2009 Press Releases
U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Provides Young Palestinians a Summer of Learning
August 19, 2009
Jerusalem
Today marks the closing of the Ibn Sina Extracurricular Enrichment Day Camp, which began on June 13, 2009. The U.S. Consulate partnered with Al-Quds University to establish the Camp, a ten-week program where more than 100 young Palestinians were provided the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and the environment. The camp was made possible with special funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
The camp participants, ages 12-16, were selected from public middle schools in the Jerusalem Governorate. Camp activities were designed to stimulate critical thinking, build self-confidence, and expose the students to learning in a university-setting. The camp consisted of two phases. The first phase of activities included hands-on workshops in the natural and physical sciences; in the second phase, students focused on a specific scientific area of interest. During this phase, students conducted individual science projects under the guidance of a mentor which were displayed during the camp’s closing ceremony. In his remarks to the students and their families during the ceremony, Acting Public Affairs Officer Alistair Baskey praised the quality of the student projects, and said that their “desire to excel in school and pursue a future in higher education will be an inspiration” to other youths in their communities.
This is the second year the U.S. Consulate has supported the Ibn Sina Extracurricular Enrichment Day Camp. Al-Quds University and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem have a long-standing partnership that is committed to providing Palestinian youth with opportunities for learning and self-discovery.
For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate’s Press Office at 02-622-6908 or 02-622-6909 or Information Assistant Hassna Dajani at 054-678-8455.
