EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT FACT SHEET

SUMMARY:

“Regional Media Centers” in three YDRCs

Over 60 youth will be trained as high-skill media interns whom will work on creating youth-produced Video News Releases (VNRs) and Audio Reports on youth development issues, and initiate youth blogs and e-groups where young Palestinians have a safe forum for sharing positive ideas and opinions. It is anticipated that some youth interns will be hired by local media outlets as reporters and media coordinators to “tell the stories” of young Palestinians’ achievements, aspirations, and challenges. Creation of the Media Centers will include provision of IT equipment and audio-video items for each YDRC.

Capacity building for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the YDRCs:

assists the MoYS in strategic planning and IT capacity building. YDRC capacity building includes developing the annual operational plan and budget of each YDRC, and the hiring of YDRC youth professional staff including Executive Directors, IT coordinators and program coordinators.


Sub-grants to local NGOs to support YDRC programs:

Sub-grants to local NGOs will be awarded specifically for the purpose of developing and implementing selected youth programs i.e. civic education activities, sports and cultural activities, and livelihood opportunities within the four YDRCs. Three large sub-grants will focus on providing psycho-social services, supporting small-business incubation, and sponsoring a First Lego league in Palestine.

Support to Ruwwad and the UPP from the U.S. Private Sector:

USAID & UPP private sector partners including Cisco Systems, Intel, Microsoft and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) are providing the YDRCs a variety of programs and services, including:

CISCO –

• MYTecC (Mediterranean Youth Technology Club) programming in the YDRCs. MYTecC is a two-year, after school program that aims to bridge the digital divide and promote information access among youth by providing youth in the Mediterranean region and Arab world with IT and English language proficiency curricula;

Intel –

• Intel networking experts have developed a pilot project to establish connectivity between the YDRC in Hebron and its affiliated youth organizations. When completed and assessed, the pilot would be expanded to link all four YDRCs and up to 80 affiliated organizations; and,

• Intel will support the application by two YDRCs for a license to expand the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network program to new sites in the West Bank.

• Intel Learn Program: a pilot program at each YDRC. This would subsequently be scaled-up to involve the network of affiliated youth clubs. This will include training of the YDRC ICT coordinators to become the trainers of the Learn program.
  

Microsoft –

• Unlimited Potential “UP” and Digital Literacy curriculum and software in Arabic, and training of trainers in the curriculum. Modeled on Microsoft support to many BGCA clubs in the U.S., this supports includes training of the YDRC ICT coordinators to become the trainers of the “UP” program.

• Donation of Microsoft software to each YDRC valued at $140,000 per site

BGCA-

• Provision of pro bono consultation to help develop programmatic and operational standards and provide other on-going technical assistance for the YDRCs;

• Training of YDRC professional staff and board members at BGCA facilities in the U.S.;

• Provision of a youth facility operating guide and other on-line resource materials; and,

• Establishment of sister city relationships between U.S. BGCA clubs and the YDRCs.