By Daniel Valai (YES 2017-2018, Liberia, placed by IRIS in Altoona, IA)

My exchange year in Iowa taught me the power of community, integrity, and the positive impact each of us can make. Inspired by the values I learned from my host family and local community, I returned to Liberia determined to create change.

I realized that, despite my country’s rich culture and the determination of its people, integrity challenges persist in educational institutions. Academic malpractice is widespread, especially in urban areas like Monrovia, where I have personally witnessed unethical practices, such as instructors offering grades in exchange for money. These issues extend beyond universities, affecting high schools and government institutions as well. To address this, in 2021, my team and I launched the Restoring Academic Integrity (RAI) project with phase one held in Montserrado County, followed by phase two in 2022 in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount counties. These projects spread awareness and established integrity clubs and reporting mechanisms.

Phase three of the RAI project, funded by a YES Alumni Grant, centered on strengthening the previously established integrity clubs in Montserrado, Bomi, and Grand Cape Mount counties. In collaboration with the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), we restructured club leadership, replaced integrity boxes (a system for anonymous reporting), recruited new members, and provided leadership training. The project included a two-day intensive workshop held in Montserrado and Bomi counties, where 185 high school and university students, teachers, school administrators, and community members gained skills to address academic integrity challenges professionally and effectively.

Participants gained insights into various ethical challenges, along with leadership and project management skills. They also signed CENTAL's integrity bond, pledging to support transparency in their communities.

The enthusiastic call from school administrators and teachers for more integrity clubs has motivated me and my team to expand this project across all counties and regions of Liberia. Our goal is to establish clubs that spread anti-corruption messages within academic communities, helping students and educators expose and reject practices that threaten the future and integrity of our society.

To broaden the project’s impact, we also participated in an interview on Truth FM's Integrity Hour, where I, along with CENTAL representatives, discussed the importance of integrity in education and the work being done through the project.

I am immensely proud of the dedication my team has shown in making this project a success. Our commitment to promoting integrity continues to drive us to engage with these clubs beyond the project timeline to ensure long-term impact.

I extend my gratitude to the YES program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. I would also like to thank IRIS and iEARN-Liberia for their guidance; CENTAL for providing professional training and support; the high school administrators and teachers, especially Mano Central High School for offering a training hall; and all the volunteers, project staff, and participants who made this project possible.