October 1, 2002 - JITCO Magazine: Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Furr, with the guidance of BRDP the Safawi Center opened an English Language Learning Laboratory

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Jordan: Peace Corps Jordan : The Peace Corps in Jordan: October 1, 2002 - JITCO Magazine: Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Furr, with the guidance of BRDP the Safawi Center opened an English Language Learning Laboratory

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 9:32 am: Edit Post

Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Furr, with the guidance of BRDP the Safawi Center opened an English Language Learning Laboratory



Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Furr, with the guidance of BRDP the Safawi Center opened an English Language Learning Laboratory

As-Safawi JITCC - The "Prince Hussein bin Abdullah" Community Center for Information Technology


In 1999, the Jordan Badia Research and Development Programme (BRDP) was asked by the Royal Court to establish the first Information Technology Community Center in Jordan. The location chosen was As-Safawi. Safawi is a village of about 2500 people located in the Eastern Badia of Jordan. This area of the Badia is home to approximately 115,000 people, mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic Bedouin. The Prince Hussein bin Abdullah Community Center for Information Technology was established with support from the Higher Council for Science and Technology through the BRDP, the National Information Center, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of Education and was inaugurated by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin El Hussein on the 27th of September 2000.

Like most ITC Centers in Jordan, local residents take computer classes ranging from basic typing to advanced computer skills. Currently the center has eight computers in the main room all of which are connected to the Internet as well as one computer with Atari games for children. Also, the Center has conducted numerous workshops including women's health, first aid and a methods class for local English teachers. A year ago, through the work of Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Furr, with the guidance of BRDP the Safawi Center opened an English Language Learning Laboratory, funded by a USAID Small Projects Grant.

The importance of learning English in the Badia is underlined as to study sciences at University requires knowledge of the English language. Moreover, most programmes for computers require a basic level of English knowledge. The English Lab has five computers and uses the ELLIS program (English Language Learning Instruction System) along with an intensive reading, speaking and writing program designed by a native English speaker Peace Corps volunteer. The recent NIC gift of three computers, two with the Rosetta Stone software will also be put into use by the current Peace Corps volunteers, Greg Johnson, Liz Harr and Tara Leitzell.

In order to respect the local community's desires, specific days and most classes are gender segregated. Teaching computer and language skills is essential, and understanding how those skills can be put to use is the next step. While taking her students online and demonstrating the Web, Engineer Jinan Naschat, a full time UN Volunteer, shows students what skills employers are looking for through opportunities available on the Internet. An example of a particular success story is one of her students who learned about computers through the JITCC, consequently got a job last year as the computer teacher at the local girls' school. As students become aware of their own skills and enhance their computer and language skills, many more success stories are currently underway.

The As-Safawi JITCC has been fortunate in having a strong community volunteering presence since its inception. In the evenings and afternoons Hmoud Fansh Al-Guram, a volunteer, supervises and helps out while taking the opportunity in the JITCC to update his own skills. With the aid of volunteers such as Jinan and Hmoud as well as former volunteers Anwar Helal Al-Qutan, Nejah Aideh Al-Adamat and Miriam Al-Sharafat, the JITCC in Safawi is able to expand its hours and the services offered.

[ edited by Jinan Naschat and Tara Leitzell - Safawi JITCC ]



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Story Source: JITCO Magazine

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Jordan

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