TCLP Arabic Teacher, Hanan Gawdet, received a Critical Language Project Grant to give Southern Lehigh Arabic students from 7th -12th grade an opportunity to focus on “Ancient and Modern Egyptian Arts.”
TCLP Arabic teacher Abir Hassan at Siletz Valley Early College Academy in Siletz Valley, OR organized a Culture Night performance and Fashion Show. Both activities provided an opportunity for her Arabic students to interact with one another and perform for the school and great community, furthering awareness of Arabic culture and language. Ms. Hassan’s Arabic skit was included during the Siletz Culture Night to over 350 community members, and a DVD was created to be used as a learning resource for future Arabic students.
Principal Al Church at the Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Salt Lake City, UT was given CLP funding for an Arab World and Language Awareness Week, conducted in partnership with the University of Utah’s Middle Eastern Center. TCLP Arabic teacher Samir Gibrial collaborated in organizing 65 current students and many community members who participated in multiple activities including: a field trip to the University of Utah’s Middle Eastern Center to observe a university Arabic class, view Arabic artifacts, and share an Arabic meal.
Mentor teacher Robert Wiley at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, IL and TCLP Arabic teacher Abdel Magid Hussein collaborated on a project to enhance 58 Arabic I students' knowledge of Ancient Near East culture and language using resources at the Oriental Institute Museum in Hyde Park, Chicago. In order to initiate interest and basic Arabic knowledge among those not currently enrolled in Arabic, 20 Reading/Writing students were invited on the trip and paired with Arabic students during an Arabic scavenger hunt.
• Mentor teacher Emad Eldigwy and TCLP Arabic teacher Hossam Sarhan at The Center for Global Studies in Norwalk, CT created a multifaceted project which included a field trip for 50 students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the ancient Egyptian exhibit and follow-up activities to be used during an Arabic Class Fair. During the Fair, 130 middle school students from other schools were introduced to Egyptian culture, clothes, and cooking as facilitated by 50 current Arabic students.
Mentor teacher Amy Sanders at Yarmouth High School in Yarmouth, ME applied for a CLP grant with TCLP Chinese teacher Xiao Chunzhi to organize a field trip to the Peabody Essex Museum and Boston’s Chinatown. Nineteen students in grades 8 through 12 and their family members expanded their understanding of Chinese culture during a guided tour of the museum, and Chinese language students learned new vocabulary they could practice in real-world settings as they ate lunch at a busy Chinese restaurant and explored the shops in Boston’s Chinatown.
TCLP Arabic teacher Bishoy Demian at Burlington Notre Dame in Burlington, IA applied for a CLP grant to support his visits to his distance learning students and to conduct Arabic Club meetings with non Arabic students at these schools. Over 40 students attended multiple Arabic Club meetings at Notre Dame High School and Tipton High School, exposing non Arabic students to the Arabic language and culture and giving current students an further opportunities to practice the language they learned in Mr. Demian’s distance learning classes. Mr.
Mentor teacher Lisa Giblin at Winton Woods Intermediate School in Cincinnati, OH worked with TCLP Chinese teacher Gong Hongling on a Chinese New Year Festival and Chinese Language Club project. The Chinese Festival promoted many aspects of Chinese culture and language to the community, and included traditional games, dances, Chinese riddles, calligraphy practice, food sampling, and information about Chinese language education and opportunities. The Winton Woods community was invited to participate and over 200 students, parents, and community members attended.
At Provo High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, TCLP Arabic teacher Mohammed El Naggar and mentor teacher Audrey Bastian proposed an Arabic Day Camp. More than 270 students from 9 different schools throughout Utah attended this Day Camp during which six different aspects of Arabic language and culture were highlighted. Students in Provo’s Arabic program practiced their language skills with fellow student and teacher visitors.
