Programs
Programs
School support for children, second-chance education, professional English, teacher development, webinars and a professional network. Every program uses the BIST Learning Portal and the BIST Digital Library.
English for Professionals
Speak, write and present with confidence in English at work.
A level-based program built around the English you actually use at work: meetings, phone calls, emails, reports, presentations and interviews. You start with a placement test, join the right level, and move up the CEFR scale with regular feedback from your instructor.
What you will work on
- Placement test and a clear CEFR level, A1 to C1
- Business email, reports and meeting language
- Presentations, negotiation and interview practice
- Sector vocabulary: energy, mining, health, education, trade
Teacher Professional Development
Practical training that teachers can use in class the next morning.
Short, practical modules for teachers in Senegal and West Africa. Teachers learn to teach English and STEM subjects with local examples, plan and assess learning, and run courses on a digital platform. Every module ends with a classroom task and feedback.
What you will work on
- Classroom English and English-medium instruction
- STEM teaching with local, real-life examples
- Lesson planning, quizzes, tests and fair grading
- Teaching online with the BIST Learning Portal
Live Webinars and Workshops
Short live sessions with practitioners, open to individuals and teams.
Regular live sessions on English, teaching, careers and technology, led by practitioners. Each webinar includes time for questions, and recordings and handouts are added to the BIST Digital Library for registered participants.
What you will work on
- Live sessions with questions and answers
- Recordings and handouts in the Digital Library
- Topics in English and in French
- Certificates of attendance on request
Online School Support, Pre-K to Grade 12
After-school help, reinforcement and private classes for children and teens, online.
Qualified teachers help children keep up, catch up and get ahead, from home. We follow the local school programs, work on the subjects where your child needs support, and keep parents informed with regular progress reports. Classes run after school, on weekends and during holidays.
What you will work on
- After-school homework help and reinforcement in maths, French, English and sciences
- Private classes, one-to-one or in small groups
- Extracurricular courses: English club, coding, science projects
- Preparation for national exams such as the CFEE, BFEM and BAC
Second-Chance Education for Teens and Adults
Never went to school, or left early? Learn at your pace and work toward a recognized level.
A flexible program, similar in spirit to the GED but built around local education systems. Learners start from their real level, from reading and writing to secondary-school subjects, and progress through short modules online with tutor support. Learners who want a national diploma are prepared to sit the official exams as independent candidates.
What you will work on
- Private classes in person or online, one-to-one or in small groups
- Reading, writing and maths from the very basics
- Level-based modules aligned with national curricula
- Preparation to sit national exams as an independent candidate
- Digital skills, life skills and career guidance
Crafts and Trades: Vocational Skills
Hands-on training in building, metal, electrical, technical and farming trades that lead to work.
Vocational training built with BISTedu and its construction and industry partners. Learners study the theory online, then practise on real tasks and work sites with instructors who work in the trade. Programs follow the skills the country needs and aim at international standards, so graduates can find work or start their own activity.
Trades you can learn
Building trades
- Brick masonry
- Carpentry
- Plumbing
- Construction site supervision and project management
Metal trades
- Welding technology
- Metal work and fabrication
Electrical and energy
- Electrical construction and installation
- Solar energy installation
- Lineman and power distribution
- Industrial and building maintenance
- Building automation
Technology
- Drone operation for construction
- Computer building and repair
- Coding
Agriculture
- Poultry farming
- Small-scale agriculture
Health and safety
- Construction site safety
- Industrial workplace safety
- Workplace safety for any business: fire safety, first aid and hazard prevention
Business
- Bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses
Crafts
- Boat building Coming soon
Free Community School for Adults
Free classes, online only, for adults who never had the chance to go to school.
Our free community school is our contribution to raising the level of education in Senegal and West Africa. Adults learn to read and write, to count and manage money, to use a phone and the internet safely, and to understand health, civic and work information, at their own pace, online, with patient tutors. Learners who want to go further can continue into the Second-Chance Education program.
What you will work on
- Reading and writing, from the alphabet up
- Everyday maths: counting, measures, money and budgets
- Phone, internet and digital services, used safely
- Health, civic and work knowledge for daily life
Professional Collaboration Network
A community where educators and professionals share, plan and work together.
Members join working groups by subject or sector, share lesson plans and resources, review each other's work and build joint projects between schools and organizations. The network uses the BIST Learning Portal for group spaces and the Digital Library for shared resources.
What you will work on
- Working groups by subject and sector
- Shared lesson plans, templates and resources
- Peer review and mentoring
- Joint projects between schools and organizations
English levels
The CEFR scale we use
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is the international standard for describing language ability. Your certificate states your level.