August 24, 2006

From August 5-19, 65 students (ages 12-14), 13 teachers and 6 student teachers from Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Serbia (including 12 Roma students) participated in a variety of activities designed to teach both interethnic understanding and English simultaneously. The camp was held at Balatonelle in Hungary and organized, sponsored and facilitated by the United States Embassies in Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest and Bucharest. The program included a teacher training component facilitated by English Language Specialists Mary Lou McCloskey and Lydia Stack that was unique in that the strategies the teachers taught were used with the students the very same day. The student program included athletic, dramatic, and artistic activities as well as tolerance through English lessons emphasizing the American experience. Teachers and students received textbooks and instructional materials donated by American publishers and the Teaching Tolerance NGO. The program will be followed up by a series of school exchanges, teacher presentations at conferences and use of the camp’s website. A network of 13 schools across the region has been established.

One student’s comments encapsulate the impact the program has had on participants: “By learning about other people, I learned more about myself in these two weeks than I ever imagined possible”.

back to top ^

24 August 2006

Tabara Central-Europeana de Promovare a Tolerantei depaseste toate asteptarile

In perioada 5-19 august, 65 de elevi (cu varste intre 12 si 14 ani), 13 profesori si 6 profesori universitari din Romania, Slovacia, Ungaria si Serbia (inclusiv 12 elevi rromi) au luat parte la diferite activitati menite sa promoveze, simultan, intelegerea intre etnii si limba engleza. Tabara a avut loc la Balatonelle, Ungaria, fiind organizata, sponsorizata si facilitata de Ambasadele Statelor Unite din Belgrad, Bratislava, Budapesta si Bucuresti. Programul a cuprins o componenta de formare a profesorilor, facilitata de specialistii pe problema de limba engleza Mary Lou McCloskey si Lydia Stack; unicitatea acestei componente consta in faptul ca strategiile predate de profesori au fost folosite cu elevii chiar in aceeasi zi. Programul elevilor a cuprins activitati sportive, teatrale si artistice, precum si activitati de promovare a tolerantei prin limba engleza, punandu-se accentul pe experienta americana. Profesorii si elevii au primit manuale si materiale educationale donate de edituri americane si de ONG-ul “Teaching Tolerance”. Programul va continua printr-o serie de schimburi scolare si prin prezentari ale profesorilor in cadrul diferitelor conferinte si va folosi site-ul internet al taberei. Astfel s-a stabilit o retea regionala de 13 scoli.

Comentariile elevilor nostri rezuma impactul programului asupra participantilor: “Invatand despre alte culturi, am invatat despre mine in aceste doua saptamani mai mult decat mi-as fi imaginat vreodata”.

sus ^