EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

KALIMATINA

Program Dates: Spring 2010 – Fall 2010

Kalimatina was a six-month initiative uniting several young Palestinians and Americans to create a multimedia kit to introduce the culture of Nablus to the world, and to provide concrete outlets for engagement. The importance of youth-led, cross cultural connections is also reflected in the project’s name Kalimatina, which means “Our Word” in Arabic.

The multimedia kit addressed the challenge of Nablus’ relative isolation from the rest of the world, and the growing divides between the Middle East and North America and Europe. It also acts as model for youth-driven cultural diplomacy that can be replicated anywhere in the world.

ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY TO READ

Program Dates: Spring 2011 – Spring 2012

The US State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Local Grants Program at the United States Consulate General in Jerusalem awarded TYO a grant for its “Enriching our Community: Learning to Serve, Serving to Read” program.

This program used Scholastic’s My Arabic Library to teach nearly 400 children in Nablus to read. The project engaged university students, mothers and TYO staff members in a workshop series promoting volunteerism and civic engagement as well as practical training in teaching literacy. Through these workshops, youth and women received the necessary training to teach children (ages 6-8) how to read.

STUDENT TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Program Dates: January 2014 – March 2015

STEP! was funded by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF) and implemented by TYO in cooperation with Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CUSSW) and Middle East Research Center in Amman (CUMERC).

More than 700 children received world-class early childhood development programs based on research and curriculum development with support from CUSSW.