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Arab Region

In the Arab World, World Links is currently working in Jordan and Mauritania with past operations in Palestine Authority, in more than 100 schools. Working in close collaboration with ministries of education and strategic partners, these schools have received computer labs, Internet connectivity, teacher training (in Arabic, English and French) and local technical support. World Links will be expanding into Yemen in October 2003.

The vision for World Links Arab Region is to dramatically expand the reach and impact of the program, in order to reach millions of Arab youth in a majority of the 22 Arab countries—Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The goal is to improve education, enhance employment opportunities, and build global understanding between Arab and non-Arab youth around the world. In turn, this will promote regional economic and social development.

To achieve this vision, World Links will launch a special Arab Region initiative, to serve the needs of Arab ministries of education, teachers and youth. This office will be staffed by Arab nationals, experts in educational technology and entrepreneurship training, in compliance with relevant local laws. It will also mobilize funds from the region for the region, and manage funds generated by World Links globally. With services offered in English, Arabic and French, World Links will provide a critical “knowledge bridge” between Arab youth and the rest of the world for the benefit of all.

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Yemen

World Links Arab Region will be involved with the Middle East Partnership Initiative / USAID Dot-Com Alliance project in Yemen alongside the Education Development Center, a US-based NGO. WLAR's implementation role in the Yemen school connectivity pilot entails the following: first, the adaptation and preparation of training materials; second, basic computer literacy training; third, initial teacher training in the use of technology as both a master-trainer and school-based educational tool; fourth, monitoring and evaluation; and fifth, project management and coordination.

Following the USAID project, WLAR will launch the World Links program in the Hadramaut province of Yemen in 2004 and conduct studies during the spring and early summer seasons.

Syria

The World Links Arab Region program in Syria is rolling out under the guidance and support of Mrs. Asma Al Assad, First Lady of Syria, in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and FIRDOS, a local non-governmental organization focused on a variety of basic Syrian human development needs.

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Lebanon

Under the patronage of Her Excellency Mrs. Bahia Hariri, WLAR has just conducted its feasibility mission in Lebanon.

During the last week in February, World Links assessed the Lebanese educational system for its suitability towards the World Links program. Visits were conducted to private, public and semi-private schools.

This preliminary study shows that the Lebanese educational system has the capacity to implement the World Links program and that the program is suitable for Lebanon.

His Excellency the Minister of Education personally welcomed the introduction of the World Links training program and directed further study on how to implement the program. We expect to launch our collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Hariri Foundation in mid-2004 and begin implementation shortly thereafter.

Jordan

The World Links program was launched in Jordan in June 2003 after a memorandum of under-standing was signed among the Ministry of Education, the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization and World Links.

The goal of this project is to better prepare students, teachers and educational organizations to enter the information age by providing schools with sustainable solutions for mobilizing and harnessing the necessary technologies, skills and educational resources to improve learning and prepare youth to compete successfully in the knowledge-based economy.

Thus far, WLAR has implemented World Links' award-winning teacher professional development materials and trained 50 master trainers and hundreds of teachers.

The results are already apparent, as teachers and students are engaging in a wide range of educational activities that integrate technology, including technology-enhanced lesson plans and curriculum-based collaborative projects. Teachers are actively collaborating to share their experiences and enhance their technical and pedagogical skills, which have empowered them to use creativity in their daily lessons