Newsflash #275, September 28, 2010

SEEKING PARTNERS: iEARN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Take Care Project seeks to connect students in hospitals around the world.
2. Calling all iEARN Alumni!
3. Global Citizenship Survey for high school/secondary-aged students.
4. Want to connect with other musical choruses around the world?
5. Exchange musical performances with a primary school class in the USA.
6. Special Place Project seeking partners.
7. Global Art: Images of Caring: share your artwork representing caring.
8. Class in Australia seeking partners.
9. Join the State of the World’s Children Project.
10. Finding Solutions to Hunger Project.

RESOURCES, CONTESTS, WEBSITES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
11. iEARN-Egypt Alumni receives award for excellence in civic engagement and philanthropy.
12. 2010 iEARN Youth Summit report from iEARN-USA student recipient of Kurshan Scholarship.
13. Spaces available for educators in new innovation and entrepreneurship online course.

UPCOMING EVENTS
14. Online Global Education Conference, November 15-20, 2010.
15. 2011 iEARN Annual Conference and Youth Summit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, July 17-23, 2011.

RECENT EVENTS
16. Turkish educators visit NYC and DC, USA as part of youth innovation and entrepreneurship program, September 3-17, 2010.  
17. iEARN-Egypt and iEARN-Japan (JEARN) students participate in Peace Conference.

SEEKING PARTNERS: iEARN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
Download the 2010-2011 iEARN Project Book or View full listing of iEARN projects.

1. TAKE CARE PROJECT.  Join a new project proposal seeking to connect students who are in hospitals or being cared for at home and not able to attend regular school classes. Connect with Ruty Hotzen (Israel) in the Teachers Forum.

2. ARE YOU AN iEARN ALUMNI?  Do you know a university-age student who would like to interact with peers around the world?  Want to engage in interactive project work with other university-age young people?  Do you have an idea for a project?   Following a discussion at the iEARN International Assembly meeting in Barrie, Canada, iEARN has created a special space for you to interact.  Read a description or to gain access to the discussion forum, please write to: alumni@iearn.org  University-age students will have access only to this forum and not to other discussion areas within iEARN.   iEARN-Taiwan alumnus Wanting Lu is playing an initial facilitating role.

3. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP SURVEY FOR STUDENTS.  With the global citizenship survey, we want to find out what the ideas and visions of young people are about global citizenship. Do young people see themselves as global citizens? Which issues are seen as most important by young people, and why? How do they see the future? What are the differences between young people around the world? More specifically, we will ask about the opinions, values and thoughts around the eight subthemes of global citizenship.  Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN Global Citizenship Survey Project Page.

4. WANT TO CONNECT WITH OTHER SCHOOL MUSICAL CHORUSES AROUND THE WORLD?  Rebecca Ivory, teacher at Riverview Jr. High, Utah, USA, encourages schools around the world to send videos of your music classes to share your music and some of your culture.  All previous videos can be viewed on our class website on the “Harmony 4 Humanity” tab.  Please share links to your own videos so that we can include them! Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN Harmony 4 Humanity Project Page.

5. INTERESTED IN SHARING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES WITH A PRIMARY SCHOOL CLASS IN THE USA?  A group of third grade students who are learning the soprano recorder would love to perform for other classes in iEARN, and to hear performances from global partners who are learning new instruments.  We can decide what videoconferencing tools to use (skype, etc).  Interested?  Connect in the iEARN Music Forum.

6. SPECIAL PLACE PROJECT SEEKING PARTICIPANTS.  Students around the world are invited to write or draw about a local place that is precious to them.  Please select one local spot that gives you a very special feeling and write a story about that spot. You may select any writing genre (creative, informative, humorous, etc.) Describe it, and tell what is special about it for you. Is it a place where you prefer to be alone or with others? Create a word picture so we can experience your special place.  Decide what you can do to preserve the uniqueness of this place. Tell us what you did and whether there is anything you want others to do. Very short stories are acceptable (just a few sentences) and stories should be no longer than one page.  Participants are welcome to login to the project forum to post their project works, and reply to any of the messages posted in the forum. If you are looking for a partner school to work together in this project, please post your information in the forum: 1. Name of the school; 2. Country; 3. Age/grade of your students; 4. Number of students you have; 5. When you plan to join the project; 6. Any special items.  Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN Special Places Project Page.

7. SHARE YOUR ARTWORK IN THE GLOBAL ART: IMAGES OF CARING PROJECT.  Project facilitator, Alema Nasim (Pakistan) writes, “You are welcome to join the Global Art-Images of Caring forum!  You can involve your students to submit their artwork on the themes of caring, write a few sentences or a short poem describing their artwork, and take part in ongoing discussions.  Students can also take photographs that show ideas of caring from real life examples which gives them a chance to have a closer look into local life and community. This teaches them to think of how others feel and what their needs are. This idea of caring brings people’s heart close to each other and makes them more sensitive and responsible citizens. Comments on artwork and ongoing discussions on forums give them a chance to share their cultural practices with peers around the world and feel more proud and confident of themselves. The aim of this project is not only to make them sensitive and caring but also to improve their creativity, communication and language skills.”  Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN Global Art – Images of Caring Project Page.

8. WHO WANTS TO SHARE WRITING A NOVEL TOGETHER? OR SHARE YOUR NATIONAL SPORTS?  Class in Australia (Year 8 students – 15 year olds) seeking classes to join together on several new project ideas: 1. A Shared Global Novel; 2. A Comparison of Physical Environments: Geography and Climate; 3. Teen Music Around the World; 4. Your Sport/Our Sport.  Plus we are happy to join any new ones. Our kids learn Mandarin, Spanish and Indonesian.  Interested?  Connect in the Teachers Forum.

9. JOIN NEW STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN PROJECT.  Students help to identify what they believe are the key rights of children while also exploring the rights defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN State of the World’s Children Project Page.

10. FINDING SOLUTIONS TO HUNGER PROJECT.  Join with classes around the world to research and discuss the root causes of hunger and poverty in the world and take meaningful actions to help create a more just and sustainable world.  Read more and connect to the project forum on the iEARN Finding Solutions to Hunger Project Page.

RESOURCES, CONTESTS, WEBSITES, ANNOUNCEMENTS

11. iEARN-EGYPT ALUMNI AWARDED THE MOATAZ AL ALFI AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PHILANTHROPY.  ElHassan ElSabry, a physics student who initiated a program that utilizes both modern technical facilities and an interdisciplinary understanding of science to invest in outstanding undergraduate science students from public universities in Egypt, was awarded the Moataz Al Alfi Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement and Philanthropy.  He is an environmental activist and advocate of environmental sustainability, with his extracurricular activities including teaching at the Wadi Environmental Science Center; initiating a ‘Kids Corner’ as part of the 350 Global Movement in New Paltz, New York; and actively participating in the renowned iEARN Egypt program as a high school student.  Read more >

12. 2010 iEARN YOUTH SUMMIT REPORT FROM iEARN-USA STUDENT AWARDED KURSHAN SCHOLARSHIP.  Read full report from Janki Shah, Banneker High School, USA about her experience at the 2010 iEARN Youth Summit in Canada.

13. LIMITED SPACE STILL AVAILABLE FOR EDUCATORS IN NEW INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ONLINE COURSE.  The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey and iEARN-USA, have partnered to offer an 8-week course that will bring together Turkish and English-speaking educators who want to inspire their students to be social entrepreneurs with a global perspective. We have 27 scholarships to award.  Educators will work cross-culturally to develop an entrepreneurial project plan and build professional connections with peers internationally. Working in teams, participants will  develop a social venture (or product) that’s relevant to one of their countries, and develop a marketing plan for it. Following the course, teachers will have the opportunity to involve their students in iEARN’s “Product in a Bag” project. This course is for educators from age level 11- 18 years, and begins October 25th, 2010.  Application deadline: October 11th, 2010.  Read more and download the scholarship application or contact: onlinepd@us.iearn.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

14. ONLINE GLOBAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 15-20, 2010.  iEARN-USA is a partner in the event.  See a list of the different strands for the conference.

15. iEARN-TAIWAN TO HOST THE 18TH ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE AND 15TH ANNUAL YOUTH SUMMIT, JULY 17-23, 2011.  The theme will be “Green Tech, Green Life, Great Era.”   iEARN-Taiwan announces “We are thrilled to invite all to Kaohsiung, Taiwan to join the 18th International Conference and 15th Youth Summit.  Taiwan is a beautiful island with environmental and cultural diversity.  Our foods, night markets and fruits are something you don’t want to miss!  2011 iEARN Annual Conference will be held in the 2nd biggest city of Taiwan, Kaohsiung City.  Kaohsiung is a charming harbor city with its hospitable citizens, pleasant subtropical climate and gentle ocean breeze.  Come to explore the passion and vitality of Taiwan!”  See a video preview,  download a brochure, and stay tuned to the 2011 iEARN Conference Website for details.

RECENT EVENTS

16. TURKISH EDUCATORS VISIT NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINTON, DC, USA AS PART OF YOUTH INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, SEPTEMBER 3-17, 2010.  12 Turkish participants (10 students and 2 educators) spent one week in New York City and one week in Washington, D.C. during a two-week exchange as part of the Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program from September 3-17, 2010. The participants met with entrepreneurs, representatives from business organizations, teachers and students in U.S. high schools, and participated in various cultural activities in both cities. The Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.  See photos >

17. iEARN-EGYPT AND iEARN-JAPAN (JEARN) STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN PEACE CONFERENCE.  60 Egyptian Students from iEARN-Egypt and the ACCESS Program, 15 representatives from iEARN Schools, Ministry of Culture, and E-era, and 9 Japanese students and 4 representatives from iEARN-Japan (JEARN) and Japan Art Miles Project attended the Non-Nuclear Peace Conference. Read More >
 

iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a global non-profit network that empowers teachers and students to undertake projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. Started in 1988, iEARN is currently active in over 125 countries, with 2,000,000 students participating as part of their education. iEARN-International: www.iearn.org

[top banner photo: iEARN-Egypt and iEARN-Japan students at Non-Nuclear Peace Conference in Cairo]