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. In the last seven years, iEARN has 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 has 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.
Countries currently participating in GCE include: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Oman, Sierra Leone, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan and Yemen. Teachers and students from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Yemen have been part of GCE funding in past years and continue to participate in the iEARN network.
US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
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. 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 Anindita Dutta Roy at: anindita@us.iearn.org
