Citizen-Teacher Ambassadors Reach Bahraini

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001558

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/F, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI, PA/SCP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM OEXC SCUL KPAO BA
SUBJECT: Citizen-Teacher Ambassadors Reach Bahraini
Educators and Youth with Message of Youth Empowerment and
Civic Participation

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Summary
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1. (U) Youth empowerment and civic participation were the
core messages of a three-day visit by ECA Citizen
Ambassadors, nationally recognized award winning American
teachers Shannon C'de Baca and Linda Plattner. The Citizen
Ambassadors visited six Bahraini public schools and met with
over 400 students and nearly 300 teachers and education
leaders in events that included school assemblies,
professional workshops, technology demonstrations, and media
appearances. The visit and press coverage significantly
advanced mission goals by opening dialogue with key
constituencies in the Ministry of Education and youth
societies, strengthening relationships with existing
education partners, and crystallizing messages of youth
empowerment and civic participation directly with public
school students. END SUMMARY.

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First of a Kind Partnership with Bahrain Public Schools
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2. (U) The Citizen Ambassador visit created a unique
opportunity for outreach to youth and teachers in Bahraini
public schools. The keystone of the program included visits
to six public schools. Partnering schools organized school
assemblies where the Citizen Ambassadors engaged youth on
subjects such as planning for future careers, organizing
youth groups, and education and life in America. The
assemblies culminated in the presentation of Shared Futures
backpacks to the students, presented by the Citizen
Ambassadors and US Embassy parents. Following each assembly
the Citizen Ambassadors held a roundtable discussion with
teachers from the school to discuss techniques for
developing youth leadership and engaging parents and
community in schools.

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Messages Shared with Education Leaders and Youth
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3. (U) The themes of youth empowerment and civic
engagement ran throughout the three-day program as Citizen
Ambassadors engaged key educational policy leaders and
professional educators in workshops and discussions. The
program included:

- A workshop with 30 social studies teachers selected from
30 different Bahraini high schools to discuss strategies in
civic education, student leadership, and project based
learning. Audience members indicated they would bring the
ideas to their home schools to share with other social
studies teachers.

- A youth empowerment workshop with the Bahrain Youth Forum,
the most prominent youth activist society in Bahrain. The
workshop focused on strategies for organizing and securing
broad support for the organization's Youth Agenda, recently
presented to the King.

- Two workshops and technology demonstrations with the
University of Bahrain Department of E-Learning and the
Ministry of Education's King Hamad Schools of the Future
project. Each of these emphasized the power of internet and
computer technology as an information resource for students,
and offered strategies for using technology to foster
communication with students outside Bahrain.

- A roundtable discussion with the leaders of local NGOs
and institutions devoted to youth empowerment and education,
including INJAZ/Junior Achievement (entrepreneurship
education),GLOBE Bahrain (science education),and the Court
of the Crown Prince (youth leadership and volunteerism).

- A discussion with prominent English language teachers on
the subject of building teachers' associations.


4. (U) In all events, the Citizen Ambassadors made
individual and personal connections with many of the
students and educators they encountered. In the first week
after the visit, one of the Citizen Ambassadors received 85
emails from contacts she had met. Follow-up activities will
include distributing science kits from American NGOs to
selected schools, connecting contacts with online resources
for professional development, and connecting Bahraini
students with American counterparts by email.

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Press Coverage
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5. (U) Local print and broadcast media were invited to
attend a school visit, followed by a roundtable discussion
with the Citizen Ambassadors. The event was covered in all
six Arabic and English-language Bahraini dailies and was a
community news feature on Bahrain TVs Bab Al-Bahrain evening
news program. (Comment: This is only the second time
Bahrain TV has carried a US Embassy event.) Each
publication highlighted the program themes while emphasizing
a different aspect of the program activity. For example, Al-
Meethaq, Bahrain TV, and the Gulf Daily News focused on the
presentation of Shared Futures backpacks to students. Al-
Wasat reported heavily on the technology demonstrations.
Bahrain Tribune discussed student exchanges and study abroad
opportunities. Akhbar Al-Khaleej highlighted a workshop
with the Bahrain Youth Forum.


6. (U) Post thanks ECA for offering and supporting this
excellent program. The visit helped focus and intensify
public attention on youth empowerment and civic
participation. The program enabled post to strengthen ties
with existing education partners as well as forge new
relationships with target youth constituencies. ECA support
in pre-planning and throughout the visit ensured a
successful and substantive program. Post looks forward to
working with ECA on similar programs in the future.

MONROE