2011 TEACH Fellow, Kathryn Schoeberlein

2014

ANNUAL REPORT

Table of Contents

Inspiring Purpose. Igniting

2014 Fellows 1

Message from the CEO & Founder 3

Achievements 4

Student Communication 6

Teacher Collaboration 8

Institutional Partnerships 10

Connecting with Technology 12

Exponential Results 13

Corporate Supporters 25

2014 Financial Summary 27

2015 Budget Projection 28

Purpose. Igniting Possibilities.

2014 Fellows

Rosemary Conroy

Seattle, Washington

Social Studies Department Chair St. Luke School

Mary Bradshaw

Marshfield, Massachusetts

ELL Coordinator Marshfield Public School District

Bob Fest

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Director Tiger Woods STEM Learning Center

At Cristo Rey High School

Matt Fahnestock

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Teacher of the Gifted Carlisle Area School District

2014

Tiffany Benson

Richmond, California

Social Studies Department Chair Salesian College Preparatory

High School

Amy Auletto

East Lansing, Michigan

Education Policy Doctoral Student

Michigan State University College of Education

Michael Waxman Marshfield, Massachusetts ELL Coordinator Marshfield Public School District

Omar Hakim Troy, Michigan Doctoral Student Michigan State University English & Language Arts Teacher International Academy

Lisa Gibson Virginia Beach, Virginia Secondary Social Studies Specialist Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Keri Myrick Houston, Texas Executive Assistant to the Dean University of Houston Honors College

Donna Poland Richmond, Virginia Specialist for the Governor’s School & Gifted Education Virginia Department of Education

2

Lucy Girgawy Houston, Texas Project Coordinator Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce

Dear Friends and Colleagues –

It is widely agreed that there are two primary factors necessary to create a climate of

global peace and prosperity - education and mutual respect among cultures . It is with

this in mind that the TEACH (Teachers Educating Across Cultures in Harmony) Fellowship

program began.

TEACH was launched in 2009 as a vehicle to provide U.S. educators an opportunity to visit the

Middle East and gain insight into the culture, the challenges and the opportunities

experienced by their peers. The educators that participated were able to return to their

classrooms, communities, and social settings and share first-hand experiences that

reflected more similarities than differences. Through personal communications and

professional exchanges, they began to replace misconceptions with awareness and

inspire a new sense of purpose that ignited new possibilities for their students and their

communities, the range of which is immeasurable.

Since that first year, the program has continued to mature as we adapt to the new

realities of what is quickly becoming a truly global economy. The focus on increasing

cultural awareness and appreciation will always remain a core component of the

program. However, the scope of the 2014 Fellowship was significantly expanded to

include more structure and focus on building ongoing collaboration between the U.S

and Middle East teachers, their students and the institutions they represent.

Additionally, the foundational theme for the Fellowship is now concentrated on how,

through these collaborative efforts, we can ignite a passion for STEM learning that

spans the entire education lifecycle.

In closing, I want to thank all of our corporate partners that have supported the

development of TEACH. The results displayed on the following pages would not have

been possible without your contributions, which, as you will see, have made quite an

impact.

All my best,

Aida Araissi

Founder & CEO

MESSAGE FROM

THE FOUNDER & CEO

Aida Araissi

Founder & CEO

3

ACHIEVEMENTS

TEACHER COLLABORATION

STUDENT COMMUNICATION

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

CONNECTING WITH TECHNOLOGY

4

"A colleague once remarked to me that teaching is about enabling connections. One way of enabling this is by traveling abroad and fostering relationships with educators of different nationalities. TEACH provided this and more.”

2013 Fellow

Evan Dvorak

Los Angeles, California

''This trip has changed my entire perspective of the Gulf region. I (refer to) GPIC and RasGas as examples of multinational businesses that have a strong presence in helping educate groups on their diversity and willingness to be a part of a greater community."

2011 Fellow

Chad Coffee

Dallas, Texas

5

7th and 8th grade students from Seattle

Washington wrote postcards describing

themselves, their families, interests and

hobbies. The 75 postcards were distributed to

students at the American School of Doha,

Qatar. The response was enthusiastic and the

Doha students immediately crafted responses

which were brought back to the States and

shared with the U.S. students. Subsequently,

nearly all of the students are connected via

email and social media with their new

friends.

Postcard Project = New Friends STUDENT COMMUNICATION

“I’d like the communication to maintain momentum so I am encouraging my students to let me know when they hear from their new friends in Doha. It’s a big deal in my classroom! ”

2014 Fellow

Rosemary Conroy

Seattle, Washington

6

“I cannot say enough positive things about the

trip. Being immersed in the culture and examining the region from both macro and

micro levels has added richness to my classroom materials that I could not get any other way.”

2014 Fellow

Tiffany Benson

Richmond, California 7

TEACHER COLLABORATION

A key focus area for 2014 was connecting

educators that specifically focus on how to

maximize capacity development

opportunities for intellectually gifted

children. Nearly half of this year’s Fellows are

involved in advanced and/or gifted programs.

In addition to the in-country peer exchanges,

communications are continuing between

several of our Fellows and the Gifted and

Talented program leaders at both the Al-Khor

International School and the American

School of Doha. Plans are underway for inter-

classroom project curriculum.

“The trip was amazing, I am most excited about contact with an educator from the American School of Doha. We are already working on plans for collaboration between our students.”

2014 Fellow

Matthew Fahnestock

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

CONNECTING the BRIGHTEST and the BEST

8

“One of the best things about TEACH for me as a Sociologist, was

learning how many females are able to take advantage of a

university education. Research indicates the education of

women is one of the most powerful development tools available."

2009 Fellow

Linda Cook M.A. Houston, Texas

The 2014 Fellowship has ignited multiple initiatives between U.S.

and MENA educational institutions. In addition to early discussions

on the potential of developing teacher training programs in Qatar

via the U.S. Embassy, and discussions with the Bahrain Economic

Development Board on how to create a comprehensive English

education framework, plans are also in the works for a follow up

trip to Qatar under the auspices of Michigan State University’s

College of Education to work with Education City on a

comprehensive Teacher Education program at Hamad Bin

Khalifa University.

“The insight I gained from TEACH was

priceless. To be able to give

real comparisons

between cultures and

countries is an invaluable

advantage in the classroom.”

2012 Fellow Tom Glaser

Hialeah Gardens, Florida

International Cooperation for Teacher Education

INSTITUTIONAL

PARTNERSHIPS

10

"Because of my awesome experience in the Middle East provided by the Bilateral Chamber and TEACH, I accepted a teaching position in Abu Dhabi in 2011 and I have been living and teaching in the Emirate for three years. I credit the TEACH Fellowship for opening my eyes to the Middle East and the current changes taking place in GCC Education. Truly, my life was changed forever.”

2010 Fellow

Christina Murphy Originally Houston, Texas Currently Abu Dhabi, UAE

11

CONNECTING WITH

TECHNOLOGY

In an effort to maintain dialogue between the Bilateral Fellows and their counterparts in the

MENA region, both on a personal and institutional level, the Bilateral Chamber has

implemented several initiatives geared to provide a platform for continued discourse.

In addition to specific TEACH social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and

Google +), we are in the final stages of launching a TEACH Internet portal that will offer the

ideal environment for past and future TEACH Fellows to present respective updates and

news on their current projects. In addition, the portal will provide TEACH Sponsors and other

Bilateral members and supporters a medium for remaining apprised of previous, current,

and future TEACH achievements, collaborations and shared best practices.

Extending TEACH’s Reach & Range

12

From 2009 through 2014,

72 Fellows from 39 cities, representing

18 U.S. States, have

personally shared this experience with

students, parents, friends, family members

and professional colleagues.

13

EXPONENTIAL RESULTS

Through their work in classrooms, community programs, national education conferences, and personal exchanges, these Fellows have indirectly

touched millions of lives. They have

eliminated millions of misconceptions about the Middle East and

energized a new generation with innovative

approaches to STEM education.

EXPONENTIAL RESULTS

14

SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY ACROSS THE UNITED ST

FLORIDA

Homestead

Miami

Palm Bay

MASSACHUSETTS Boston

Greater Palm Bay Area

Sharon Marie Gillette

Greater Miami Area

Thomas Glaser

Homestead Michael Jon Littman

RHODE

ISLAND

Providence

Greater Boston Area

Mary Bradshaw

Providence

James Buxton

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Syracuse

NEW YORK

New York

ENTLY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

Charleston

Greater Charleston Area Bruce Woods

LOUISIANA

SOUTH CAROLINA Shreveport

Greater Shreveport Area Karen C. Merritt

New York Regina Marie Zafonte

Michael Waxman

Syracuse Peter Gerlach

16

Philadelphia

PENNSYLVANIA Reading

Harrisburg

SPREADING STEM LEARNING

Virginia Beach

Richmond

VIRGINIA

Washington D.C.

Philadelphia Robert Fest

Greater Reading Area

Greater Harrisburg Area

Kachina Martin

Matthew Fahnestock

Virginia Beach Lisa Gibson

Richmond Donna Poland

Washington D.C. Maria Marianni

17

FROM NORTH TO SOU TH

SPREADING STEM LEARNING

CALIFORNIA

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Greater San Francisco

Area

Los Angeles Evan Nathan Dvorak

Fred Harukichi Simmons

Joy H. Lee Tiffany Benson

Boise

IDAHO

Boise Kathryn Schoeberlein

Christine Corbin

WASHINGTON

Seattle

Seattle Rosemary Conroy

Moab

UTAH

Moab Sarah LaBrec

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FROM NORTH TO SOU TH AND EAST TO WEST

Detroit

MICHIGAN

Greater Detroit

Area

Amy Auletto

Omar Hakim

Minneapolis

MINNESOTA

Greater Minneapolis Area

Brian Croone

FROM THE HEARTLAND TO THE ENERGY CAPITAL

Wichita

KANSAS

Greater Wichita Area

Sheila Elaine Rathbun

STIMULATING NEW THOUGHTS

St. Louis

MISSOURI St. Louis

William Christopher Henske

19

Galveston

Dallas

Beaumont

College Station

TEXAS

Houston San Antonio

Edward Hayes

Jeffery William Lash PhD.

Judith Ann Pennywell

Neneh Kowai-Bell PhD.

Keri Myrick

Christina Murphy

Shawn Wegscheid

Cheryl Wegscheid

Donna Ann Patch

Fadwa Saqer

Jamie Scott

Joan Linsley

Catherine Ryan

Catherine Wilson

Pamela Kennard

Julie Roberson

Ginger Lynn Dewlen

Greater Houston

Area

Abdulnassir Tamini

Linda Doolittle

Kerry Moore

Shelby Touchy

Gholam Pahlavan

Kate Moore

Linda Susan Cook

Angela Miller

Connie Hernandez

Benjamin Breault

John Joseph Clayton

Barbara DiPaolo

Cara Henderson

Pablo Ormachea

Cameron White

Greater Dallas Area

Rhonda Pugh

Chad Coffey

Noeli Biggs

Anna Sifford

College Station

Dale Scott Lee PhD.

Michael Greenwald PhD.

Stephen Paul Balfour

Beaumont Dominic Beggan PhD.

San Antonio

Robert Marbut

Rolando Sanchez

Galveston

Nina Corley

ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

STIMULATING NEW THOUGHTS

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21

TEACHERS AFF ECT

OF

* DATA COLLECTED FROM 2009 TO 2014.

THE REACH

IS

IMMEASURABLE

THEIR

INFLUENCE

FF ECT ETERNITY

I N S P I R I N G P U R P O S E .

WE CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD ALONE

BUT IF WE EACH CAST A PEBBLE

ACROSS THE WATER WE CAN CREATE MANY RIPPLES.

23

P U R P O S E . I G N I T I N G P O S S I B I L I T I E S .

WE CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD ALONE

BUT IF WE EACH CAST A PEBBLE

ACROSS THE WATER WE CAN CREATE MANY RIPPLES.

24

“We are proud to be included as a long-term and continued supporter of

the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce’s TEACH Fellowship. This

programme plays an important role in

allowing U.S. and Arab educators to come

together and share experiences, best

practices and successes in STEM teaching geared toward

supporting the development of a highly skilled and competitive

workforce.”

Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery

President

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

25

“These teachers have the power to impact a wide

number of students throughout their careers,

sharing with them their knowledge and understanding of our culture. This is the best contribution a company can make -

creating stronger ties between cultures,

educating younger generations and preparing

them to be the global citizens of tomorrow.”

Ali Z. Al Marri

Public Affairs Manager

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

26

“We are very pleased to be able to offer our

continued support to this

important program.” Eric Pletcher President

27

2014 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

"I am forever changed...and I have used it to educate hundreds, if not

thousands (vis-a-vis other teachers), of students and adults

since we returned to the United States. TEACH gave my classroom a

reputation as the most diverse place on campus. My students are

culturally sensitive and they are truly global citizens."

2011 Fellow

Anna Marie Sifford Irving, Texas

$144,277

Total Expenditures

28

2015 BUDGET PROJECTION

$300,000

Total Projected

Education is a building block for social and economic development. By focusing our

efforts on TEACHERS we can dramatically expand the impact of this program as we

work to create our next generation of leaders prepared to solve our most pressing

challenges.

As we move into 2015, we are committed to building on the success of the past five years.

We will continue our work to empower U.S. and Middle East educators with first-hand

insights into the shared opportunities and challenges teachers face while working to

develop our youth in a world increasingly dependent

on Science, Technology, Engineering & Math.

With your support, we intend to:

Enhance the fellowship experience and opportunity for first hand

exchange by increasing the number of days in the region from 7 to 10

Touch an exponentially greater number of students, parents, friends

and co-workers by increasing the number of Fellows to 20

Provide additional staff resources dedicated to formalizing programs

and processes that increase exchange and collaboration between the

U.S. and Middle East educators, corporate sponsors and students

email edu@bilateralchamber.org

telephone +1.713.880.8168

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APPRECIATE DIVERSITY PLANT SEEDS OF KNOWLEDGE

EMPOWER A GENERATION FOSTER ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CREATE SOLUTIONS

MAKE A DIFFERENCE