The following are resources and opportunities available to Youth Connect Worldwide participants. Check this page regularly for updates. Please feel free to contact the site administrator with questions about these announcements and please let us know if you pursue any of these opportunities. Thank you!
Global Connections and Exchanges
- Queen Rania launches You Tube video to break down stereotypes (ends August 12)
- Global Youth Service Day (April 25-28)
- Study in the US with International Leaders in Education Program (for teachers, applications due June 15)
- Transport and Communication - Developing the 21st Century, Ninth International Internet Conference
- Global Citizen Corps Leadership program (US Students Only)
- Water, People and Sustainable Development - video competition (ends April 15)
- High School Broadcast Journalism Project(US Schools Only, Deadline to Submit: May 2)
- Challenge 20/20 (Deadline to Apply: August 15)
Arabic Resources, Programs, and Exchanges
- Arabic Summer Programs for K-12 students
- 30 Full Scholarships to study Arabic in Egypt with AFS Intercultural Programs
- Middlebury Monterey Language Academy for Arabic language learners
News articles
- Southwest Education Development Laboratory releases new resource: Connecting Student Learning and Technology
- The Bureau of International Information Programs is pleased to announce the launch of “America.gov”
- New UNICEF Initiative Enables Children Around the World to Share Stories Online
- Free Spirit Publishing releases “The Teen Guide to Global Action
Global Connections and Exchanges
1. Queen Rania launches You Tube video to break down stereotypes
Queen Rania has launched an official YouTube page, with an exclusive message on the importance of cross-cultural dialogue in breaking down stereotypes.Petra News Agency - Using one of the most cyber-savvy platforms for dialogue, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah launched her presence on YouTube with an urgent message to the world’s young people, Monday, asking them to join in a global dialogue to recognize our commonalities.
“In a world where it’s so easy to connect to one another, we still remain very much disconnected. There’s a whole world of wonder out there that we cannot appreciate with stereotypes,” said the Queen.
The Queen urged viewers to respond with their opinions of the Middle East and to acknowledge stereotypes they’ve heard of Arabs and Muslims. The Queen said she would work towards breaking down these preconceptions over the next few months.
“I want people to know the real Arab world – to see it unedited, unscripted and unfiltered – to see the personal side of my region – to know the places and faces and rituals and culture that shape the part of the world I call home,” she said.
The conversation will continue until International Youth Day, on August 12. Until then, Queen Rania hopes that YouTube users all over the world will actively work together to identify misconceptions and seek out the true images of the Middle East.
Queen Rania on YouTube: http://youtube.com/QueenRania
YouTube Exclusive: Send Me Your Stereotypes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFf897bUW2Y
2. Global Youth Service Day
On April 25-28, 2008, millions of young people in more than 100 countries throughout the world will participate in the 20th annual Global Youth Service Day. As the largest service event in the world, this three-day event will mobilize youth to identify and address the world’s most pressing problems, such as climate change, poverty, disease, disaster relief and prevention, violence, and more. Get involved!
Global Youth Service Day is a year-round effort to expand the impact of the youth service movement. The initiative launches new service organizations, policy changes, and sustainable service programs to create a culture of engaged youth. Internationally, YSA works with the Global Youth Action Network as a key partner, along with an International Coordinating Committee of more than 40 members and over 100 national coordinating committees.
RI-SOL is a member of the International Coordinating Committee, a consortium of prestigious international organizations that contribute their extensive international presence, offer experience and connections to broaden GYSD’s impact, and evaluate its development as an international event.
Please visit www.gysd.org to access tools to help you plan your project, find grants to support your planning efforts, and to register your organization as Global Youth Service Day participant.
3. Study in the US with International Leaders in Education Program (for teachers)
International Leaders in Education Program (formerly known as International Leadership in Education Program)for teachers and announces the application procedures.
Addressee posts and commissions are invited to nominate candidates for a program that will begin in January 2009, pending availability of funds. Fifty-two teachers from countries within NEA, SCA, and EAP will come to the United States from January to May for a semester-long program combining academic coursework with an eight-week internship in a U.S. secondary school. The deadline for receipt of complete applications is June 16, 2008. The Teacher exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X) will report to embassies and commissions on the outcome of the review process by early-September 2008.
Program Description: The International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) anticipates bringing 52 teachers in a broad range of subjects to the United States
for a semester-long program beginning in January 2009. Groups of teachers will be placed at three to four different U.S. universities. The program will consist of a semester-long academic program, which will include coursework and intensive training in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, teaching strategies for the home environment, leadership development, as well as the use of computers for Internet, word processing and as tools for teaching. The program will also include an eight-week internship at a school to engage participants actively in the American classroom environment. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided for participants throughout the program. Participants will return home in May 2009. Following the U.S. program, program alumni will be eligible to participate in a small grants program supporting collaborative projects between participating American schools and their home schools. The Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will provide funding for this program, which will be administered by ECA/A/S/X.
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be secondary-level, full-time teaching professionals with a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent and five or more years
of classroom experience in English as a Foreign Language, social studies, civics, mathematics or science. They must also continue teaching for at least five years after completion of the program. Applicants must be citizens of the addressee countries. They must have English-language proficiency in written and spoken English, a TOEFL score of 450 or higher, and they must submit a complete application.
Application Process: Embassies (through public affairs sections) or Fulbright Commissions may nominate outstanding teachers for the program. The International
Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) will send recruitment and application materials in mid-February 2008. We ask PAS and Commissions to recruit, interview, and rank their top candidates. The deadline for receipt of applications is June 16, 2008. An independent panel based in Washington, D.C. will make the final selections. Posts and Commissions will be notified of the results by September 2008.
English Language Testing: All candidates for this program will be required to take the TOEFL. Applicants with scores of 450 or higher on the written test (or the equivalent on the CBT) will be eligible. All candidates will receive on-going language assistance
during their academic program. IREX will work with each post or commission to determine how applicants will be reimbursed for the cost of the TOEFL test. If possible, TOEFL scores should be provided with the nomination materials.
Nomination Guidelines: Please do not exceed the following nomination limits:
a. Eligible to nominate up to fifteen candidates: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia
b. Eligible to nominate up to ten candidates: Algeria, Malaysia, Morocco
c. Eligible to nominate up to five candidates: Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen
Dependents: Dependents will not be allowed to come to the United States on this program.
The following recruitment cycle for ILEP is slated to begin in March 2009 for programs that will begin in January 2010.
4. Transport and Communication - Developing the 21st Century, Ninth International Internet Conference (for students aged 14+)
http://www.agenda21now.org
8 May, 2008 00:00-24:00 UTC (check what this is in your local time on our website!)
Dear coordinators, teachers and students, dear interested reader,
Once again it is time for “Agenda 21 NOW!”. As every year we would like to invite you, students and educators all over the world, to participate in our next International Internet Conference. In the last conference, more than 1,000 students from 68 countries on five continents came together.
A conference? Yes, Agenda 21 NOW! is a true conference taking place on the internet. A conference about sustainability and the Agenda 21, with conference rooms, moderators, international experts, workshops and many, many registered participants who are waiting to get into serious discussions with you. During 24 hours on 8 May, 2008.
Take part in the next conference! The conference is exclusively open for registered participants. For registration, just visit our website http://www.agenda21now.org and fill in the “Join” form. It’s easy! You’ll receive your conference ticket within 24 hours. Join now!
New 2008: Agenda 21 NOW! Resolution. A good conference has great discussions and ends with the adoption of a resolution. Work with Transport and Communication, be prepared when the conference starts and take part in the decision making. The Agenda 21 NOW! Resolution will be presented to UNESCO and to the public soon after the conference.
Ready for you now: Interactive pages. A good conference needs good preparation. Prepare for the conference with our interactive pages! As a registered participant you may also edit these pages, even create new pages. Add your own knowledge to our website and take part in making our conference even better!
Further information: Please visit our website http://www.agenda21now.org. And if you have special questions, please write to us. To distribute our invitation in your school you are welcome to download and print our poster at http://www.agenda21now.org/2008poster.pdf.
We hope to see you on the net on 8 May, 2008!
Agenda 21 NOW! is a pilot project of the German UNESCO Associated Schools and the UNESCO Baltic Sea Project
http://www.ups-schulen.de
http://www.b-s-p.org
5. Global Citizen Corps Leadership program (US Students Only)
The application to the 2008-2009 Global Citizen Corps Leadership program is open now through April 15th! If you know high school students who are ready to stand at the forefront of the fight for a better world, help spread the word and build the movement. It’s an exciting, enriching opportunity for teens that is also fun and completely free. It offers participants great resources, support, opportunities for networking and travel.
The Global Citizen Corps is a national network of high school student leaders who educate and mobilize their schools and communities to fight global poverty. Every year, Mercy Corps selects 200 Global Citizen Corps Leaders to gain the knowledge and skills to become effective anti-poverty experts through in-person and online trainings. Throughout the year, Global Citizen Corps Leaders organize Global Action Days to inform and inspire their classmates to take action on poverty and related issues like hunger, HIV/AIDS, climate change and access to education.
To learn more, please visit www.globalcitizencorps.org.
6. Water, People and Sustainable Development - video competition
The Festival VidéEau is an international competition for video clips organized by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW), in preparation for the International “Water and Film” Events that will take place in Istanbul in 2009, within the context of the 5th World Water Forum.
The Festival VidéEau invites young people aged from 17 to 30, to submit 90 second or shorter video clips on the theme “Water, People and Sustainable Development”. The winners of the competition will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony to be held during the World Youth Congress, taking place in Quebec, Canada, from 10 to 21 August 2008.
The winners of the Festival VidéEau will automatically be selected for the official competition of the International “Water and Film” events. Furthermore, the best clips will be screened at various other events.
The theme “Water, People and Sustainable Development” encompasses the limitless uses for water, its meaning in different cultures and the many challenges we must face to manage it properly.
For example, the subjects covered could be the pollution of rivers or water tables, water wastage, problems of access to drinking water and sanitation, the melting of glaciers due to climate change or even action taken by people to preserve the water near their homes. It is young people’s turn to tell the world how their history, culture and daily lives are closely linked to water.
Who can participate?
The Festival VidéEau is open to young people aged from 17 to 30 from around the world. Check out the rules of the competition on the website!!
How to participate?
Participants must prepare a video clip of a maximum of 90 seconds and register by filling in the electronic form.
Language and format
If possible, video clips produced in a language other than English should be subtitled in English or accompanied by a script of the dialogue in English, French or Spanish.
IMPORTANT!
Only MiniDV (NTSC) and DVD (multizone format) video clips will be accepted.
Deadline
Video clips must be received before midnight on 15 June 2008 by:
International Secretariat for Water
7, rue de la Commune O., bureau 203
Montréal (Québec)
Canada H2Y 2C5
7. High School Broadcast Journalism Project(US Schools Only)
The High School Broadcast Journalism Project is challenging U.S. high school students to create one to two minute video news stories showing a local angle to one of four global issues:
• Kick the Habit – De-carbonizing our lifestyles and economies
• World Heritage – Local sites and international interests
• Growing Up Girl – Challenges facing girls everywhere
• World Water – Access to clean water
You’ll have access to all the amazing footage at the United Nations to make your video a top-notch entry.
The prize for the top three teams (team=two students and one educator) is an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to attend the United Nations Foundation Youth Leadership Summit July 17-19, 2008. Video finalists will also be broadcast at the UN and seen by thousands of people from all over the world. More information and entry here.
Deadline for submissions is May 2, 2008. Winners will be announced on May 23, 2008.
All contest entries will be coordinated on SchoolTube, a new site that provides a safe and effective platform for video production and online video sharing. This contest is presented by The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation and the United Nations Foundation campaign, http://www.thepeoplespeak.org/contests/reportlocally.html
8. Challenge 20/20
Challenge 20/20 is an Internet-based program that pairs classes at any grade level (K-12) from schools in the U.S. with their counterpart classes in schools in other countries; together the teams (of two or three schools) tackle real global problems to find solutions that can be implemented at the local level and in their own communities.
To learn details about the Challenge 20/20 program and to apply visit: http://www.nais.org/conferences/index.cfm?ItemNumber=147262&sn.ItemNumber=148035
Online Application (deadline to apply: August 15, 2008)
NAIS will send you an announcement by early September regarding your partnership. At that time, if you are partnered, please contact your partner school immediately and fill out and submit the Agreement for Participation for Partnered Schools. If you are not partnered but you wish to participate as a non-partnered school in preparation for next year, please submit the Agreement for Participation for Non-Partnered Schools.
Arabic Resources, Programs, and Exchanges 1. Arabic Summer Programs for K-12 Students
Dear Arabic K-12 Listserv Members:
We have some new information on our summer institutes for teachers of Arabic. The application form for the Startalk stipends is now available online. In this message you will find explicit instructions to applying for any one of our Arabic summer institutes. Please take the time to read them over carefully.
1- Choose the institute you wish to attend then click on the appropriate link below to find the registration form and scholarship application form. These are both in MS Word format, so you will have to look for them on your desktop or in the Downloads folder and open them in Word.
Teaching Arabic to Upper High School and College Students
Arabic K-12: Hands-On Session
Writing and Implementing an Arabic Curriculum K12
2- Please read and follow the instructions on the page. Fill out and attach the registration/application forms to an EMAIL sent to arabick12@gmail.com by the appropriate due date.
We will notify you as soon as the applications are reviewed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office.
Thank you,
Mona Aladle
The National Capital Language Resource Center
2011 Eye St. NW Suite 200
Washington D.C. 20006
Voice: 202.973.1147
Fax: 202.973.1075
http://arabick12.org2. 30 Full Scholarships to study Arabic in Egypt with AFS Intercultural Programs
30 Full Scholarships to study Arabic in Egypt with AFS Intercultural Programs
For high school students with zero to two years of Arabic study
Program dates: June 28, 2008 - August 10, 2008
AFS-USA is seeking applications from outstanding high school students to spend six weeks studying Arabic in Egypt this summer, from June 28 - August 10. The AFS Arabic Summer Language Institute is designed to give students an intensive introduction to Arabic and immersion into Egyptian culture. They will have the experience of a lifetime living with an Egyptian host family, visiting cultural and historic sites, and being a part of this ancient culture. Pending funding, AFS is offering 30 full-tuition scholarships!
Students must apply by March 25, 2008 . The application process includes a recommendation form, a full AFS application, answers to three essay questions, and a one-page action plan on how he/ she will continue studying Arabic for 12 months after returning. Please visit our website at: http://www.usa.afs.org/usa_en/view/3730
AFS, a non- profit organization, is a leader in intercultural learning and offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world.
3. Middlebury Monterey Language Academy for Arabic language learners
Scholarship for Arabic or Chinese Heritage Speakers at
theMiddlebury-Monterey Language Academy
The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA) has been awarded funding to
support a limited number of scholarships for heritage speakers of Arabic and
Mandarin Chinese. Broadly speaking, heritage speakers are
students from families with an Arabic or Chinese heritage, but who lack
formal education in the language.
“STARTALK” is one of the projects of a US government funded effort to expand
foreign language education in under-taught critical languages by supporting
new and existing programs for students, kindergarten through
university, in several targeted languages including Mandarin Chinese and
Arabic.
To be considered for a STARTALK partial scholarship at the
Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy an applicant must meet these criteria:
* Entering grade 7 through grade 12
* Parents or grandparents speak either Arabic or Mandarin Chinese
* Have knowledge of the culture and traditions associated with the
heritage language
* Have a willingness to share that cultural knowledge with others
studying the language
* Express a sincere desire to develop stronger skills in either
Arabic or Chinese
* Demonstrate financial need
Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy
The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy extends the renowned Middlebury
Language School summer immersion to middle and high school students for four
weeks in a summer camp setting. See more at: http://www.mmla.middlebury.edu
Located at sites in California, Vermont and Massachusetts, MMLA combines
rigorous and effective language education with summer camp activities, all
conducted in the target language. As a Middlebury language immersion
camp, students adhere to a Language Pledge(r) and agree to refrain from
using English except in cases of emergency, safety or when the Pledge has
been relaxed in camp for a particular purpose.
Students who do not meet the above criteria for a STARTALK scholarship may
still apply to MMLA as regular students.
To apply, call MMLA at 802-296-2459 or email to mmla.info@middlebury.edu
News articles1. Southwest Education Development Laboratory releases new resource: Connecting Student Learning and Technology
Connecting Student Learning and Technology — Authors: Sharon Adams and Mary Burns Throughout the developing world, in more and more schools, and increasingly in more and more classrooms, teachers are being asked to use ICTs to improve students’ content knowledge and help them attain 21st century skills. Assisted by teachers and peers in their growth as individual learners, students can use technology to enhance their work and increase their connections with resources outside school walls. However, computers are not inherently instructional tools, and most teachers need suggestions for using them. This guide provides such suggestions. This highly readable and informative guide provides a valuable framework for using computers and other technology in productive, interesting ways, and to support learner-centered instruction. It is not a “nuts and bolts” manual, but a discussion of how technology can support learning and enrich students’ use of a variety of resources to help them gain understanding about their world.
http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/flash.html
2. The Bureau of International Information Programs is pleased to announce the launch of “America.gov”
The Bureau of International Information Programs is pleased to announce the launch of “America.gov,” the Department’s newest portal reaching out to foreign audiences. “America.gov” is a cutting-edge public diplomacy tool that offers the latest in multi-media, video, forum discussions, polls and quizzes to effectively tell America’s story overseas.
“America.gov” provides a wealth of material on U.S. policies, culture, and values and can be used as an outreach tool by Embassy staff on a multitude of programs. For example, “America.gov” delivers more than 50 videos on topics ranging from volunteers in presidential campaigns to space shuttle footage to Ramadan on campus. To capitalize on foreign interest in the U.S. elections, users can make use of the “Elections 2008” package at: http://uspolitics.america.gov/uspolitics/elections/index.html.
Language versions of “America.gov” will be developed in the early spring and language versions of the RSS feeds will continue for the foreseeable future. Regional pages can be accessed at http://www.america.gov/world.html.
3. New UNICEF Initiative Enables Children around the World to Share Stories Online
7 December 2007 – Young people from around the world will be able to record and share their stories online in various languages thanks to a new project launched today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), technology giant Google and the non-profit organization One Laptop per Child. Children will be able to record stories about themselves, their families and friends in their own languages using laptops, mobile phones and other recording devices. The stories can be shared through the “Our Stories” website – www.ourstories.org – where they can be found on a Google Map. By making these stories accessible around the world, the Our Stories project seeks to promote understanding of different countries, cultures, religious traditions and languages, organizers said.“Information technologies can help young people around the world learn more about each other,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. “Our Stories will promote dialogue across borders and cultures and give young people a voice on a wide range of issues.” One Laptop per Child will provide children in developing countries with easy-to-use, low-cost XO laptops to record their stories. “The XO laptop is a tool for sharing and collaboration and this project is a great way to build a global community,” said Walter Bender, President of Software and Content/COO, One Laptop per Child. The Our Stories website will initially include stories collected by Brazil’s Museum of the Person and stories recorded for UNICEF by young people in Ghana, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda. More stories from around the world will be added to the site every month. Elliot Schrage, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs for Google, hailed the new project, which he hoped “will not just encourage better storytelling but better listening to stories.”Among leading figures that have already lent their voices to the project are Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Ishmael Beah, UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War and best-selling author, who have all recorded messages welcoming users to the site and encouraging them to share their stories.
4. Free Spirit Publishing releases “The teen Guide to Global Action”
The Teen Guide to Global Action
How to Connect with Others (Near and Far) to Create Social Change by Barbara A. Lewis
Kids everywhere are deciding they can’t wait to become adults to change the world. They’re acting right now to fight hunger and poverty, promote health and human rights, save the environment, and work for peace. Their stories prove that young people can make a difference on a global scale. Like Barbara Lewis’s groundbreaking The Kid’s Guide to Social Action, this book includes real-life stories to inspire young readers, plus a rich and varied menu of opportunities for service, fast facts, hands-on activities, user-friendly tools, and up-to-date resources kids can use to put their own volunteer spirit into practice. It also spotlights young people from the past whose efforts led to significant positive change. Upbeat, practical, and highly motivating, this book has the power to rouse young readers everywhere.
http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/item_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=584
