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- Microsoft Russia has again expressed their appreciation for the work that PH has been doing in the country through IDEA. Read more about the recent meeting between PH and Microsoft.
-The alumni of the Community Connections Russia program have participated in a survey to measure the effectiveness of the program. 96% of alumni report that they regularly use the knowledge and skills acquired during the program in their work. Read more about the study. - In late 2008, Community Connections in Russia conducted a photo contest for CC program alumni. See photos on the CC website. - Beginning in January, the Georgia Legal Socialization Program will be piloted in 20 schools in Georgia. In total, 20 teachers and 16 police officers have been trained to teach the Legal Culture curriculum, developed through GLSP, with course books already distributed to students.
- The IDEA Program in Ukraine has been awarded a three-year grant from the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Program.
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To Friends of PH International, Welcome to the latest edition of our e-newsletter. We're pleased to be able to share updates on some of our recent program activities, along with a couple of stories about friendships and professional opportunities that have had a lasting impact. The many success stories that we hear from participants who benefit in concrete ways from the opportunities that PH is helping to support are rewarding to hear and keep us grounded in the knowledge that the work isn't about programs - it's about people. We know that many of you have great stories to tell about the people you've come to know through your involvement with PH over the past 24 years and how the experience has changed your understanding of the world, maybe even how it's changed your life. I've heard some of these stories over the years and know that they are inspiring, reminding us of all that is most important in life. We would be grateful to hear and share some of those stories in future issues. If you have a story that you'd like to share, drop me a line and I'll be in touch.
Many thanks from all of us at PH!
Ann Martin
Executive Director
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Students in the PH-administered Azerbaijan Connections and Exchange program (ACE) spent the end of 2008 tackling social issues ranging from integration of internally displaced persons to environmental awareness. The student-led advocacy campaigns marked the culmination of a civic education curriculum to support the development of active citizenry and offered students hands-on experience in advocating for topics important to their communities.
Students polled the local community to determine the key issues for their campaigns, then drafted mini-grant proposals for solutions to the issues raised.
Five schools won mini-grants for the following projects:
- Plant a Tree for the Future
- Refugee Integration
- Development of School Computer Centers
- Community Science Resource Center
- Women's Right to Education
Videos of the campaigns were created and placed on YouTube.
"As a result of the advocacy on the part of students, members of the community, including government officials and businesses, contributed to the renovation of our computer center," said Nahida Huseynova, a teacher from Baku School #220. "I hope that these students' work will serve as a model for younger students."
Azerbaijan Connections and Exchanges was funded by the American Embassy in Baku.
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David Imedashvili, owner of the highly acclaimed Imedashvili Studio in Tbilisi, has spent his career producing films to educate, entertain and inspire. In June 2008, Imedashvili participated in a Community Connections program on Professional Film Production in Los Angeles, California, where he had learned about U.S. film production and met with colleagues in the industry.
Upon his return to Georgia, and following the 2008 Georgia-Russia conflict, Imedashvili began developing a docudrama about the conflict, particularly the role of the U.S. The idea was embraced by the Georgian Film Center and Georgian Ministry of Culture. Hollywood also loved the project and came to Imedashvili's support in the form of a major sponsorship from a key studio in Los Angeles. Negotiations are now underway to hire high profile American actors to star in the film, tentatively scheduled to begin production in July 2009.
If the project is successful, it will be the first joint US - Georgia movie venture.
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DOTCOM, a youth media literacy initiative for students in the U.S. and the Caucasus - is off to a great start. Visit the program website to learn more about our activities and ways to support the program by hosting a student in Vermont this summer. |
American and Armenian Teachers Maintain Collaboration Years After PH Project
Since their introduction in 2005 through the Armenia School Connectivity Program, Ruzanna Antonyan of Vanadzor, Armenia, and Judy Conrad of West Liberty, Ohio, have maintained their friendship. While paired in the program, the English teacher from Armenia and the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher from America simultaneously created peace gardens at their schools. The two then met when 15 US teachers traveled to Armenia in July 2005. Over the last few years, Antonyan and Conrad have maintained their collaboration with regular e-mails, photos and gifts. Besides the gardens - which continue to flourish - the two schools collaborated to compile a recipe book in conjunction with a third school in Gyumri, Armenia. What began as a teaching partnership has blossomed into a life-changing friendship that bridges cultures a world apart.
Judith Conrad:
Both Ruzanna and I have received honors related to our partnership. Ruzanna has been recognized with a number of awards in Armenia, which have helped to advance her career. While continuing to teach at secondary school, she has also recently started teaching in a new university in Vanadzor. With her professional growth and prestigious honors, Ruzanna is clearly one of the best young English teachers in Armenia.
I earned my most distinguished award almost exclusively because of my experience with PH and our teaching partnership. In 2007, I received the Ohio Education Association's Paul Swaddling Award for Peace and International Relations. I was also honored to be interviewed by the Armenian Benevolent Union (the most widely-circulated Armenian magazine in the world) about the PH partnership. The PH Armenia School Connectivity Program truly changed my life!
In 2007, I was selected as a participant in the Japanese Fulbright Memorial Fund program and visited Japan. I feel certain this award was in part a result of my earlier participation with PH. I do not mention my awards to boast, but rather to demonstrate the significance PH has had in the lives of two teachers given the chance to make a difference. Thank you for this terrific opportunity!
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