University of The Middle East Project – Cairo, Egypt 2010
“The Civic Engagement Workshop (CEW) is a weeklong follow-on program for alumni of the Teacher Education Institute (TEI). Each workshop unites TEI alumni of one Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) country with a small group of US high school teachers. The workshop furthers the professional development of both MENA-region and US teachers, and promotes regional and international collaboration on projects, events and teaching strategies. The CEW also serves a crucial role as a forum for TEI alumni to develop inclusive, community-oriented after-school activities for their students.
The CEW seeks to promote student involvement in the local and global community through two main ideological components: Local Activism and Global Awareness. “Local Activism” tasks teachers with creating meaningful opportunities for student involvement in the community; “Global Awareness” charges teachers with helping students connect their personal, interpersonal, school and civic concerns with issues in the national, regional and global arenas. Programs developed at the CEW allow students to work locally on issues of national or international importance, creating a foundation of participation at all levels of society.”
Source: www.ume.org