Our GoFundMe Site

On July 26th, I will travel to Irbid, Jordan to help start a new K-12 school a former student of mine is opening this fall. The school is the Arar Academy. I will be there for two weeks working with teachers and students. The first week is a training for the teachers, focusing on how to make their classrooms more interactive and student-centered. Extra emphasis will be placed on issues that impact students with special needs and refugees. During the second week, the teachers will host and English Camp for local students (including special needs students and refugees), where the teachers can practice their new ideas and strategies.

We are asking for financial assistance to help pay for food and refreshments for the two weeks and for teaching supplies. We hope to raise $3,000 for these expenses. In addition, it would be nice to raise another $3,000 to help provide scholarships for students. None of this money will go towards my expenses as they are covered by Moraine Valley Community College, the Arar Academy, and my own pocket :)

Here is a note from the school's principal:

As a member of Arar Academy School (AAS) family, allow me to extend my warmest greetings and kindest regards to all and welcome you to Arar. I personally feel honored to be part of this school, which I trust will make a big difference. We at AAS believe that a school should be led by set of shared values and beliefs; Education is a covenant between us and the community of Irbid who we set one of our priorities, we are optimistic about our serves and the education we will provide our students. Our mission and vision is to situate our students in the center of learning and create a new generation of responsible individuals. Therefore, our programs are adopted to meet the unique needs and abilities of all our students. Arar invited both the local and the international community to share our mission and vision and we are honored to receive Mr. Michael Morsches from Moraine Valley Community College, Illinois- USA who will be visiting Irbid to lead a two-week training for teachers and students. Mr. Morsches' training is dedicated for teachers and for students with disabilities, Syrian Refugees, Down Syndrome children and other students, the training will be the first of its kind in Irbid and we are excited about it. We do thank Moraine Valley Community College and all the staff for the opportunities they will provide for our teachers and students alike. Hand in hand we can contribute to the goodness of this world, a journey of thousand miles, begins with Arar.

Here is the fundraising site:

https://www.gofundme.com/89wue-arar-academy-english-camp

I will do a blog post here everyday of the training and camp, and we also have an opportunity for folks to serve as online mentors for the teachers as they prepare their activities. In addition, some of the teachers will then go on to a semester-long Scholarship of Teaching and Learning training.

I hope you find this a worthwhile investment! To show my gratitude (and to satisfy my woodworking cravings), I would be glad to offer you some incentives depending on the level of donation you would like to make. I am not selling these crafts, simply showing my appreciation. Here are some of the items that are available:

For a donation of $75 to $199, a shot glass carrier or wine glass carrier. They can be made from oak, cherry, walnut, or zebrawood:

The alcohol and glasses are not included :)

I can ship these to the lower 48

For a donation of $200 to $299, a beer/ barbecue caddy or candle holder. These can be made out of oak, walnut, or maple. The beer/barbecue caddy can have your favorite sports team embedded in the side:

Unfortunately, I cannot ship these

For a donation of $300 to $999, a wine rack. These are made from old whiskey barrel staves and have ebony or wenge rails:

I cannot ship these either

Finally, for a donation of $1,000 or more, an outdoor cedar cooler:

I can deliver these locally

I hope you are as excited about this school project as I am. As always, I appreciate your support for my work!