Afghanistan Children at School Photo by Eve Lyman, Afghans for Civil Society

The International Education an Resource Network (iEARN) is partnering with Afghans for Civil Society in efforts to build school to school partnerships for collaborative teaching and learning between Afghanistan and the K-12 school communities of iEARN. iEARN is a non-profit global network of education communities that enables young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning and make a positive difference in the world. Teachers and schools around the world design their curricular projects in literacy, social studies, science, math,visual arts, world langauges, and service learning with a shared vision of having what they learn in their schools and communities make positive contributions towards the health and well-being of the planet and towards building compassion, caring and peace among people across cultures and continents.

The partnership between iEARN and Afghans for Civil Society began with Friendship through Education project called Schools Outfitting Schools. This project was created to provide funds for school supplies in Afghanistan. The Schools Outfitting Schools funds generated at Sunnyside Elementary in Washington State were delivered to Afghanistan schools by Sarah Chayes of Afghans for Civil Society. The Afghans for Civil Society staff, including Eve Lyman, Sarah Chayes, Robin Folsom, and Ted Achilles are now collaborating with iEARN Lead teacher Kristi Rennebohm Franz, and Harvard University Center for Middle Eastern Studies to develop the school partnerships between Afghanistan, schools in the U.S. and schools in the iEARN global community so that children and youth can collaboratively build their reading, writing, and visual arts skills through communicating messages, images and artwork on topics of "A Sense of Caring", "Experiences of War" and "Building Peace. The exchange of writing and artwork documents created by the children in their schools is facilitated by Afghans for Civil Society and iEARN staff and teachers.

Go to Building a World Through Education: Launching Essential Learnings From Washington State USA to Afghanistan

iEARN Lead Teacher Kristi Rennebohm Franz and Sarah Chayes of Afghans for Civil Society Collaborating on School to School Partnerships