iEARN Looks To Expand Online Cross-Cultural Collaboration

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) is expanding its "Building Respect through Internet Dialogue and Global Education" (BRIDGE) program and is looking to increase the numbers of teachers, schools, and programs involved with the online academic and cultural initiative. Through a new grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, the program will support new professional scholarships for educators, among other expanded offerings.

BRIDGE links together K-12 students and educators around the world through collaborative online academic projects. According to the group, there are more than 2 million students and 100,000 teachers who have participated in BRIDGE. Now, with the additional funding, iEARN is looking to provide scholarships to teachers in the United States for professional development in a variety of subjects. The funding will also be used to expand programs in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. All told, the expanded program is expected to impact as many as "33,000 new students and 660 new educators," according to information released by iEARN.

"In a world increasingly torn by hostility and strife, this unique form of direct communication and collaboration is more vital than ever," said Ed Gragert, executive director of iEARN-USA, in a statement released this week. "BRIDGE builds vital cultural awareness and appreciation."

According to the organization, "iEARN is seeking educators interested in applying for the 330 scholarships available for iEARN's online professional development courses in all subject areas. iEARN is eager to broaden institutional partnerships with educators, schools, and organizations engaged in similar or complementary activities."

"With few opportunities for students and teachers in the U.S. to engage directly with their counterparts from predominantly Muslim countries, iEARN's BRIDGE program fills an important need. We are pleased to be able to support its expansion and look forward to the projects and collaborations that result," said Joan E. Spero, president of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

Further information can be found here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • conceptual graph of rising AI adoption

    AI Adoption Rising, but Trust Gap Limits Impact

    A recent global study by IDC and SAS found that while the adoption of artificial intelligence continues to expand rapidly across industries, a misalignment between perceived trust in AI systems and their actual trustworthiness is limiting business returns.

  • Children looking at screen displaying AI technology

    How Teachers and Administrators Can Contribute to AI Transparency

    To help students understand and use AI tools, teachers need professional development that supports them in redesigning tried-and-true assignments with an eye to teaching critical thinking.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • interconnected blocks of data

    Rubrik Announces Immutable Backup for Okta Environments

    Rubrik has introduced Okta Recovery, extending its identity resilience platform to Okta with immutable backups and in-place recovery, while separately detailing its integration with Okta Identity Threat Protection for automated remediation.