Teenisha Garcia pays forward the gift of education

Founder of T Garcia Education (TGE) Teenisha Garcia is passionate about giving as many children as possible access to quality education online.

She knew challenge as a part of reality since childhood, however, she benefited from her education. She sees this as her way of paying it forward, hoping a high standard of education, presented by passionate teachers will change the lives of children as it changed hers.

T Garcia Education is an online platform which facilitates group and one-on-one online classes for students at the primary and secondary levels

Garcia told Newsday, "This is an evolution of the first private school that I started in 2017 while at the UTT. Initially, it was a very typical brick-and-mortar type of school/business, but with the massive digitisation efforts across all sectors brought about by the pandemic, T Garcia Education, the Ed-Tech platform as we know it today, was officially launched in August 2020."

She attended Mon Repos RC Primary School and then went on to St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando.

"It was these early experiences with dedicated, passionate teachers that ignited my desire to be an educator in the first place. In particular, at SJC, we adopted a holistic approach to education and formed a true sisterhood which impacted my philosophy of education and my appreciation for community."

Garcia did a degree in education with a specialisation in secondary mathematics at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). She graduated as the top student at the Centre of Education Programme in 2018.

After UTT she taught privately at STA Academic Institute.

"I taught math to secondary school students from forms one to six. I also prepared both current and adult students for CSEC math."

Garcia told Newsday her mother, Natasha Garcia, was a student in one of her CSEC math classes because she didn’t finish secondary school. "I had students from as young as 15 to as old as 50."

While teaching, she learned trading in financial markets such as Forex, participating in courses in the UK.

"I think my time at the UTT, coupled with those other experiences, allowed me to develop leadership and entrepreneurship skills. This was very fitting, since the UTT is an entrepreneurial university that encourages and creates opportunities for students to thrive and develop their businesses."

She started TGE because as much as she loved education and being a teacher, she felt there was much more to do to make the local education system better for the people to whom it matters most; parents, educators and students.

"I feel like I couldn’t do it by taking the traditional route. I believe that you sometimes have to remove yourself from a situation to make more objective decisions.

"It is a true privilege to have universal education in TT, but providing free education for every single child under the age of 18 does not come without its challenges."

Garcia believes the local education system is overburdened, and in need of updated or novel teaching and learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom that will prepare students for the real world.

Bringing her vision to fruition was not free of challenges and obstacles.

Asked how she sourced funding and went about finding suitable teachers, Garcia told Newsday TGE is self-funded.

"When I just started, I didn’t think about getting funding from investors. I was quite ignorant of the fact that seeking investment was such a normal part of building a start-up company. However, since attending the Hero Training Program at Draper University in Silicon Valley, California in May 2022, I’ve been introduced to the whole world of investment and venture funding, especially for tech-related companies."

She is actively considering investments to further grow and develop TGE. The initial team included past colleagues and some of her teachers from secondary school.

"They had seen the work I was doing when I just launched and expressed interest in joining the team, and I, of course, was simply honoured to work with some of the top graduates from the UTT. The team has expanded quite organically through referrals and word of mouth."

Currently, the website facilitates live virtual sessions only. Students have the option to register for either group or individual classes via www.tgarcia.education.

"Our classes start at $400 per month. Individual classes cost $100 per hour, while group classes are $62.50 per hour."

Before they enrol, she explained, "They can do free demo sessions with their educators. These sessions allow students and parents to meet their educators, get a feel of their teaching styles and develop a rapport before making the financial commitment."

Some classes follow the specific primary and secondary curricula of the Ministry of Education, while US-based students follow the US curriculum.

Asked how she formulated the free mathematics diagnostic test available on the website for students from forms three to five, Garcia said, "Our educators from our math department worked collectively to create the diagnostic tests. We use this as a measurement tool which helps us assess students' current level of understanding. It provides valuable insight, such as identifying learning gaps."

She said, the diagnostic testing is usually done in tandem with the free consultations.

"We try to get a full 360-degree view of a student's unique learning needs, based on all the relevant factors that contribute to their success. This is vital in creating the framework to build the best action plan to support and increase student learning."

The TGE team has 18 members, who include educators, advisers and administrative staff. The teachers lead live classes and create content, and advisers help them navigate the digital world and implement proper business strategies.

"Our administrative staff make sure that our parents, educators and students are well taken care of."

Garcia said she often has experiences that validate her decision to create TGE.

"Parents and students always give us positive feedback, but I think one of the most touching experiences is when our educators express how appreciated and empowered they feel in being part of T Garcia Education."

This was a victory for Garcia, as she believes teachers are undervalued and overworked.

"I created TGE to provide fulfilling opportunities to empower teachers just as much as for our students."

Asked about her vision for its future, Garcia said she hopes to continue developing the platform and creating more opportunities for equitable access to its services.

"Currently we have an educator based in Japan, who teaches a student in the US, both of whom have roots in TT."

Garcia said the TGE team hopes to create a global community as they move toward a unified education platform that bridges borders.

"We also intend on expanding our services to provide more educational opportunities for parents to better understand the needs of their children and the roles that they play in student success."

Garcia told Newsday about her foundation, saying education was her "cheat code" to life.

"My entire life, all my accomplishments, are a testament to the power of education, coming from very humble beginnings and growing up in a single-parent family.

"At quite an early age, my mother piqued my love for learning by doing simple things such as reading to my brother and me every night. When we were quite young, we didn’t have electricity, which meant no television, so we entertained ourselves by reading and engaging in imaginative play. It really was such a beautiful childhood."

Since Garcia's mother did not finish secondary school, it was hard for her to find decent jobs.

"At 17 she already had my older brother and me. So for the first eight years of my life, she worked odd jobs such as wrapping labels on bottles at 25 cents per label at a factory in San Fernando.

"She also worked as a sales representative in stores on High Street."

But her mother's interest in hospitality led her to study when she had the chance. She did training and short courses in the field which allowed her eventually to gain additional qualifications.

Garcia said her mother convinced her that education would grant her access to all the possibilities she and her brother read about.

"So it’s not so much about what inspired me, but who: it’s my mother. She used all that she had to ensure I understood that education had less to do with academic accolades, and more to do with developing the habit of learning – to always improve yourself and your life."