ANNUALREPORT2015MiddleEastChildren’sInstitute(MECI)–JordanOffice

CONTENTSFOREWORD 3

AMessagefromMECI'sRegionalDirectorLinaFarouqi 3

JORDAN&THESYRIANREFUGEECRISIS 4

AccessingEducation:theShadowofa"LostGeneration" 4THEMECIMODELINJORDAN 5PROVIDINGACADEMICOPPORTUNITIES 6TargetingtheMostVulnerable 6AcademicAchievementsin2015 7MECI'sApproachtoTeaching 7

PROVIDINGPSYCHOSOCIALSUPPORT 9EncouragingBehavioralAbilities 9FromBestPracticestoBreakthroughImpacts 10PROMOTINGYOUTHENGAGEMENT 11TheTraining 11Youth-ledInitiatives 11ENCOURAGINGCOMMUNITYPARTICIPATION 12Health&HygieneAwarenessSessions 12DentalHygieneforChildren 12TheImportanceofEducation&GoodAttendancePractices 12

EQUIPPINGASCHOOLWITHAPLAYCOMPLEX 14

WINTERCAMPAIGN2015 15

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ForewordAmessagefromMECI’sRegionalDirector,LinaFarouqi.

2015:AYearofGrowthIfIonlyhadtouseonewordtodescribethisyear,Ithink“growth”wouldbethebestchoice.WhenIestablishedtheAmmanofficein2013,whichcametobetheRegionalOffice,IcouldonlywishforallthesuccessthathassincethenpavedthewayoftheMiddleEastChildren’sInstitute(MECI)inJordan.

Ourgrowthasanorganizationhasbeenexponential,startingwith3schools,then6,andnowpreparingtoexpandtomanymore.Wehavebeenabletoreachover3,300vulnerablechildrenfromverydifferentbackgroundsinashortbutintensetwoyears,throughacademicandpsychosocialactivities,stayingtrueandloyaltotheMECIphilosophyofachild-centeredapproachtodevelopment.Becausewebelieveintheequalityofchances,wehadtoadapttotheneedsofverydifferentchildren,regardlessoftheircommunityoforigin.Whileacknowledgingthestrugglesofatrauma-affectedgenerationofSyrianrefugeechildren,MECIrecognizesthatthehostcommunitiesofJordanian,PalestinianandEgyptianchildrenarealsodirectlybearingtheburdenofovercrowdedschools,overwhelmedteachers,andoftenconfusedclassmates,whobattlesodeeplyemotionallythattheiracademicsandoverallbehaviorare

impacted.Followingoursoundsuccessin2014,ourteaminJordanhastakentheleadtoenhanceourresponsetoallthesechildren’sneedstomakesurethatourapproachisoneofmulti-integratedservices.Weunderwentmultiplefinancialandprogrammaticspotchecks,whichcalledourwork“excellent”,andonemicro-assessmentresultingina“low-risk”mark.

Letmealsotalkaboutthegrowthofourstudents,ofourchildren.Whencomingtoourschools,childrenofanybackgroundaregivenachancetophysicallyenterasafespaceandenvironmentwheretheirwellbeingandskillsarenurtured.Inanefforttoalwaysguaranteethegreatestimpactonourstudents,MECIhasdevelopedremarkabletoolsandstrategiestocopewitheachchild’sownlimitations,throughcurriculums,activities,events,andanoveralllovingandamiableatmospherewithinourschools.Workinginaprotractedrefugeecontext,MECIalsoplacessocialcohesionattheheartofourintervention,andinstillstheideathatadultsandyoungerpeersshouldtreateachchild,nomatterhisbackgroundandpast,equally.Weendeavortosowtheseedofpeaceinthisgenerationoffutureparents,peacemakersandleaders.

AsRegionalDirectorIwanttoacknowledgethegrowthofMECIJordanasateam,whichhasnotceasedtoamazemewiththeircreativity,hardworkanddedicationtotheInstituteandthepeopleweserve.Ifeelconfidentthatourworkhasmaturedinsomanyways.

Finally,Iamsohonoredandhumbledbyallthecolleaguesandpartnersthathavesupportedusthisyear,acleartestimonyoftherightdirectionourworkistaking.IwouldliketoexpressmydeepestgratitudetotheMinistryofEducationinJordanandUNICEFfortheirrenewedtrustforthe3rdyear,UNESCO,AlTurkiFoundation,PolishAidandthePolishEmbassyinAmman,aswellasTheSyriaFundandtheWeCareAboutSyriaCampaignwhoallowedustobringsomuchflexibilityintoourprograms.MyappreciationalsogoestoallofMECI’sprivatedonorsworldwide,youhavebeenanextraordinarilygrowingcommunitythisyearandthechildrenofJordanjoinmeinthisthankyou.

Icanonlyhope2016willbringusasmanyopportunitiesas2015,weareready.

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JORDAN&THESYRIANREFUGEECRISIS

LastNationalCensus(2016)revealedthatJordanisahostto1.4millionSyrians,630,000ofwhomareregisteredasAsylumSeekersthroughtheUNHCR.Theymakeupfor20%oftheKingdom’spopulation.Halfofthemarechildren,36%ofwhomareintheschoolage.

AccessingEducation:theShadowofa“LostGeneration”«Educationbreedsconfidence.Confidencebreedshope.HopebreedsPeace»-Confucius

Since 2011, along with providing safety to thousands of families escaping from war, the

Kingdomopened itsschoolstoSyrianstudentswith lessthan3yearsofmissededucation in

ordertohonoreachchild’srighttobasiceducation.

Thisphilanthropicdecision,however,hasnegativelyimpactedtheeducationalsystemasa

whole,with47%ofschoolsnowovercrowded,anddailyinstructionaltimereducedto

accommodateSyrianstudentsindoubleshiftedsystem.Itisalsoreportedthateducational

facilitatorslikeprincipalsandteachersarelackingthepreparationandexperiencetomanage

challengingschoolandclassroomenvironments,whichinturnleavethedooropenedfor

increasedviolence,andageneraldeteriorationoffacilities.

Overall,on-goingeducationalreformsunderwentamajorsetbacktofaceandadapttothe

demandofthousandsofchildren.Negativemechanismsthatweresuppressedthrough

reformshadtobeputintopracticeagain.Despitealltheseefforts,andasJordanreportedly

succeededinaccommodating143,000students,between50-60,000childrenremainout-of-

school,andmorearriveeverymonth.

Acknowledgingtheacademicstrugglesofatrauma-affectedgenerationthatwaspulledoutof

schoolforsometimesupto3years,andrecognizedforitsleadingexpertiseinproviding

informalandremedialeducationtovulnerablechildren,in2015MECIengagedinfruitful

partnershipswithrenownedinternationaldonorsandUNagencieslikeUNICEFandUNESCO.

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THEMECIMODELINJORDAN

Academics

Informal&RemedialEducationEducationhasbecomeanurgentneedtothousandsofout-of-schoolchildren,alongwithotherchildrenfacingacademicstruggles.MECIpalliatesagainsttheseobstaclesbyprovidingchildrenofallbackgroundwithclassesinArabic,mathematicsandEnglish.

PsychosocialSupport

TraumaInformedInterventionsWebuildonthepotentialofextra-curricularactivitiestoconveyandaddressessentiallifelessonsinthelivesofourstudents.MECIchildrenaregivenclassesinPhysicalEducation,andArts,combinedtoasimpleLifeSkillscurriculumtoensuretheiroverallwellbeing.

YouthEngagement

BasicLifeSkillsTrainingsandInitiativesIn2015MECIJordanestablishedanewcomponenttoitsprogramtargetingyoungadolescentsandyouththroughLifeSkillsTrainingsfollowedbyyouth-ledcommunityengagementinitiatives.

CommunityLearning

AwarenessSessions&SocialCohesionTruetoourchild-centeredapproachtocommunitydevelopment,MECImakessuretoinvolveparentsandcommunitymembersintheirchildren’seducationthroughawarenessraisingandsocialevents.

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PROVIDINGACADEMICOPPORTUNITIESDirectsupportfromUNICEF,UNESCOaswellasAlTurkiFoundationhaveenabledustoreachover2,300childrenthroughInformalandRemedialEducationthisyear.

TargetingtheMostVulnerable

MECItargetsrefugeeandhostcommunitychildrenfromtheage6to12yearsoldinNorthernandCentralJordan.Byaddressingtheneedsofout-of-schoolandacademicallystrugglingchildreninthecommunitieswetarget,MECIisabletodeliveratwo-foldprogramwiththeoverallaimofempoweringchildrenwiththe

propertoolstogothroughtheireducationwithconfidence.ThroughextensiveoutreachcampaignsdeployingourstaffandrecruitinglocalSyrianvolunteers,ourteamscommunicatearoundtheMECIprogramtoparents,caretakersandothercommunitymembers.Door-to-dooroperationsallowustodiscusstheacademicbackgroundofeachfamily

andchild,anddeterminetogetherwhetherachildcouldbenefitfromclasseswiththeMiddleEastChildren’sInstitute.Traditionally,MECIaimstorecruit70%ofSyrianrefugeechildrenwhoareout-of-school,theremaining30%consistingofJordanianandotherhostcommunitychildrenwithdifficultiesinschools.

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AcademicAchievementsin2015

• Over2,300childrenenrolledinInformalandRemedialclasses(70%Syrian,30%Jordanian)

• 52%offemalestudents

• PriortojoiningMECI,12%ofourstudentswerereportedasilliterateand/orhadneverbeentoschool

• Over4,300classesdispensedbyaccreditedteachersfromtheMinistry

• 94%ofstudentswhotookapre-andpost-testdemonstratedacademicprogress,anextremelypositiveindicatorofMECI’sprogram’simpactonvulnerablestudents

MECIimplementeditsInformalandRemedialEducationprogramwithin10schoolslocatedinCentralandNorthernJordan,inthecitiesofSalt,RamthaandIrbidwhichbelongtotwoofthefivegovernoratesthatwerethemostaffectedbytheinfluxofSyrianrefugeepopulations(IrbidandBalqagovernorates,respectivelyhosting136,942and19,894registeredrefugees).

MECIdeliberatelyworksinsidepublicschoolsfromtheMinistryofEducationratherthaninlocalcommunity-basedorganizations(CBOs)aswebelieveinthepositiveeffectofphysicallygoingtoschoolsratherthanbeingtaughtintemporarilyset-upspaces.Weputalotofeffortsinidentifyingtheschoolsthatwillofferthebestlearningspacesandenvironmentforourchildren,andfundspermitting,endeavortoenhancethesespacesthroughsmallrefurbishmentinterventions.

Accreditedandexperiencedschoolprincipals,teachers,butalsoSyrianoutreachcounselorsarehiredtooversee,deliverandmonitorthedailyactivitiestakingplacewithintheschools.

Allschoolstaffwastrainedextensivelyinordertoensuretheproperdeliveryofservicesalongwiththerespectofinternationalstandards,MECI‘svaluesandprinciplesrelatedtoTeachingPracticesandChildProtection.TeacherswereintroducedtotheMECIcurriculumthatwasexpresslydesignedasacontext-adaptedtooltakingintoconsiderationchallengesmetinnon-homogeneousclassrooms.Throughouttheprogram,schoolsbenefittedfromregularobservationsandrecommendationsonwaystoenhancetheirmethodologyandincorporateadditionaltechnicstopromoteengagingteaching,andlearning.

MECI’sApproachtoTeaching

Throughdiversifiedteachingstrategies,MECI’soverallaimistogetstrugglingandout-of-schoolstudentstofocusontheireducation,andstandabetterchanceatintegratingandadaptinginPublicSchoolsinanearfuture.

Instructorswerenotonlyencouragedtofindwaystoalwayskeeptheinterestgoing,butalsoofferedinitiativestomultiplythenatureofteachingsupportthroughauditory,visual,andkinestheticlearning.

Classestookplacefivedaysaweek,for2hourseachdayafterpublicschoolhours,whichincludedlessonsinArabic,math,andEnglishaswellasPhysicalEducationandArtscombinedtoasimpleLifeSkillscurriculum.

Uponenrollment,studentsweregivenaplacementtestinordertobeintegratedtoafittinglevelandgroup.12%ofourstudentswereilliterate/hadneverbeentoschoolpriortotheMECIprogram.Threelevelscoveringgrades1through6wereavailabletostudentsdividedwithin5groupstoallowforagreaterhomogeneityofagesandlevelbetweenclassmates.WithSyrianrefugeestudentshavingbeenout-of-schoolforupto4years,thishasbeenanongoingchallengeforbothinstructorsandourteamsofspecialists.

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Conductinggraduationceremoniesattheendofeachsemester,MECIre-assessedthesestudentsinordertodeterminetheirprogressionrate,andpotentiallymovethemfromoneleveltoanother,and/orreferthemtoPublicSchoolsforregistration.

With94%ofourstudentsdemonstratingAcademicProgressthroughtheMECIprogram,GraduationCeremonieswereaperfectoccasiontocelebratetheirgrowth,alongwithourlocalstaff’sperformanceinaddressingthesensitivesituationofvulnerablechildrenintheircommunities.

Students,caretakers,localstaffaswellasrepresentativesfromseveralDirectoratesofEducationpraisedMECI’structureandacademicmethodology.

Nadia,theprincipalofMECI’sDoqaraSchoolprograminIrbidwithUNESCO,hasworkedintheJordanianeducationsystemfor15years.Yetdespiteherbackgroundasaneducatorandadministrator,she’sneverexperiencedanythinglikeMECI:“Studentsaresohappytocometotheprogrameachday,”shesays.“I’veneverseenthistypeofengagementandexcitementatregularschools.”

Butit’snotonlythechildrenwhoareexcitedaboutMECI’sIFEprogram.Nadiasaysthatfamiliesarealsopleased:“Parentshavebeenveryhappyandappreciativeofoureffortsattheschool.Theykeeptellingtheirfriendsandcommunitymembers,andnowwe’vegotawaitinglistfortheprogram.”

Nadiacreditsherstafffortheprogram’searlysuccess:“Ihaveamazingteachers.Theyarecollaborativeandcommittedtomakingclassroomactivitiesengagingandinteractive.”Shealsoacknowledges,however,thattheworkcanbedifficultanddemanding.“Ialwaystellthem,donotfocusthehardparts.Instead,thinkaboutthesenseofachievementandprideyouwillfeelforhavingeducatedachild.”

AhmadisoriginallyfromDeraainSyria,thefirstcityinSyriatobeaffectedbytheconflict,astherevolutionstartedwithheavyrepressionmeasuresonthetownanditsinhabitants.Ahmadwas7yearsoldwhentheyleft,butheremembersmanydetailsofhispastlife.ThewartookAhmad’sfather,whichleadhismothertotakethedecisiontoseekprotectionwithherfourchildreninneighboringJordan.TheyalllivewithAhmad’suncleinatwo-bedroomapartment.

AhmadjoinedMECI’sprograminRamtha.MECI’scounselorhadbeencontactingAhmadandhisfamilyrelentlesslybeforeheagreedtojointheprogramashesaidhehatedschool.“NowIamhavingalotoffuninclasses,IlikeallsessionsIattendandIfeellikeIhavelearnedalotandmademanynewfriends.IalsoliketheteachersIhavebecausetheyarealwaysreadytohelpme”.Ahmadsayshewouldliketobeanengineerinthefuture,butfirst,toenrollinformaleducationinJordan.Hewouldalsolovetoliveinabiggerhousewithhisfamily,“Idon’tcareaboutwhichcountrywelivein,weareallbrothersintheend”.

AbdelhameedfirstjoinedMECIasamemberofourstudentoutreachcampaign.“Wefacedmanychallengesinreachingchildrenandtheirfamiliesbecauseweliveinsucharuralarea,”hesays,“butwepersistedbymakingphonecallsandhousevisitsuntilwefoundasmanyvulnerablechildrenaspossible.”

Abdelhameedhasalwaysbeenanadvocateforvulnerablechildren.InSyria,heworkedfirstasasocialworkerforjuveniledelinquentsandthenasateacherforblindstudents.“IwantedtojoinMECIbecauseIvaluetheimportanceoflearning,especiallyforSyrianchildrenwhohaveexperiencedtragedy,”hesays,“that’swhyweworksohardhere.Toprovidethesechildrenwiththebestpossibleexperience.”

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PROVIDINGPSYCHOSOCIALSUPPORTMECIstudents’behaviorwasmonitoredthroughouttheprograminordertoassesstheiremotionalandsocialwellbeing,alongwithreferringcasespresentinganeedforspecificattention.

EncouragingBehavioralAbilitiesTheagerangeofourstudents(6-12)isadeterminingphaseinachild’sgrowth.For70%ofourstudentswho,asSyrianrefugees,haveexperiencedtraumaticeventsofvariousdegrees,combattingbehavioralimpairmentsisanecessity.Importantlifelessonsandskillswereconveyed

tothestudentsthroughasimplelifeskillscurriculumincorporatedintosportsandArtsactivitieseveryweek.Asetof7skillcategorieswaspromotedasfollows:self-awarenessandexpression,communicationandbelongingskills,decision-makingandproblem-solving,motivationtowardseducation,healthandhygiene,andrespect,acceptance,refusalandfirmnessskills.

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Regularbehavioralassessmentswerecarriedoutforstudentswhohadbeenexposedtoaminimumof2-3monthstotheMECIprogram.Latestmeasurementsindicatedthat87%ofassessedstudentsdemonstratedadegreeofbehavioralprogression.

Post-skillsacquisitionaveragereached81%,anotherpositiveindicatorofMECI’sprogramimpact.Itisworthnotingthatmostimprovedskills(by26%)arerelatedtoself-awarenessandexpression,decision-makingandproblemsolving,andeventuallyrefusalandfirmnessskills.

FromBestPracticestoBreakthroughImpacts

Duringtheimplementationphaseofeachprogram,schoolsstaffreceivedthoroughguidelinesonhowtodealwithrestlesschildren,oftenadirectreactiontotraumaexposureasstudentslosetheircapacitytofocusandstruggletofeelateaseintheirnewenvironment.

Encouragingapositiveatmosphereoffriendshipandsolidaritybetweenrefugeeandhostcommunity-childrenwasalsoapriorityofMECI,endeavoringtosowtheseedsofpeaceintheyoungergeneration.

Onseveraloccasions,MECIorganizedfieldtripsandpicnicdaysforitsstudentsandlocalstaff,asawaytosolidifythebondbetweenallparticipantsoftheprogram.Isolatedchildrenfoundanopportunitytocreatelastingrelationshipsthroughgames,andthesharingofameal.

“Atthebeginningoftheprogram,Tariqalwayscamelate,didnotparticipateinclassandmadetroubleswithotherstudents. Wegatheredtocomeupwithaplanandimprovehisself-confidence,byshowinghimonadailybasistheimpacthecouldhave. Alongwiththeattendance-promotinginitiativedevelopedbyMECI,hestartedtocomeontimeinordertoputastarnexttohisname,whichissomethingwefindbeneficialtomaintainmotivationforstudents.Tariqisnowattendingregularlyandisalwaysontime,andhastakenonmoreofaleadershiproleintheclassroom. ThankstoUNICEFandMECI,heiscommunicatingandcollaboratingintheclassroom.Itisagreatturnoutforallofus,teachersandstudentsincluded!”TestimonyfromTariq’sArtsTeacher,MyasarAlSaleh.

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PROMOTINGYOUTHENGAGEMENT

AnewcomponentofourinterventioninJordanthisyearhasbeentheprovisionofBasicLifeSkillsTrainingsto201youngfemaleadolescentsfromtheageof14.ThiswasdoneinpartnershipwithUNICEFandTheSyriaFund,withinsixschoolslocatedinthecitiesofSaltandRamtha.

TheTrainingTheLifeSkillsTrainingfortheYoutharemeanttoencouragethedevelopmentoffoursetsofskillsrelatedtoself-management,cognitive,socialandteamworkskills.AsdesignedbyUNICEF,thetrainingsuseayouth-to-youthapproachfocusedpersonaldevelopmenttoguideparticipantsinadoptingahealthylifestyle,enhancetheiractiveparticipationintheircommunity’slife,andpromotesoundcivicandeconomichabits.Onceagain,apre-andpost-assessmentmethodologywasappliedtomeasuretheimpactofthetrainingsonasetof7skillsrelatedtocommunication,self-respect,criticalandanalyticalthinking,teamwork,socialcohesionandsocialresponsibility.

96%ofparticipantsreportedanimprovementintheirskillsaccordingtosurveys,especiallyinthefieldofsocialresponsibility,andproblem-solvingmechanisms.

Youth-ledInitiativesDuringthetrainings,traineeswereexpectedtoidentifysomeissuesorareasofneedintheircommunitiesandcomeupwithaplan,toimplementasmall-scaleinterventioninresponsetothisissue.Thesetooktheformofyouth-led

communityengagementinitiatives,benefittingcommunitymembersandpromotingsocialcohesionthroughcleanup,beautifyingandothervolunteeringmissions.

“ThiswasmyfirstexperienceeverattendingatrainingandIhavenotbeendisappointed!IwishwecouldhavemoreregularopportunitieslikethistohelpusasteenagersbuildonourskillsandpersonalitiesbecauseIfeelweareatacriticalageandsortofaturningpointinourlives.MECI’straininghasgivenmetheenvytoreallyworkonmycommunity’sengagementandactivatevolunteeringpracticesamongtheyouth.”Leen,17yearsold,Jordanianparticipant.

“IwouldliketothankallofMECI’steamforgivingmethisopportunitytousemytimeforsomethinguseful,discussingissuesthatweneverhavethecouragetoaddressasSyrianrefugeeslikeintegration,socialcohesion,anddiscrimination.TalkingaboutSyrian-Jordaniancohesionwasmyfavoritepartofthetraining,andIfeelthatmyJordanianpeersarenowmoreawareofthefactthatweshouldhelpeachotheroutbecausewehavegonethroughsomanydifficultiessincethecrisisstartedinSyria.WeonlyfledtolookoutforPeaceandSecurity.HereismymessagetotheyouthinJordan,whetherSyrianorJordanian:Grabchancesandenjoyeverymoment,Peaceisablessing.”Safa,16yearsold,Syrianparticipant.

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ENCOURAGINGCOMMUNITYPARTICIPATIONThroughouttheprogram,MECIorganizesvariouseventsandcommunitygatheringsforthebenefitofourstudents’familiesandbroadercommunity.ThesetaketheformofAwarenessSessionsandSchool-lifeInitiativesonsubjectsdirectlylinkedtotheirchildren’sgrowthandexperiencethroughtheMECIprogram.

Over650adultsand1250childrenbenefittedfromthesesessionsin2015.

Health&HygieneAwarenessSessions

MECI’sHealthandHygieneAwarenessSessionsaremeanttoencouragefamilyengagementinstudentlearningandpromoteawarenessabouttheimportanceofhealthandhygieneforchildrenandtheirfamilies.ThemainobjectivesoftheHealthandHygieneAwarenessSessionsare:

• Promotepersonalandfamilystrategiestocaretakerstohelpthemmaintaingoodhygieneandhealth

• Discusstheimportanceofmaintainingabalancednutritiousdietwithfamilies

• Introduceyoungerstudents(ages6-8)andolderstudents(ages9-12)todailyactivitiestheycanfollowtomaintainpersonalhygiene

DentalHygieneforChildren

MECI’sgoalinthisChildren’sSessionwastoraiseawarenessaboutdentalhygieneandeducatethechildrenonhowto

careandmaintaintheirbabyandadultteeththroughinteractivedialogue,demonstratingdentalhygienetechniques,incorporatingdrawingsandgamesandfinallyprovidingdentalcleaningsuppliestoeachchild(atoothbrushandatoothpaste).TheADA–SmileSmartsDentalHealthCurriculumforstudentsaged4-12wasusedindevelopingthisinteractivedialogue.Studentswereinitiatedto:

• Thefunctionofteeth:biting,chewing,smilingandspeaking

• Characteristicsofteeth:white,hard,big,strong

• Typeofteeth:Babyteethvs.Permanentteeth.

• Howtobrushteeth–front,sides,innerandtonguecleaning

• Hygieneofbrushing:donotsharebrushes,donotswallowtoothpaste

TheImportanceofEducation&GoodAttendancePractices

Duringthemonthsofwinter,accesstotheschoolanddistributionoperationsoftenpreventstudentsfromattendingclassesregularly.Inordertopalliateagainstthisnegativephenomenon,MECIdeveloppedthe“AttendToday,AchieveTomorrow”initiativewhichwasimplementedacrossallsitesandincludedanawarenesssessionforfamiliesontheImportanceofEducationandGoodAttendancePractices.

Informationwasprovidedonthenegativeeffectsofkeepingachildathomeandnotmonitoringtheirattendanceresultinginanimpactontheeducational/behavioralprogress,lowunderstandingandmotivationtowardseducation,studentsgettingbehindontheirlevels,andlimitedopportunitiesforself-expression.Byonlymissingtwodaysofschoolpermonth,achildmissesupto10%oftheAcademicyear.

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Poster from the Initiative Following the implementation of the “Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow” Initiative across several schools, overall attendance rates witnessed a 6% increase. 89% of attending students showed “quality attendance”.

Weaimforstudents’familiesandbroadercommunitiestounderstandthattheyarepartnerstoMECIinthiseducationalendeavor.Withthisideacomesaresponsibilityofeveryparentsandcaretakertodiffuseandcreateanenvironmentthatencouragesstudentsinhavingmotivation,goodattendancepractices,andcommitment.

Practicalrecommendationsweresharedwithfamiliesonhowtofostergoodattendancepracticesathome:

• Beingpunctual:setaregulareveningandmorningroutine

• Preparingthestudents’clothesandschoolbagtheeveningbefore

• Lookingoutforsignsofanxietythatpreventachildfromgoingtoschool

• Followinguponachild’sachievementandhomework

• Creatingapositivelearningenvironmentathometoensurethechilddedicatesareasonableamountoftimetostudy

• Acceptingmistakesandencouragingsuccess

• Informingcounselorsofachild’sabsence

• Gettinginvolvedintheschoollifetobuildpositiverelationshipswiththetrainedfacilitatorsworkingdailywiththechildren

Theseparentalstrategieswerealsosharedintheformofahandouttobringbackhome.

Over90%ofparticipants,childrenandadultsalike,reportedlyfoundthesesessionsuseful.

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EQUIPPINGASCHOOLWITHAPLAYCOMPLEX

InNovemberandDecember2015,MECIJordanengagedinapartnershipwiththePolishEmbassyinAmmanandPolishAid,throughaSmallGrantCompetition."Iwouldliketotakeamomenttoappreciatetheimpactthatthisprojectcanhaveonthisschoolanditscommunityofhundredsofstudentsfromdifferentoriginsandbackground.Byallowingthesechildrentohaveaccesstoasafecomplexduringrecreationaltime,youarenotonlypromotingagreaterqualityanddiversificationofchildren’sgamesandplaytime,butalsoencouragingsocialcohesion.In2011,UNSecretaryGeneralBanKi-Moongaveaspeechaboutsport,sharingatruththatIwouldliketoapplytorecreationalactivitiesingeneral.Hesaid:“Sporthasbecomeaworldlanguage,acommondenominatorthatbreaksdownallthewalls,allthebarriers.Itisaworldwideindustrywhosepracticescanhaveawidespreadimpact.Mostofall,itisapowerfultoolforprogressanddevelopment.”ItisoneofMECI’scorecharacteristicstoalwayspromoteaninteractivelearningenvironmentinordertoovercomesomenaturalobstaclespresentinourstudents,resultinginthembeingout-of-schooland/orstrugglingforsuchalongperiod."

LinaFarouqi,RegionalDirectorofMECIJordanh

ASafePlayComplextoBenefitOver450JordanianandRefugeeChildreninRamtha,NorthernJordan.

Abeautifulplaycomplexwaspurchasedandinstalledinoneofour3schoolsinRamtha,whereMECIoperatedin2015forthebenefitofover450SyrianrefugeeandJordanianvulnerablechildrenattendingtheschoolintwoshiftsduringmorningsandafternoons.

ThesitewasinauguratedinDecemberwiththepresenceofHisExcellencytheAmbassadoroftheRepublicofPolandinJordan,M.Bojko,theDeputyMinisterofForeignAffairsandFormerAmbassadortotheEuropeanDelegationinJordanMs.Wronecka,andJordan'sDeputyMinisterofEducationHisExcellencyM.Alakour,andMECI’sRegionalDirectorLinaFarouqi.

Fortheoccasion,thegovernmentofPolandofferedvariousartsuppliesandsportsequipmenttoourschools,aswellasdistributedgiftstosomeofourstudentspresentthatday.

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WINTERCAMPAIGN2015

ThroughthegenerouscontributionoftheInternationalCampaign“WeCareAboutSyria”(WCAS),gatheringsupportersfromallovertheworld,ourteaminJordanwasabletodistributeover600completeWinterPackagestoallofour6schoolsinSaltandRamtha,CentralandNorthernJordan.EachchildreceivedawarmJacket,apairofshoes,warmunderwearandundervest,socks,aswellasapairofgloves,ahat,andascarf.

MembersoftheWCAScampaignsentmessagestoourstudentsintheformofphotographsfromallovertheworld,showingtheirsupporttorefugeesandvulnerablechildrenfromSyriaandJordan.

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"Seeingstudentsgetbetterdayafterdayisthemostrewardingfeeling.Thereisinfinitesatisfactioninwitnessinghoweducationcanchangechildrenand

spreadhopearoundtheworldevenamidstdifficultsituations."

RuqqayaSchoolPrincipalatMECI,Salt,Jordan

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MiddleEastChildren’sInstituteJordanOffice152,MeccaStreet,AmHusseiniComplexP.O.Box:355111821Amman,JORDANPhone+96265542818www.mecinstitute.org