved before.
Title: Management Advisor
DOB: 10/01/1989
Gender: Male
Village & Island: Chester, United Kingdom
Educational Background
I began life at Wood Memorial Primary School in my home village of Saltney, a suburb of Chester, before spending five years at Ysgol Uwchradd Dewi Sant (that’s Saint David’s High School for those of you that don’t speak Welsh!), also just a short walk up the road from home. I moved to Queen’s Park High School in Chester for year 12 and 13, following my love of mathematics so that I could study Further Mathematics, a course that wasn’t offered at my previous school.
At eighteen I headed off to Oxford University to study a BA Matheamatics, which was the focus of the next three years of my life. In my final year, having joined a couple of teaching and mentoring programs in local schools, I was fortunate to hear of a teaching opportunity in the South Pacific! I applied on a whim and was successful, dropped all plans for the immediate future and with six months was on a place to a country I’d had to search for on a map! Little did I know that it would develop from an 18-month round the world adventure into the passion of a lifetime!
Just recently I’ve followed my interests in environmental sustainability and development and have been studying an MSc Sustainable Development at the University of London (by distance) since the beginning of 2017. I’m glad to say that much of what I am learning is being applied to VLSSS!
Work Experience
I taught at Ranwadi Churches of Christ College on Pentecost Island in 2011 (where Director Jayford Sarial, Deputy Director Graham Hinge and Local Teacher Program Manager Hancy Tabi were all students of a fresh faced young Brit who thought he could teach!). Getting to know many of the educational barriers in Vanuatu, I decided to cancel my ticket back to the UK and teach at Ranmawot Primary School in 2012, to investigate the root causes of the challenges further up the system. In May 2012 the idea of a summer school focused on breaking down those barriers and developing future leaders came about, and the story of VLSSS began!
Aside from my teaching experience, I’ve worked for the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in various consultancy roles over the last few years. Those experiences have certainly been steep learning curves, but very valuable development practice.
VLSSS Experience
I believe VLSSS will be the forum to bring about development in Vanuatu, and has the capacity to positively impact the lives of the whole population. It’s a long-term vision, but one we are already taking great steps towards achieving. I have been so fortunate to work with some unique individuals over the years since founding the organisation. At the most recent summer school the team of teachers, staff and students, all one hundred and twenty-six of them, didn’t fail to inspire me every single day. Vanuatu is so fortunate to not only have a beautiful environment, but some truly inspirational young men and women. This is why I don’t doubt they will bring about positive changes that have never been achieved before.
'Shaping leaders for a brighter tomorrow'