Another Great Year: 2005-2006 UAE ACCESS MicroScholarship

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002955

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; ECA/A/L FERNANDEZM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KDEM TC
SUBJECT: Another Great Year: 2005-2006 UAE ACCESS MicroScholarship
Program


1. Summary: The UAE ACCESS MicroScholarship Program provided 300
non-urban, non-elite Emirati high school students with
conversational American English skills and exposure to American
culture. From September 2005 to April 2006, extra-curricular
activities and field trips gave added value to the classroom
experience. In addition to improving their language skills, the
interactive learning and opportunities to interact with Americans
and embassy LES gave students the opportunity to learn about and
voice their opinions on U.S. culture. End Summary


2. The ACCESS MicroScholarship program for school year 2005-6
operated in cooperation with ELS Language Centers. Students were
selected from ten secondary schools across the UAE: four in Abu
Dhabi, two in Ajman, two in Sharjah and two in Ras Al Khaimah. A
total of eleven classes were formed, five for males and six for
females. 300 students were initially enrolled in the program, with
252 successfully completing it.

Coursework and enrichment
--------------


3. Coursework emphasized practical American English communication
skills meant to complement the grammar-focused curriculum employed
in public high schools. Classes were held for two hours a day, four
days a week over the course of six months, providing a total of 192
hours of English instruction time. Through the course, students
were given opportunities to use English in practical speaking
environments based around themed modules such as symbols and
holidays, famous Americans and geography. All the teachers of the
program were native English speakers trained as ESL/EFL
professionals.


4. In addition to academic activities, students were provided with a
number of unique extracurricular opportunities. Field trips were
arranged to locations ranging from the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi,
U.S. Consulate in Dubai, U.S. college fairs, and to performances in
Duabi and Abu Dhabi by the ECA-organized New Orleans Mardi Gras
Indian musicians. In addition, a number of special guest speakers
were brought in to interact with students, from the Ambassador to
junior officers and family members. On their field trips to the
Embassy, students asked American Foreign Service Officers as well as
locally employed staff (LES) about their religion, their loyalty to
the US government, and their freedom to practice their faiths. These
issues were of deep concern to the young Emirati students from
remote areas with minimum exposure to western or American culture.

UAE 24/7 Book
--------------


5. Ten classes participated in a class project that produced a
booklet titled "UAE 24/7". Each class selected a topic related to
culture, history, famous people, and customs of the United Arab
Emirates and produced a chapter. After experiencing an afternoon of
American football, one group of students showed that recreation can
bridge cultural divides. They produced a five-page essay, in
English, on the variety of racing sports in the UAE-cars, boats,
horses, and, of course, camels. Materials submitted by each class
were bound in A4 booklet format. During the graduation ceremony,
each student was presented with a copy along with the photo
journalism booklet "America 24/7" which was a gift from the Embassy.
A competition was held for the best cover design and the winner was
awarded a scholarship to attend a 4-week, intensive English program
at ELS in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Three summer scholarship awards were
given to students from each class. A certificate of completion was
awarded at the end of the course at the graduation ceremony.

English language skills gained
--------------


6. ELS Language Centers evaluated the participating students at both
the beginning and end of the program, and ranked them according to
their English ability along a scale from 100 (lowest skill rating)
to 109 (highest skill rating). Initially 73.5% of the 252 students
who successfully completed the program were placed in beginner and
elementary level (100-103) classes, while 21.5% were placed in
intermediate (104-106) classes and 5% in advanced (107-109) classes.
By the end of the program, only 23% of the participating students
remained in elementary classes, while 61% were in intermediate
classes and 16% were in advanced classes. Only 9% of the students
were not able to advance a level, while 66% advanced one or two
levels and a full 25% advanced more than two levels. Charts
visualizing this progress are available on the intranet at
http://abudhabi.state.gov/PAO_Page.htm.

Comments from Students
--------------


7. Shaika Al Badi, from the Al Zait Secondary School for Girls in
Ras Al-Khaimah, expressed her desire to study writing and civil
engineering. The class gave her the opportunity to learn about
American government, but also the element of choice that permeates
many aspects of American life: "I didn't know that American students
can choose their own courses, just like they choose candidates in an
election." The American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party
especially impressed her: it was an early example of a fledgling
state reacting against a colonial power.


8. Khalid from Bani Yas said, "I'd like to learn more about the
different cultures in the U.S. and their day-to-day life." But
readings in American history pointed out a surprising parallel
between the first statesmen of the U.S. and the UAE. Khalid would
also like to learn more about American history, particularly George
Washington: "He must have been a lot like Sheikh Zayed [the founder
of the UAE and its ruler for over 30 years]. He must have known
what had to be done to pull a country together."

Summer in the US
--------------


9. The top two students from the English Access Microscholarship
Program in the UAE will join the English Access Microscholarship
Program Workshop for a three-week educational tour of the United
States, organized by the Intrax International Institute. To deepen
their understanding of American culture and continue to practice
their English, the students will stay with American host families in
Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, cities that were
specially chosen to expose the students to the geographic and
cultural diversity of the U.S. Their mornings will be largely
devoted to English classes, while afternoons and evenings offer
organized city tours to places of historic and cultural interest.

School Year 2006-7
--------------


10. For Academic year 2006-2007, ELS Language Center in Dubai will
be the provider for the Access Microscholarship in the UAE. The
program will award 300 scholarships to students from remote cities
and rural areas who will participate for the first time. Post will
target eleven graders (boys and girls) in Um Al-Qwain, Fujairah and
the Western Desert Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Each student
will receive 200 hours of instruction per year, commencing after
Ramadan and ending in May 2007.


11. Post welcomes the opportunity to participate in the ACCESS
program and values the chance to engage with young Emirati students
from areas with limited exposure to the US beyond nightly news and
Hollywood.

SISON