Discover how the students of Al Manar Modern School have experienced a transformative shift in their mindsets and behaviors through engaging with our innovative game.
This year, Aal Seha game was implemented in 39 diverse schools, impacting a total of 52 trained facilitators and 3,700 students from cycles 3-4 across Lebanon. The results have shown remarkable success, with inspiring indicators of its positive impact on students and facilitators alike.
We extend our thanks once again to everyone who made this work possible, especially for the trust and support of HOLDAL Group, which has been instrumental in bringing Aal Seha to life.
Maissa Abou Adal Ghanem, Chief Sustainability Officer at HOLDAL Group, reflects on this initiative:
“This game, dedicated to fostering engaged citizenship, good governance, and social justice, embodies our shared vision of an improved education system. We believe in empowering youth to become responsible citizens, entrepreneurs, and leaders. By supporting this project, we’re investing in a better future where every child can shape their learning journey and positively impact their community. Together, we’re building a path to meaningful education and a brighter tomorrow.”
Only school from Lebanon Shortlisted in Environmental Action for World's Best School Prizes 2024!
One of our partner schools, Rashayya Public High School, has been shortlisted as one of the top 10 schools in the world for the prestigious World’s Best School Prizes 2024! It is the only school from Lebanon to receive this recognition! From the Middle East, apart from them, only one school from Dubai has also been shortlisted. Their incredible agriculture social -enterprise project supported by nafda, has been acknowledged in the Environmental Action category. This is a remarkable achievement for a public school in Lebanon during these challenging times, and it truly humbles us that Lebanon is on this list!
They have a chance to win the Public Vote category. We are eagerly awaiting the results and will keep you informed.
Empowering Active Citizens: A Year with IC’s AGC
As we conclude this school year, we’re thrilled to highlight our fruitful partnership with International College (IC)’s Ali Ghandour Center for Leadership, Diversity, and Civic Engagement (AGC).
By leveraging IC’s 25 years of civic engagement expertise and AGC’s unique model of Community Engaged Learning (CEL), this collaboration has accelerated 8 nafda schools’ progress toward a future of active civic participation. Each school was trained on community service models and project methodology, received coaching and peer-to-peer feedback, and completed one impactful project that they presented in the final Pitching Session.
Some examples of these projects include Wadi Al Azhar School in Rashaya’s “مش لل كب” (Not for the Trash), a recycling initiative promoting environmental stewardship. Notre Dame School in Bekaa – Kaa’s “عـ عينك عـ بلدك” highlights unknown tourist sites and organizes clean-up campaigns. Themarona Special Needs School in Charoun’s “جنى كرومنا” (The Harvest of Our Vineyards) repurposes grapes into raisins and molasses.
The achievements so far are remarkable, and we’re looking forward to seeing this partnership flourish towards a sustained and scalable civic engagement framework to support the generation of emerging active citizens in Lebanon!
nafda Schools Join UNESCO's Greening Education Partnership Initiative
nafda is thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership initiative, which empowers students and educational institutions to embark on a journey to promote environmental awareness and drive climate action.
In April and May, three nafda schools were selected to visit UNESCO’s Green Demonstration Room, which is in partnership with the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) and located at its center in Jounieh. Each school brought around 25 students. Participants included Grade 10 students from Rachaya Public High School, grades 4 to 9 students from City Modern School, and grades 5 to 6 students from Dekwer School.
As part of a holistic program, students engaged in various green activities, including workshops on green building concepts, energy efficiency, water conservation, environmental issues, physical phenomena, cultural arts, and music, enhancing their holistic learning experience. The program started with youth training at the Green Demonstration Room, and will be followed by school-based curriculum activities, concluding with training for teachers and principals to create environmentally conscious schools.
This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration and education in fostering environmental stewardship. As we continue to engage and train the next generation of citizens, we hope that these efforts will lead to more sustainable actions and an environmentally responsible future for Lebanon.
Episode 3: The Role of Local Communities in Societal Change
On Wednesday, June 26, we hosted our third episode of the nafda Web Series, which focused on “The Role of Local Communities in Societal Change”.
Some of the topics covered include the nature and importance of social change, how local communities can drive such changes, and the roles individuals and groups play in advocating and implementing these changes. Panelists discussed various methods for achieving social transformation, including policy advocacy, creating supportive networks, and adopting new ideas and behaviors.
Special thanks to our expert panelists: Mr. Nabil Hassan, Mr. Akram Hassan, Dr. Jinan Karameh Shayya, and Mrs. Amal Moghrabi, for sharing their invaluable insights.
You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel. Stay tuned for our next episode!
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