iEARN-USA launched the BRIDGE (Building Respect through Internet Dialogue and Global Education) in the summer of 2002 to expand online project work among schools in the US and countries with significant Muslim populations. The BRIDGE Program later became a key element of the Global Connections & Exchange (GCE) Program, sponsored by the the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US State Department. From 2002-2009, iEARN built a BRIDGE/GCE community of over 2,500 schools with nearly 100,000 students involved in collaborative thematic online project activities and exchange partnerships. Through GCE, iEARN provided online and face-to-face professional development programs for educators, conducted a series of international conferences for teachers, provided an online space for students to participate in collaborative social action projects, and supported three-week exchanges.
 In
2008 iEARN-USA received significant support from the Doris Duke
Foundation for Islamic Art to expand BRIDGE through additional
workshops and online professional development for teachers in ten of
the participating countries. These countries are: Egypt, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, UAE, Uzbekistan,
and the United States. The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation for
Islamic Art is to promote the study and understanding of Islamic arts
and cultures. To apply for scholarships under this expansion program,
contact Miranda Galbraith at: mgalbraith@us.iearn.org
Countries that received GCE funding in past years include: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, and Yemen These countries continue to participate in the iEARN network. US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
|
|
|
|
Global Connections & Exchange Program (GCE) was made possible through support and funding from the US State
Department's (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). It
is a part of iEARN-USA's BRIDGE project which is committed to
connecting students and teachers in the US to those in countries with
significant Muslim populations. |
|
|
