What
is I*EARN?What
is I*EARN?
International Education and Resource Network
I*EARN is a non profit organization made up of over 4,000 schools in 92 countries, which empowers teachers and young people (K-12) to work together in different parts of the world at very low cost through a global telecommunication network.
The vision and purpose of I*EARN is to enable young people to undertake Collaborative Projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people.
I*EARN
Lebanon
I*EARN-Lebanon has
joined a special project concerning civic responsibility. I*EARN Civics
has been launched with assistance from the US State Department to bring
more schools on-line in project-based work. A number of public and private
schools in Lebanon are actively involved in projects.
I*EARN CIVICS, stands for (Community Voices Collaborative Solutions). It aims to involve English language teachers from Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon in I*EARN projects, focusing on issues of civic education.
Lebanon has been actively involved in many projects. The most prominent ones are:
Youth
Communication and Networking: YouthCaN
Co-sponsored by New York University, The American Museum of Natural History, Marymount College, I*EARN and a number of high school environmental organizations.
Activities: Two groups of students will present their environment projects in New York on April 30, 2001. One group will be connected online.
The projects are:
Using
Solar Energy to Purify Water (AIS)Future plans: I*EARN—Lebanon has proposed to hold "YouthCan Mediterranean" in Lebanon in April 2002. The aim of the conference is to join students from the region to share and discuss environmental and social issues facing their local community.
International Business Program (IBP) E-Commerce Super Exchange V, Atlanta
North Atlanta High School Center for International Studies. I*EARN-US has offered furnds from a grant from the Global Catalyst Foundation to I*EARN-Lebanon to enable participation by Lebanese students and teachers.
Two students from AIS and VIS, and a teacher from AIS are now in Atlanta learning how to develop E-Commerce.
Summary: A practical experiential learning component will include web site construction and maintenance, and development of student run enterprises and e-commerce companies.
Project: Selling Lebanese health products as well as traditional crafts.
Convention: Atlanta High School April 20 to 30, 2001
Echanges
Culturels
Initiated by I*EARN Lebanon
French language
Schools:
Summary: collaborative project exchanged between classrooms about their countries, cultures, hobbies as well as the life of teens in their countries.
Project: All the work will be compiled by students of VIS and will be presented at the Annual I*EARN conference to be held in South Africa in July.
Future plans: "Francophonie" in Lebanon, invite 2 or 3 students to spend a week in a school in Lebanon during the convention. Still under discussion.
Other projects
If rocks could talk
A project run in coordination with a class in Puerto Rico.
"A Vision"
It is a literary anthology publication (previously won best student award from Columbia University). Students from Adma International School facilitate the online discussions and will coordinate the compilation and creation of a global magazine.
Peace
Mural Project
The Laws of Life
National Heritage
Our Local History Project
The Teddy Bear Project
Math in my life
Our Dream School
The Child Labor Project
I*EARN Partners and Collaborators in projects
The
American Museum of Natural History, Copen Family Fund, Cultural Horizon
(Sweden), Global Education Partners, Global Kids Inc, GLOBE, Global
Rivers Environmental Network (GREEN), The Institute of Global Communications,
International student exchange programs, New York University, Partners
of the Americas, Save The Children, Schools Online, Sister Cities International,
The Open Society Foundation (Soros), The Steven Spielberg Shoah Foundation,
Teachers College — Columbia University, Templeton Foundation, ThinkQuest,
The United Nations Department of Information, USIA, The World Bank Institute,
The YMCA.
How
you can sponsor?
Funds: you can contribute to support the expenses of trips, conventions, invitations, activities and different costs incurred.
Equipment: as the projects are technology-based sponsoring equipment like computers, printers, multimedia, projectors and digital cameras is of utmost importance.
Acronyms:
The acronyms used above stand for the names of schools fully managed by School Development Consultants (SDC),
AIS: Adma International School, Adma
USL: Universal School of Lebanon, Koura
VIS: Valley International School, Jouret El-Ballout
Eliane Metni — I*EARN Lebanon Coordinator
SDC - Technology Integration Consultant