As I get ready to return to bitter, frozen New England (in both senses of both words), I, like all of the fellows, am reflecting on my time here in Nablus. Waking up to the sight of Dunkin’ Donuts and snow up to my waist will be an unfortunate change from the view of the Nabulsi mountains from my very window. While I will obviously miss the beautiful vistas of Palestine, and the amazing knafah, it is my students that I will miss the most.
Read Morerespect -(ri-spekt)- the esteem for a sense of the worth or excellence of a person
Almost 15 years ago, I worked at a youth theater arts summer camp. I joined the staff as an assistant teacher just for the summer not knowing about the existing programs and routines. One of the things that I noticed was that they had this unique ritual everyday of saying a password. The password could be anything of the students and staff’s combined choosing. However, there was one strict requirement.
Read MoreMy favorite thing to do in Nablus is to study English. I plan to travel abroad one day to build bridges with the international community through the English language. With the relationships I build abroad I hope to bring financial resources to my community as well as emotional support. From this kind of support I want to improve housing for people living in poverty.
Read MoreEight weeks of STEP! II EFL program passed us by so quickly! The first day of classes began with students quietly introducing themselves and trying their best to figure out what the teacher was saying in English so quickly. As the weeks passed, everyone became increasingly comfortable and with that the students began to develop in their confidence. Throughout the first five weeks of class, we played volleyball as a group daily during class breaks and through this a level of comfort developed within the group and this translated well in the classroom.
Read MoreI really enjoy studying languages. I recently started learning how to play the guitar with one of TYO’s teachers. I was amazed by how learning music feels like learning another language. You need only learn certain sounds, symbols and patterns and how to put them together. Now I’m starting to play songs in English, and I’m excited to become even better in the language.
Read MoreHaya Feno was born and raised in Nablus and is a student at Al-Quds Open University studying business administration. Haya started volunteering in 2015 with the Core AM program. She originally began volunteering because she was required to complete 50 service hours during a class at Al-Quds Open University. Haya loved volunteering and completed 104 hours in her first volunteer session with Core AM. This is her third session at TYO having volunteered two sessions with Core AM and one as a local intern with Core PM.
Read MoreAt the door of TYO, students can either leave their external feelings or share their sentiments and be welcomed into the community. As an educational and psycho-social organization, the staff at TYO inherently cares for the holistic care of every student.
In order to ensure the comprehensive care of every student, the staff and volunteers uphold that TYO is neither a religious nor a political space, but rather the space for empowerment and self-fulfillment. At times, however, this is easier said than done.
Read MoreParticipation in extracurricular activities for children and youth can be hard to come by in underserved communities. TYO’s center provides local youth with an open space to learn, play, and take part in activities that they otherwise would not have access to. The academic program offers students educational support in Arabic, English and Math. There is a free day each week where students have the option to attend different recreational centers, such as swimming pools, bowling lanes, and martial arts schools.
Read MoreIf you want to learn any language, you must be serious. To learn anything, you must be serious. And you really need to have a friend from that country. To learn Arabic, for example, you have to have a friend from the Arab world.
Read MoreMusic is a powerful and positive force that connects people of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures. Recent Nobel Prize laureate Bob Dylan, Adele, Ravi Shankar, Edith Piaf, Tom Jobim, and Sakamoto, among so many others, have enchanted audiences around the world regardless of their ethnicity, race, and native language. “Music is the universal language of mankind,” once said American poet Henry Longfellow.
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