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.