Final Blog Assignment

I have enjoyed this course and learned so much. During this course I was able to make some amazing contacts as well as reconnect with some old contacts. I made contact with the director of advocacy for the Negev Coexistence program, my college professor, Aref Abu Rabia, and the director and founder of the International Child Resource Institute, Ken Jaffe. Working closely with Prof. Abu Rabia and Ken Jaffe to move forward on a grant proposal has been so exciting. First we submitted a few grants that the Prof. had already written, and then we decided on a Bedouin Ecology Center which will be called "Firdaws al-Hikma Ecology Center." I learned so much from Ken Jaffe and he told me about an amazing project called "The Edible Schoolyard Project."

Ken Jaffe said they were very interested in the garden project but we needed to resubmit changes with a greater focus on children. After discussing it with Prof. Rabia, he agreed and asked me to make the changes!! The first thing I did was add our program to the Edible Schoolyard Project: http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/program/firdaws-al-hikma-ecology-center I also changed the grant and used a place-based model. Definition of Place-Based Education (http://www.promiseofplace.org) *Immerses students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences; *Uses these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum; and *Emphasizes learning through participation in service projects for the local school and/or community. The Firdaws al Hikma Ecology Center Program Program Administrator: Aref Abu Rabia Grade Level: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Lower Elementary Students Served: 0-100 Program Type: Organic Garden, Academic Classroom, Community Center The Firdaws al-Hikma Ecology Center is currently in the process of being developed. Firdaws al-Hikma Ecology Center is a Garden for Medicinal, Aromatic and Food Plants in the Negev. The center will serve as an educational site with land and facilities dedicated to promoting ecology and science, environmental literacy with a focus on Bedouin culture and study of conservation and sustainability. The garden will also have research functions, teaching, training in Bedouin culture and heritage, ethno-medicine and ethno-pharmacology.

Getting to know your International Contacts-Part 3

In the article,"Special-needs Children in the Bedouin Population of the Negev: Characteristics, Patterns of Service Use, and the Impact of Caring for the Children on the Mothers," it states "The percent of children with special needs who receive services from the system is lower in almost all areas except the medical: 10% receive paramedical services, 25% receive specialized educational services and 2% receive psycho-social services. This places a heavy burden on the mothers of these children. Mothers of 75% of the children report that they experience heavy to very heavy burden, as a result of caring for their disabled children. " As a mother to a child with special needs, I know that there are times that it can be difficult. I feel blessed because I have a strong support system and there are so many teachers and therapists working with my son. I cannot imagine, with all the difficulties and struggles that Bedouin women already endure without water or electricity, but then having a special needs to care with no support, it has has to be very difficult for them. This study was done based in part, "an effort to promote the services for Bedouin children in the Negev, based on the findings of the study." I have learned that there are many barriers facing early childhood education for Bedouin children living in the Negev.
In the article, "Bedouin Arab Education in the Negev," by Israel Abu Saab, he writes, “This problem has been especially controversial among the Bedouin Arabs of the Negev where the establishment of schools has become a part of the government plan for settling the Bedouin. There is a distinction made between schools described as temporary and permanent. Currently there are 12 temporary and 24 permanent Bedouin schools in the Negev. Any school which is located in an unplanned settlement is defined as temporary. Such schools are poorly equipped, have low budgets,inadequate facilities, poor buildings and furnishings, and few teaching
materials. They often suffer from a complete lack of facilities and materials such as libraries and maps, and audio visual, laboratory and sports equipment, etc. They are mostly housed in tin, wooden, or concrete buildings with insufficient classroom and office space. They are not supplied with running water and electricity, although some are found next to water pipes or electric lines. In general, these schools are not expanded and are poorly maintained.”


References:
http://www.snunit.k12.il/beduin/arti/2104e.html
http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=31

Sharing Web Resources

ICRI (International Child Resource Institute) has partnered with the Ghana Ministry of Education,

Outcomes:
Over 2,200 Ghanaian teachers have received training from ICRI Ghana in best practices for early childhood education.
Over 1,900 children in the lowest-income areas of Accra have received high quality education from ICRI Ghana-affiliated schools.
Over 480 young women have received vocational training and support services from ICRI Ghana.

During my phone conversation with Ken Jaffe, the Director and founder of the International Child Resource Institute, he told me about the book that he wrote called, "Straw into Gold" which shows teachers how to take used materials which can be recycled into meaningful children's activities. The book description states, "Often teachers and parents around the world lack the training or materials needed to provide stimulation, growth and development for young children. Straw into Gold shows you how to use materials you already have and create activities which are intended to cost very little or nothing. These activities allow educators, parents and volunteers the opportunity to provide enrichment and growth for children.
Over the past decade, co-authors Ken Jaffe and Leslie Falconer, have collaborated on innovative early childhood development practices with early childhood professionals and various organizations and have worked with children in less developed parts of the world. According to Jaffe, In Guayaquil, Ecuador we were fascinated by the amazing use of found objects which were transformed by energetic teachers and parents into meaningful children's activities. This collaboration and observation, which extended into 30 countries, has evolved into Straw into Gold which provides the framework for these exciting, stimulating and developmentally appropriate activities. Moreover, the book allows for the creation of activity areas that can be placed anywhere - from the classroom setting to an open space with a dirt floor. According to Falconer, Children learn best when they can move, touch and explore throughout the day. Carefully designed activity areas allow children to develop important cognitive, social/emotional and physical skills. She went on to say that this book is a beginning in the efforts to help children anywhere experience the joy of early childhood."

I was so inspired by Ken Jaffe and the amazing work that he does to help children around the world. It turns out that the Professor had a few grant ideas in the works, one which includes a garden which would be a Bedouin Outdoor Learning Center to help teach Bedouin children about their roots and learn about ecology and herbal medicine. I feel so happy that the ICRI may start working with the Bedouin children. As soon as I find out more, I will keep you all updated on the progress.