Education

Our Programs

Education

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Taawon is committed to investing in inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) that improves economic prospects (SDG 8), encourages societal cohesion (SDG 11), and fosters national identity.
Taawon is committed to investing in inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) that improves economic prospects (SDG 8), encourages societal cohesion (SDG 11), and fosters national identity.
Taawon is committed to investing in inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) that improves economic prospects (SDG 8), encourages societal cohesion (SDG 11), and fosters national identity.
Taawon is committed to investing in inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) that improves economic prospects (SDG 8), encourages societal cohesion (SDG 11), and fosters national identity.
Related Links 
Bridge Palestine Website
Taawon is committed to investing in inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) that improves economic prospects (SDG 8), encourages societal cohesion (SDG 11), and fosters national identity in Palestine. We believe, well-educated, critical and inquisitive individuals are the cornerstones of flourishing societies. Accordingly, cultivating these characteristics across generations of Palestinians is core to our mission so we created the Education Program, which consists of various components, each of which invests in enhancing the quality of education at all levels, from preschool to university studies.
 
 

Education Program 2016 Achievements

Early Childhood Development

  •  Trained 200 teachers and administrators in innovative early-childhood pedagogies.
  •  Worked with 40 kindergartens in a comprehensive approach, benefiting more than 8,000 children and more than 3,800 family members.
  •  Built and renovated more than 10,000 M2 of the schools in the West Bank including Jerusalem.
Basic Education
  •  Built 30 technology labs, introduced a flagship Robotics educational program (Logo league Robotic Education) in 9 Jerusalem schools, develop 54 educational Apple applications, trained 440 teachers, and benefitted 14,500 students and faculty in the Tafkeer “Thinking Technology” program.
  •  Trained 150 students from 6 schools in Jerusalem through the “Nahj” leadership and entrepreneur project.
  •  Provided vocational training for 300 students in useful trades and job skills through supporting and developing new programs at the vocational schools in Jerusalem.
  •  Inaugurated the second year of the “Bridge Palestine” program, with 207 high-school students receiving English classes, science, and technology modules, and pre-college counseling to prepare for applying for renowned universities overseas.
Higher Education
  • Offered remedial education for 150 students at-risk of dropping out of school with the Learn, Inspire, Focus, and Engage (LIFE) program, which engages youth, parents, and educators.
  • Offered 600 undergraduates scholarships for needy students in local universities in Palestine and Lebanon.
  • Continued to support international fellowships for 120 faculty membered from 13 universities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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  • Bridge Palestine

Bridge Palestine is a national initiative to empower outstanding Palestinian students to enroll in prominent international Universities. The program offers the students multi-level and multi-year capacity building activities, aiming to develop future leaders equipped to represent their community. It instills in participants a culture of educational excellence by connecting them with role models from the Palestinian community around the world. In the first year, 400 10th grade students from all over Palestine joined the program. The students benefitted from English language classes, exposure to university entrance exams, and modules emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, science, technology, innovation, and community initiatives. In addition, the program launched its first summer school in 2016, which focused on life skills, and career counseling and guidance. Taawon implements Bridge Palestine with the help of Al Nayzak and AMIDEAST as part of their ongoing efforts to empower Palestinian youth.

 

Farah Center

The Farah Center offers educational support for students with learning difficulties in Jerusalem and its suburbs. The center was funded by the Arab Fund for economic and Social Development and is a part of the College des Freres in Jerusalem. In the past year, the Farah Center’s 17 teachers, who are specialized in alternative education, served about 150 students from 6 Jerusalem schools. The center also hosted the conference, “supporting students with learning difficulties in Jerusalem: Experiences and Challenges.”

 

Zamala

The idea for the Zamala program was initiated by the Bank of Palestine to improve higher education teaching methods in Palestinian universities and harmonize the needs of the job market with community development. The program covers the expenses of Palestinian academics pursuing fellowships for training and research projects at prestigious higher education institutions around the world. After their time abroad, beneficiaries are expected to return to Palestine to share their experiences with their home universities. The project is funded by the Bank of Palestine and the Arab Monetary Fund through the Islamic Development Bank.

To date, The Zamala program has benefitted 120 professors and lectures from 13 Palestinian universities, and disbursed 1570000 USD. The fund benefits scholars in several disciplines including business management, economics, financial sciences, banking, health sciences, telecommunications engineering, and law. The fellows have published 42 research papers and have presented their work around the world. 

Program's Components

The Early Childhood Development component (Sukkar)

The early years of the child’s life significantly affect their cognitive and behavioral development.

In the absence of early childhood education centers, Palestinian children were deprived of the necessary exposure required to realize their full potential. Sukkar was introduced in the 1985 to address this gap.Read more

School-level Education: Schools of Excellence and Alternative Education

Schools of Excellence develops schools into comprehensive social units where students can access to up-to-date knowledge despite mobility restrictions posed by the occupation, and b) rich learning experiences that lead to both creativity and critical thinking. Schools of Excellence has three inter-dependent sub-components:Read more

Higher Education: Universities Program

With the challenge of economic and movement restrictions, Palestinian youth cannot easily travel to attend some of the world’s top universities. To address this challenge, we focus part of our programming on enhancing the quality of Higher Education in Palestine. We specifically focus on upgrading the quality of Palestinian professors to ensure that they are competitive globally and by providing financial assistance to Palestinian youth to attend university.Read more

Testimonies

         Zamala fellowship program is different than any other program because it is genuinely funded and managed by Palestinians. It has a positive impact on building international partnerships, production off research and articles and exchange of knowledge to be transferred in Palestine. Dr. Saida Afouneh- An- Najah University  
Zamala, a pure Palestinian initiativ
“The bridge summer school has enabled me to learn about the cultural and historical aspects of Palestine and to develop strong leadership skills.” Khalil Fahjan – from the Gaza Strip
Bridge summer school
Remedial Education has provided me with a new opportunity to improve my life and have a feeling of self-esteem. It has opened up the prospects of success for me. I hope that I will finish my studies and move forward towards the job market and future.
Opportunity to improve my life
The children enrolled at Al-‘Amal Kindergarten, that is benefitting from “Sukkar” Programme, stand out due to the spirit of initiative, individual as well as group responsibility, and cooperation. Yes, I see here children “who have been subjects of a lot of development and education”, and who are diligent and clever in their school. Nevertheless, I assert that the less-celver students are the most proactive and effective among their classmates. I feel that they previously enjoyed freedom in their kindergarten and preschool; the fact that has positively impacted the character of each one of them. After I realized that the quality of children finishing preschooling at Al-‘Amal Kindergarten and enrolling at Al-Be’neh Primary School has improved thanks to Early Childhood “Sukkar”, I am feeling comfortable that children in my village have recieved quality education. I hope that the impact of the program will not be limited to the children preschooling at Al-‘Amal Kindergarten, but it will encompass all the children in Al-Be’neh in the future. ‘Abeer Titi (teacher) – the Primary School in Al-Be’neh/ 1948 Areas
A Testimony by ‘Abeer Titi (teacher) – the Primary School in Al-Be’neh/ 1948 Areas
“I gained a lot of knowledge on how to deal with children as well as meet their basic needs. After the training, I’ve also gained knowledge on how to deal with families. I completely disrupted the kindergarten’s routine and the children are now much happier; they can channel their creative energies through reading stories, music, and game-based learning techniques. Better understanding the children’s needs has made our relationship very special”
Ghada Azzam, Teacher, Ahbab Allah Kindergarten, Al Jadira, Jerusalem

Success Stories

For my identity I sing
Mustafa, 14-years old student at Dar Al-Aytam School in Al-Thawri neighborhood in Jerusalem...Read more
Yasmin, an ambitious girl, overcomes disability
“I’m so happy to get my first job opportunity, and excited to start practicing what I have learnt...Read more