To date, 862 English language teachers across 11 countries have been trained and certified through PCELT — a U.S.-accredited program developed through Amideast’s partnership with World Learning/SIT Graduate Institute. In 2019, 116 teachers from six countries were trained through the generous support of the U.S. Embassies in Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, and Palestine, and through a private donor and teachers’ self-funding in Lebanon.
Amideast was newly awarded the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Iraq and the Fulbright Junior Faculty Development Program for Egypt and Lebanon. The programs brought faculty from different disciplines to study, research and exchange — spending 10 weeks at the following eight U.S. institutions:
As implementing partner, Amideast manages the multi-faceted USAID-funded program, which is designed to help high-achieving Egyptians to learn skills that meet the needs of the 21st century economy. The young women and men, admitted to the program through a competitive process, benefit from English language and leadership training, career guidance, internships, and community service. Qualifying students also have the opportunity of a summer or semester of study in the United States.
Like the Access Program, the new programs provide English language training, cross-cultural awareness, and personal and professional development opportunities. They also expose the students to American cultural values and help them develop a sense of civic responsibility by engaging them in community service activities. In both countries, the programs are benefiting these young learners personally, culturally, and academically.
Amideast’s Professional Certificate in English Language Teaching (PCELT) program is being deployed to improve the level of English language instruction in Morocco’s public school system. The National PCELT Initiative, which is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat and implemented in coordination with Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, aims to prepare a cadre of 84 leading ministry trainers and inspectors to play a critical role in improving English language teaching practices throughout the country.
After several years of working as an academic adviser, Ahmed El Gebaly knew firsthand that Egyptian youth are keenly interested in scholarship opportunities. Abdo Sami, an engineer “who loves being an entrepreneur,” had reached the same conclusion, when he, Ahmed, and Sami Al-Ahmed, their third partner, teamed up to launch Marj3, an online platform to provide youth across the MENA region with information and guidance about scholarships.
Some obstacles for Yemeni students are not new. With a pre-war per capita GDP of less than $2,000 per year, almost no Yemeni family can afford to send a child abroad for higher education. Only the few opportunities currently extant for Yemeni students, such as Amideast’s Diana Kamal Scholarship Search Fund (DKSSF), offer the hope of securing a funded study-abroad experience.
