Oman Programs and Services
Exchange Programs
Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program
AMIDEAST is one of seven organizations that have joined together to administer a component of the Partnerships for Learning Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program. This U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship program provides secondary school students in selected Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries the opportunity to live and study in the United States for a full academic year.
Scholarship recipients live with host families, attend U.S. high schools, and participate in special enrichment activities that include community service, youth leadership training, a civics education program, and other activities that help them develop a comprehensive understanding of American culture and develop leadership skills. Likewise, these students serve as cultural ambassadors for their home countries, representing their own rich heritage to their American host communities. For more information, click on the link below or contact Dina Al Khalili, Program Officer for Exchanges and Testing at dalkhalili@amideast.org
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| YES alumni and finalists with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alina Rominowski (right) and Oman Country Director Sarah M. Jackson (left) |
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Youth Exchange and Study (YES) participants recently met with Alina Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs. The group included alumni who participated in the program in recent years, as well as finalists who will be departing for the United States in August for the 2008-09 academic year. Alumni enthusiastically shared their experiences with DAS Romanowski, reporting on highlights that ranged from the lasting friendships they formed to the enjoyment derived from after-school sports. "It was a life-changing experience," said one alumnus. "I loved it!" Finalists participating in next year's program expressed their excitement about this new chapter in their lives. "I know that this experience is going to make me a new person," confided one of the students, "and I can't wait!" |
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Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Established by the US Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Program was founded to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchange. AMIDEAST administers the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the Middle East and North Africa on behalf of the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This highly prestigious scholarship program, funded by the U.S. Government, is a two-year fellowship, designed to give graduates of four-year bachelor’s degree programs the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at a U.S. university. The deadline for scholarships beginning in fall 2009 was May 3, 2008. Setting a record for Oman, 85 prospective students submitted applications for the program. AMIDEAST/Oman is currently reviewing their files, and expects to conduct interviews in August. For more information, click on the link below or contact Salim Al Badi, Education Adviser and Scholarship Officer, at salbadi@amideast.org
Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Alumni Network
AMIDEAST/Oman officially launched the MEPI Alumni Network in June, when over 60 alumni attended a well-publicized event that featured a survey of alumni goals and interests in the areas of professional development, networking and community service. Drawing on the results of the survey, Noor Dawood, MEPI Alumni Network Manager, developed a varied program of activities to address the group’s priorities.
Networking, Team-Building, Community Awareness … and Water Sports! A “Day-Out” at Al-Sawadi Beach Resort in August drew over 100 alumni, many from the Omani Women’s Associations in the Batinah Region, thus setting the stage for the Network to reach beyond Muscat. Representatives from two Omani NGOs generated ideas about civil society participation, while creative games and water sports drew people together and elicited lots of laughter.
Expanding Knowledge of Legal Rights: Addressing a broad range of topics such as the labor law, land rights, divorce, and recent amendments to tenancy laws, Appeals Lawyer Faiz Moosa Baqir met with MEPI alumni who debated these and other current legal issues in Oman and obtained free legal advice.
Improving Debate Skills: Alumni with advanced English proficiency are meeting every Wednesday night to debate concepts such as recycling should be mandatory, the government should regulate Internet content, chatting on the Internet is harming the younger generation, and people should obey law/rules over their consciences (among others) and to acquire effective debating techniques. Sessions are facilitated by AMIDEAST instructor Matthew Pizzorno.
Building Strategies for Communication: Alumni with basic English proficiency have met twice weekly throughout the month of Ramadhan to review effective practices for written and spoken communication and to gain confidence in articulating their messages in English.
Professional Synergies and Community Outreach: A charity iftar during Ramadhan enabled over 70 alumni to meet together and learn about others’ experiences with MEPI, including U.S. Ambassador Gary A. Grappo’s efforts to launch MEPI in late 2001 and early 2002, a new alumna’s appreciation for the Legal and Business Fellowship Program (LBFP), and an active MEPI Alumni Network member’s perspective on the benefits of the network. Guests contributed money to support the efforts of two Omani Women’s Associations to reach out to people in need during Ramadhan and Eid.
Over 700 members … and growing!
With membership exceeding 700 members as of late September, the MEPI Alumni Network is gaining momentum in Oman. Plans for future activities include sessions on “Improving Business Skills,” “Environmental Awareness,” and “Building IT Skills,” a roundtable discussion on NGO’s and community service, and much more. For more information or to get involved, contact Noor Dawood, MEPI Alumni Network Manager, at ndawood@amideast.org or 2456-1727.
English Language Training
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AMIDEAST/Oman has the capacity to develop and deliver tailor-made English language programs for a broad range of clients representing government, the private sector, and academia. Using a learner-centered, real language approach to language learning that focuses on the production of communication, AMIDEAST/Oman offers highest quality English language instruction by experienced, qualified teachers of English using state-of-the art curricula designed to enhance communication skills in general, and speaking and listening skills in particular. Courses feature an open, transparent, and fair assessment system to monitor participants’ progress, and can include the administration of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) to provide internationally recognized measures of proficiency. For more information, please contact Russell Barczyk, English Language Program Manager, at rbarczyk@amideast.org, or Arwa Al Balushi, Customer Service Representative, at abalushi@amideast.org.
AMIDEAST and Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture Team Up for Innovative English Language Training Program |
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Employees of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture conversed with several Americans in early May as part of an innovative English language training program developed by AMIDEAST/Oman. The employees have been participating in English language training designed to assist them with their work as ministry archaeologists, museum guides, and restoration professionals. The training program includes a wide variety of activities including videos, presentations, visits to ministry and other museums, conversation circles, and speaking and listening activities, all facilitated by an American instructor with a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The sessions in early May featured Americans as “conversation partners” who engaged the Omani students in topics ranging from family traditions to career aspirations. “That was fun!” exclaimed one of the students upon leaving AMIDEAST’s office. “When can we do that again?” |
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