School-2-School Initiative

 

Creative Learning congratulates its 2011-2012 School-2-School winner Brittney Scott!

Brittney, a Teach for America corps member, and her students at Panorama High School in Colorado Springs, CO are partnering with Queen Noor High School in Al Wehdat, Amman. Brittney and her students are raising money to purchase an interactive SMART Board for the students in Amman. Brittney will travel to Amman this summer as a volunteer to instruct the Jordanian teachers on how to use the board.

To donate, please click here.

To watch a video of Brittney Scott, please click here.

We will be accepting applications for the 2012 – 2013 program in May.

School-2-School (S2S) is a cultural exchange and educational development program that enables schools in the United States to partner with elementary schools in countries emerging from conflict or facing the challenges of poverty in the Muslim World. Through S2S, the US school raises funds to support the purchase of early childhood educational materials and supplies to benefit a specific school abroad, the host school, which this year will be in Egypt and/or Jordan. The materials supplied by our program meet basic classroom needs (such as pencils and paper) and/or include sports equipment and art supplies depending on the needs of the host schools. The S2S program provides an excellent opportunity for American students to learn about different cultures, as well to connect with fellow students from around the world. To date, S2S has directly benefited more than a thousand students in Afghanistan, Iraq, Philippines, Panama, Uganda, and Bolivia. Click here for more information on CL’s past S2S programs.

How does the program work?
Creative Learning will enable a partnership between a school in the US and a school in a Muslim majority country based upon a desire to mutually support the education of students in the United States and overseas.

The US school commits to the following:

  • Raising at least $5000 for the purchase of early childhood educational materials and supplies. Creative Learning is a 501(c) 3 and all donations are tax deductible.
  • Selecting a volunteer educator to send abroad for 10 days to four weeks during the summer to support the host school with programming that is of mutual interest. The US school’s unofficial ambassador will use his or her expertise to do anything from teach English or photography classes to train the partner school’s administration in best practices of setting up Parent Teacher Associations. S/he will also blog for the AUA Volunteer Voices blog before, during, and after his or her service.
  • Incorporating the S2S partnership into the life of the school, particularly its social studies, religion, history, and/or Arabic classes.
  • Convening and participating in at least three community events – one inside of the school and two in the school’s community – that share the experience of the partnership and help to build peace between America and the Muslim World.
  • The US School and its unofficial ambassador commit to funding any expenses over the $1,500 scholarship that CL will contribute to the volunteer’s participation in S2S.

The Host school commits to the following:

  • Engaging in a partnership of agreed upon activities with a school in the United States that promotes cross-cultural engagement and educational development
  • Selecting educational supplies, tools, and games for purchase that advance new opportunities to its students
  • Welcoming an unofficial ambassador for up to four weeks to the host school’s community, providing a homestay for the educator, and working with the US school and Creative Learning to ensure that the unofficial ambassador’s volunteer experience contributes to the school’s education programs and builds peace at the grassroots level

Creative Learning commits to the following:

  • Connecting a school in the United States with a school in a Muslim majority country to offer opportunities for cross-cultural engagement, development, and peace building at the grassroots level. CL will ensure that S2S partners are credible and committed to the goals of the program and have the capacity to fulfill their programmatic commitments
  • A scholarship of up to $1,500 for the US school’s unofficial ambassador to travel to the host school to volunteer for up to four weeks. This scholarship will cover international airfare, visa fees, and travel to and from the airport
  • Shipping and delivery of educational materials
  • Supporting the US school with materials that will help them to raise funds for their participation the in the S2S program
  • Facilitating the creation of a viable program for the US school’s unofficial ambassador to volunteer in the host school’s community
  • Mentoring and other support through the AUA Network to the US school’s unofficial ambassador pre-departure, during service, and post-return
  • Provision of a Flip Camera to the US school’s unofficial ambassador so to document his or her experience on the AUA blog and for presentations in his or her community
  • Providing tax receipt for the donation made from the US school

Why should my school participate?
The S2S is a unique program that exposes students to cultural tolerance and global awareness by connecting them to their peers in a school in the Muslim World. By creating positive grassroots connections with the citizens in the Muslim World, your school will take a leading role in building peace and dispelling harmful stereotypes associated with America and the Muslim World, both overseas and at home. For the US school’s unofficial ambassador, the S2S program is a unique opportunity not just for personal and professional development but to directly support education programs while dispelling stereotypes about America.

Who can apply?
Creative Learning welcomes applications from public and private schools in the United States at the elementary, middle, or high school level. A teacher, administrator, or other educator can serve as a school’s point of contact and/or unofficial ambassador for the proposed partnership with a school in a Muslim majority country.

How do I apply?
Application forms for the 2012-2013 program will be available in May

How will CL determine which American Partner school/s will participate?
CL plans to make 1 or 2 awards. Successful applicants will be selected by a panel that includes members of the CL board, the AUA Advisory Board, and the CL staff. Applications will be judged upon the merit and feasibility of their plans for implementation.

Where can I learn more about the School-2-School program?
Click here for more information on CL’s past S2S programs.

CL welcomes questions from anyone interested in learning more about the School-2-School initiative. Please contact Carola Mandelbaum, at CarolaM(at)creativelearning.org, for more information.