Isaac Itunu Bamidele
Type: Host Led (Knosk School)
Hometown: Benin, Nigeria
Fellowship Location: Kuje, Nigeria
What inspired you to join Mountaintop?
"The Mountaintop Fellowship has one core value — empathizing with the suffering of others, regardless of who they are. In a world where inequalities abound, when you see an opportunity to address the challenges and be a part of the solution? That's irresistible. After all, my vision is to see our nation get to the 'mountaintop.'"
Isaac Itunu Bamidele is the Founder and CEO of Giddy2School Nigeria Education Innovation, which aims to remedy Nigeria’s crisis of out-of-school children.
After participating in Teach For Nigeria as an Academic Fellow (Teacher-Leader) in a rural community, Isaac realized that most students at his school and community received little attention from teachers and overall quality education, leading to poor performance and then eventually dropping out. With over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, Isaac decided to launch Giddy2School Nigeria, a nonprofit with 26 staff and 9 ambassadors on four continents, that offers tutoring, literacy education, scholarships, and leadership training. To date, Giddy2School has supported hundreds of low-income community youths, 17 of whom were admitted into their Leadership and Academic Fellowship and are now in the University due to Giddy2School’s scholarship and mentorship programs. In 2022, Giddy2School received a LEAP Africa/MacArthur Foundation grant to expand their work. Beyond his work with Giddy2School, Isaac also served as a Programme Manager for NewGlobe International Academies (EdoBEST), which is providing technology-inclined education to 390,000+ pupils, and 11,000+ teachers across Edo State in Nigeria.
Isaac holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Biology from the University of Ilorin in Nigeria and plans to complete a Master’s in Science and Technology Education from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 2024. Isaac has been honored with various awards including the Global Change Agent Award presented by the President of Kenya and the Most Inspiring Leaders Award from CEOTIME International Magazine, as well as K12 Digest International Education Expert Columnist Award.
For his fellowship, Isaac will serve with Knosk School, a school for low-income children in Kuje, Nigeria, as a Resource Mobilization and Partnership Fellow, working to attract new financial partners and increase income-generating activities for the organization. Long term, Isaac aspires to become the Nigerian Minister of Education, furthering educational equity for his country through public service.