Open Society Education Update

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LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER? NOT FOR FOUNDATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS!

Foundations have utilized the summer months for innovative learning initiatives for both students and teachers. Here we highlight several interesting summer programs sponsored by Soros Foundations:

RROMA COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMP IN SLOVAKIA: The OSF Slovakia sponsored a summer camp for Rroma youth in Gelnica August 26-31, 1996. The participants were school drop-outs, age 16-22. The purpose of the program was to learn about their needs in order to create an alternative educational setting to help these youth succeed in school. "We wanted to start out by monitoring the needs and the expectations," said Eva Koncokova who designed this program while she is also Country Director of the Step by Step program in Slovakia. The one-week camp was run by a small team, including a psychologist, the director of the Step by Step kindergarten, and members of the Rroma community. The program aimed to create a family atmosphere and to work with the youth to create a vision of the future. There were sport activities, group discussions about love and relationships, field trips, drama, self-esteem exercises and social activities. Participants built a "community tree" showing the ideal community working together. "By the end of the camp, all the kids wanted to go to school," said Eva, "I think that shows the success." With the help of EPSU, Eva and her team are designing an alternative school for these youth which is a component of their emerging national strategy for school success of Rroma children. If your foundation is interested in starting a similar program, contact Eva Koncokova at (42 857) 864 53 or Susan Rona of EPSU (361) 327 3100.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMER CAMP IN HUNGARY PRODUCES ATLAS: "A Sentimental Map of Hungary," developed by children, was published by the Soros Foundation Hungary Education Program following a competition of student projects. The atlas, which includes colorful maps, photographs, and children's views on their local environment is a product of the Foundation's Environmental Education Program. Students and teachers investigated their local environment and provided drawings, photographs and text about "happy" and "sad" places. Their atlas includes a key of pictograms indicating environmental features. "Happy" pictograms indicate caves, lakes, marshes and meadows while the "sad" pictograms indicate air pollution, rubbish heaps, and industrial waste. Students participated in the summer environmental camp where they edited the atlas and made plans for clean up and follow-up work this Fall. The atlas has been distributed to all participating schools, and the remaining copies are being sold by the publisher. The Foundation also sent the book to the government and ministry officials. "It is one thing when complaints come from members of parliament or business, but when it is coming from children, the message is more powerful," said Judit Szira, Program Director.

I*EARN 1996 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST: Two hundred teachers from 32 countries attended the third annual I* EARN conference in Budapest, July 7 - July 12, 1996. This is the first year that the Soros Foundations have sponsored the event, sending one program officer and two active teachers from each participating country in the region. Teachers got together to share ideas in using the Internet in cooperative learning activities with other schools around the world. "I*EARN is an excellent example of how to use the Internet as a tool, not a goal," said Eva Bakonyi, SF Hungary Executive Director. Teachers participated in discussion groups and presentations to share experiences on their I*EARN projects. Adriana Vilela from Argentina demonstrated how her school remains active in the program although they have only one computer and one phone line in a school of over 1,000 students. "The English teachers are involved, the science teachers, the whole school has to work together to make it successful," she said. The cross-curricular nature of the I*EARN program creates a catalyst for internal cooperation in schools. Teachers feel their roles changing, and note that the I*EARN program "makes a meaningful difference in how we teach and learn." One teacher noticed that "the classroom is more like a home; communication is a conversation rather than a lecture." The conference was organized in cooperation with OSI NY, I*EARN, and the Soros Foundation, Hungary. For more information about the I*EARN program, contact Patricia Mullen in New York: pmullen@sorosny.org.

TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS IN LITHUANIA: The New Technologies for Lithuanian Schools (NTLS) program of the OSF Lithuania sponsored a summer workshop for teachers involved in the program. Half of the participants have been involved in the NTLS program for one year or more, and the other half were new. "The primary aim is not to help computer science, but other subject teachers to become active users of computers in school," said Ruta Smertiniene, Program Officer. The main objective of the workshop was to allow teachers to exchange experiences and share methodologies. Also during the workshop, teachers worked on evaluating the results of the first two years of the project and to discuss problems and solutions for schools, teachers, and student use of technology. OSF Lithuania is interested in the experiences of other foundations or organizations in development or translation of software and other areas of integration of technology in teaching. Please contact Ruta Smertiniene with information or questions: rutasm@osf.lt.

SUMMER LEARNING INITIATIVE IN ALBANIA: This year over 100 initiatives were sponsored by the Soros Foundation's Albanian Education Development Project (AEDP) for both students and teacher education. Teachers developed courses for children in computers, foreign language, environment and other topics. Professors and members of the Pedagogic Institute developed courses in teacher training all over Albania. "We concentrate on what we call the 'hot spots' of Albanian education reform. One main priority is the qualification of unqualified teachers," said program manager, Erblin Rexha. The project went to the most remote areas of Albania where many teachers have only a high school education. The experience motivated the teachers, and some have decided to enroll in the university by correspondence in order to complete their qualifications. Materials from the teacher education courses will be adopted by the Pedagogic Institute and distributed nationwide to teachers this Fall. The programs for students were also very successful. In the environment course, students went out into their communities and did practical work cleaning up their towns. "When the citizens saw what the kids were doing, they wanted to get involved," said Erblin. Students made posters to get the word out, like "Let's keep our city clean" and "Let's work together for a clean environment." This is the second year AEDP has sponsored the Summer Learning Initiative, and the number of projects has over doubled. AEDP covers the cost of the organizers' stipend and any materials the course may need. The Ministry contributes by providing the school space for the courses. For more information, contact Erblin Rexha at erexha@aedp.tirana.al.

STEP BY STEP FACULTY SEMINAR: The Step by Step program hosted a three week Early Childhood Faculty Seminar at Lake Balaton, Hungary, July 31- August 20. Participants from pedagogic faculties, institutes, and Foundations had the opportunity to learn about the Child Centered Model of Teacher Education through specialized courses in individualization, learning through play, and school-family partnerships. Moreover, participants were introduced to the principles of adult learning and new ways to structure and deliver teacher education courses. "This was new for us and very interesting," said participant Natalia Sofij from the Ukraine, "and we each got a suitcase of materials which is a treasure for us. We are translating the materials right now." Many of the professors and teacher trainers who attended have already re-designed their courses for this fall based on what they learned at the Seminar. "We were impressed by the organization and the professionalism of the course," added Natalia. And, organizers hope that those who attended will stay in contact and form a network for mutual support of change. The Faculty Seminar was prepared in cooperation with Children's Resources International, Step by Step, and Soros Foundation Hungary.

STUDY SKILLS SEMINARS IN ESTONIA: The Open Estonia Foundation sponsored two seminars for 50 teachers from all over Estonia to learn about development of metacognitive skills. The workshops in June and August were held in a small estate, Pergu, near Tallinn. The seminars were the first step in the program that will develop study materials, introduce this methodology into the national curriculum, and form a network of tutors and tutor-schools to improve students' skills. The "development of metagognitive and study skills has a central function in helping youngster's capacities to find their place in the continuous changes," said Program Manager, Enel Magi. For more information on the program, contact Enel Magi at postmaster@oef.org.ee.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SUMMER CAMPS: International English Language summer camps for students were held in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania Slovakia and Bulgaria this year. The programs are co-sponsored by Soros Foundations and an American foundation, Bridges for Education. The innovative program allows for children to learn English in an interactive setting with experienced native English-speaking teachers. Olga Klimanovich from Belarus attended the summer camp in Poland to determine whether it is worth supporting in the future. After attending, she was pleased to find that "the organization and the content of the program were strikingly good." Children participated in civic education projects such as creating their own country and other interactive programs where they were able to learn from each other and learn English at the same time. The Polish Ministry of Education has approved of the program, stating that 21 days of this camp is equal to two years of English study in school. This year Belarus sponsored five students with partial scholarships to attend the camp plus two teachers. Next year Belarus will put this program into their budget so they can sponsor more students to attend. As a nonprofit volunteer organization, Bridges for Education provides the curriculum and content, experienced, native-English speaking teachers, and other technical assistance. The teachers themselves cover travel costs. If any foundations are interested in sponsoring this program in their country or in sending students and teachers to an international camp, contact founder Beth Ciesielski, email: visbethc@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu, tel: 716 839 0180, fax: 716 895 3368.

HANDBOOK FOR SCHOOL NEWSPAPER EDITORS IN BELARUS: The Belarusian Soros Foundation held a competition for the best student newspapers and magazines. Students competed on the basis of journalistic content and style of the newspaper as well as a business plan for the next year. The newspapers were judged by a panel of leading journalists and experts in Belarus who decided provide a critique of the students' work for improvement. And they didn't stop there. Using the entries and the critiques, the judges wrote a handbook for editors on how to develop and manage a school newspaper. The publication is in Russian, and the foundation is considering translating it into English. If you are interested in receiving a copy, contact Anatoli Shuba, Program Coordinator at the Belarusian Soros Foundation.

EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE IN UKRAINE: The International Renaissance Foundation sponsored the first of a series of Round Table Discussions, "Society and State: Dialogue for Education Development." The meeting, held on July 26, 1996, was attended by over 50 people representing parliament, civil organizations, teachers, the Ministry of Education, the World Bank, and others. Most of the discussion centered on the question of educational legislation in the Ukraine. Participants identified several issues with the law that "greatly restricts the representation of civic organizations and makes them subject to control by the Ministry of Education." The law prohibits the participation of non-governmental organizations in curriculum development. Participants at the meeting agreed that the participation of NGOs in the educational process is crucial to educational reform and improvement. The Roundtable Discussion was the first of its kind and opens the door to wider public debate on the questions of education in Ukraine. Participants agreed that the discussions should continue, and the Foundation is planning for meetings on further topics this Fall. For a detailed report on the Roundtable Discussion, contact Olena Sichkar at elena@eccel.kiev.ua.

DONOR PARTNERSHIPS

BOSNIA FOUNDATION MOBILIZES DONOR SUPPORT FOR LANGUAGES: The Bosnia Foundation is supporting the publishing of English Language textbooks for all students in primary and secondary school, and it has mobilized donor support for French and German language. The British Council is working with the Foundation to provide the technical assistance for the development of secondary school English Language textbooks, while the primary grades prepared by the Ministry are already at the printers. The Ministry has also prepared manuscripts in French, German and Latin textbooks but did not have the funding for publishing. With the help of Mabel Wisse Smit and a letter from George Soros, the Foundation approached the governments of Germany, France, and Switzerland to support the other languages. Germany has committed 400,000 DM to this initiative to fund the German language textbooks. The program is being implemented with GTZ and Goethe Institute who are providing technical assistance to improve the quality of the textbooks. In addition both the French and Swiss governments have committed support to this initiative.

SOROS FOUNDATION HUNGARY TEAMS UP WITH MICROSOFT: Bill Gates visited Hungary in Spring, 1995 touching off an ongoing relationship between Hungary and Microsoft. The SF Hungary worked with Microsoft Hungary Ltd. to organize educational programs for Hungarian students using Windows '95 and Office '95 software. 90% of the schools in Hungary participated in a competition to test their knowledge of computers. From that base, the leading 20 schools attended a summer camp -- each sending three students and one teacher. The school teams worked on theme based projects using the Microsoft software. The topics were: "Utilization of alternative energy resources in Hungary"; "The future of Europe: European Union or fighting nation states?"; and "A day of a computer user 10 years from now". Finalists participated in a second round, this time on "A Healthy Lifestyle." A jury consisting of teachers, members of the Ministry, the National Institute of Health Education, and the Academy of Science evaluated and rated the projects. The winners won a ten-day round trip in the United States where they were not only tourists but also had a chance to see the professional life of Microsoft. The other top five teams won multi-media computers, fax modems and software for their schools. Microsoft Hungary Ltd. covered 50% of the costs of the camp and prizes, as well as providing software to all competing schools. The SF Hungary covered the direct costs of the camp and handled the organization of the competition.

BULLETIN BOARD

DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS..... FREE! An American-based educational technology organization, the Concord Group, is offering free participation in an international distance education course for teachers of science and math. The program, "International Teacher Enhancement Coalition" provides free software, materials, and instruction for teams of teachers and administrators. The program is willing to translate the software into local languages and to find educators in North America who speak the language to serve as mediators of the distance program. This is an exciting opportunity and experiment in distance education. If schools are not already equipped, interested Soros Foundations could provide a computer and Internet connection for school teams to participate. Please contact Heather Iliff (iliffh@osi.hu) or organizer George Collison (george@concord.org) for more information.

"HOW DO YOU TEACH DEMOCRACY?" The Step by Step Program of OSI and Children's Resources International have published a book detailing the principles of the Step by Step pre-school methodology. The book, Education and the Culture of Democracy: Early Childhood Practice, "provides a framework for understanding the relationship between early childhood education and the capacity to function effectively in a democracy," write Liz Lorant and Pam Caughlin. The book is a practical guide which demonstrates early childhood classroom situations in the "teacher-directed practice" vs. a "child-centered practice." Educators are provided with concrete examples and tips to make their classroom more democratic learning places for children. To receive a copy, contact Sarah Klaus at OSI NY, sklaus@sorosny.org.

EVALUATION OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Columbia University Teachers College is offering free project evaluation by graduate students of the International and Comparative Education course. The students all have international experience and are supervised by two experts in international project evaluation. They offer an evaluation plan, project description, evaluation tools, and an evaluation report. The students may be able to find grants for travel if faced with an offer from the Soros Foundations, or Foundations may cover travel and expenses out of their budgets. For more information, contact Heather Iliff (iliffh@osi.hu) or Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi at email: gs174@columbia.edu, tel: (212) 678 3179.

NEWSLETTER ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE NETHERLANDS: The Association of the National Bodies for Vocational Training in the Netherlands issues a regular newsletter on the developments and improvements in vocational education. The newsletter aims to promote the internationalization of vocational training and the comparison of qualifications and certificates. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, "Colo Compass," contact Colo at P.O. Box 7259, 2701 AG Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, tel: (31 79) 352 3000, fax: (31 79) 351 5478.

This newsletter, which focuses on national Soros Foundation initiatives in education for school aged populations, is issued periodically by the Education Program Support Unit (EPSU) at OSI Budapest. Contributions to the newsletter are welcome. Please send any contributions, comments or questions to Heather Iliff, email: iliffh@osi.hu; tel: (361) 327 3100, fax: (361) 327 3101.