Intern Journal: Learning from Each Other

Last weekend marked several important days here at TYO: Universal Children’s Day, our Open Day, and the passage of the midway mark for our fall internship program.

As I was surrounded by dozens of kids clamoring to have their faces painted as Spider-man, Batman, hearts, moons, stars, flowers, butterflies (a good Arabic lesson for me that day!), I found a moment to reflect on the past month and a half here in Nablus.

I have been trying to teach my students here at TYO as much as they teach me. Every day with them is a new learning experience, as a teacher, as a foreigner and as a person. I hope that I am doing my best, and that my students like me. They keep coming back, so hopefully that is a good sign.

I crafted a nine-week schedule for my drama class at the beginning of this semester, and it has absolutely flown out the window. Every lesson that I plan for them, assuming that it will take at least a week (two classes), has been consumed by them in just one class! Even when I think that my English explanation cannot be properly translated into Arabic and grasped by my students, they are always two steps ahead of me and ready to go. My goal is to challenge, entertain and inform them at least as much as they do so for me.

In the past few weeks my class has covered many of the basics of the mechanics of theater, including costumes, sets and scripts. For the sets, we painted a backdrop and made free standing trees, as well as cut out clouds, a moon and a sun to hang in the classroom. On costume day, the students used their creativity to design costumes representing characters (bee, tiger, police man, etc), and then performed in front of the class to see if their fellow students could guess their character. On script day, the students learned the basic format of scripts and turned a children’s story into a scene to perform for their classmates.

Considering how quickly my boys and girls are moving through my lesson plans, I hope that we will be able to put together everything we have learned to put on a production for the rest of TYO!

-Bieta

Bieta is an intern at TYO Nablus.

TYO Celebrates International Children’s Day

Yesterday, TYO celebrated United Nations’ International Children’s Day. About 200 community members, including children and parents, came to TYO’s Open Day to enjoy an exciting array of activities, including art and sports activities, face painting and debka.

A special thanks to all the  TYO volunteers who did an incredible job orchestrating the day and leading activities.

TYO in Sin City!

What a thrill – over 3,000 people took part in a magnificent evening showcasing Arab music and culture in Las Vegas tonight, thanks to Dawn Elder World Entertainment and host, MGM Grand. The evening was coordinated in honor of International Children’s Day, and designed in the service of Arab children worldwide. Read more in our last post here.

I might be partial, but the most exciting part of this event was a 90-second highlight of TYO as an example of the type of work to be supported by the initiative. A huge thanks to TYO partner, Students of the World, for their help getting the video together in time! We are also grateful to the Public Affairs Office at the US Consulate in Jerusalem for their support of the documentary project through their Small Grant Program.

Check it out – TYO kids, staff and volunteers LIVE IN VEGAS!!

Free money for TYO’s kitchen and library

Yet another Facebook challenge – this time, you get 20 (FREE) votes to choose the charity that ‘matters’ most, and Chase will give them up to $1,000,000. YES, that’s One Million Dollars.

As you may have been reading in the news, or our Twitter feed, Early Childhood Education matters. Especially for children growing up in poverty, amidst violence, or other stressful conditions, having access to high-quality programs during their earliest years is proven to improve their chances of doing better in school,having higher-paying jobs, and staying out of jail. As far as we’re concerned, those are results that matter!

So, especially today – International Children’s Day – take a second to vote for TYO and other child-focused charities in the Chase Community giving program. And spread the word