What programs does MTI offer?
MTI has so far implemented two certificate-level programs:
Basic Certificate
This curriculum (20 courses, each with 15 hours of lecture plus a project and one test) targets students in rural areas who have limited English-language competence and who may have completed only their primary-school education (or less). Instructors teach either in English with translation into a vernacular language or in a vernacular alone. Non-literate students are welcome to attend MTI basic-certificate courses and quite a number of them do. They are allowed to audit courses and are eligible to receive an “attendance” certificate after participating in 20 courses.
Advanced Certificate
This program (20 courses, each with 30 hours of lecture plus a project and two tests) presupposes English-language competence and at least some secondary-level educational background. Teachers use English exclusively and expect students to be able to use English-based reading, research and reference resources.
When are courses offered?
All MTI courses at this time use an “in-service” or block format, rather than the more traditional semester or term schedule. This approach, with intensive learning for three to five days at a time, allows students who have significant family, farming, or employment obligations to receive high-quality training without neglecting their other responsibilities. Classes are held at the Mbale campus during the last week of most months. (Future link to MTI calendar)
Who attends MTI?
Most MTI students (over 90%) are Ugandan, Kenyan, Tanzanian and Sudanese who live in rural areas and have limited (or no) access to Biblical educational and technological resources.
For many, the financial cost of for-profit educational institutions is prohibitive. Others live too far away from most providers of educational/vocational training for it to be practically accessible to them.
MTI also offers an extension school program for those who cannot come to Mbale for training. Seven extension schools currently exist in Uganda (Bubulo, Kaderuna, Atirir, Kumi, Tororo, Rakai, and Kampala), with another in Kitale, Kenya and Nimule, Sudan.
Any person with a genuine interest in learning, regardless of ethnicity, religion, educational background or socio-economic status, is welcome to participate in MTI training programs, at the appropriate academic level.
How many students attend MTI?
In 2007, we offered 52 courses. More than 500 students took at least one course at either MTI’s main campus or one of its nine extension schools.
How much do students pay for MTI?
Currently, every student pays a small registration fee for each course (about $4 for a 3-day course), but this money covers only the cost of the student’s meals. The training the student receives, along with housing, learning materials, and access to a 20,000-volume library, is free of charge.
MTI real-cost
The real cost of an MTI course is approximately $25, much more than the $4 paid by the students. We have purposefully placed the registration fee at such a low rate in order to encourage attendance and provide opportunities for those who would otherwise be unable to participate. MTI courses are subsidized by income from our local conference center/hostel, scholarships, and monthly supporters in the US.