On December 26, 2008, I visited an extraordinary school. I started the Baldwin School’s Girls Learn International (GLI) chapter in September 2007, and though I, along with my chapter’s twenty members and faculty advisor Dara Solotoff, had already communicated with the fifth and sixth grade students of this school through Cultural Exchange Projects before my trip to my chapter’s Partner Classroom, my journey to the Khanote Village on that December day in Pakistan opened my eyes. I met amazing teachers and students, and learned how happy the girls of our Partner Classroom are to be receiving a high quality education. The Khanote village felt like a world away from the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA. The environment of the school and village was even different from my family’s home in Karachi, Pakistan. Nonetheless, my experience at the Khanote School was invaluable and I greatly enjoyed meeting the students of my Partner Classroom.

You can read more about Nadia’s trip right here.

You can also view a video of Nadia’s trip to the Khanott School below:

Part I

Part 2

Part 3

A modern day pen pal program has been set up in partnership with Kashmir Family Aid, between the Redmond School District and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, and the Nilore Model School in Pakistan.

“Project Pakistan” corresponds with ibtida’s objectives of training the students to grow up as tolerant global citizens responsible for the well being of others and the survival of the planet.

The program was made possible by a $1,500 grant from Deschutes County to update the computer lab at the Nilore Model School. “(This program) is very useful for us and our students,” Iram Raja, a teacher at the school, wrote in an e-mail. “This thing creates a passion for research in them and your work for the betterment of the rural areas and specially for the poor people is really appreciated. It is a very good chance for those students who think that study is only about reading books. They could know the importance of education.”

You can learn more about Project Pakistan right here.

The science lab is being used for teaching Physics, Chemistry and Biology experiments to students in Grades 6-10. Experiments are tailored specifically for the appropriate grade level and are supplemented with other experiments not included in the current science curriculum.

Setting up a science lab at Nilore Model School is crucial in promoting concept-based science learning, which takes students away from rote-memorization, prevalent in schools without science labs.

You can watch a video of the class 9th students conducting an experiment below.

The fifth grade of Khanott School in Sindh has become a partner classroom with Baldwin School, Pennsylvania, through Girls Learn International™ (GLI) - a non-profit learning initiative involving American school students in the international effort for universal girls’ education.

Both Baldwin and the Khanott School are all-girls schools.

As part of GLI, American students engage in a variety of educational, communication, advocacy and outreach projects on behalf of the Khanott School.

This past December, the Baldwin chapter’s seventeen members held a very successful fundraiser: they baked, decorated, and sold Gingerbread Girls, and raised over $200 to send to their Partner Classroom!

They have also completed their first Cultural Exchange Project. The students mapped out their lives by compiling a colorful scrapbook, including photos of life at Baldwin.

The Baldwin Chapter is off to a great start, and they are all looking forward to watching their chapter expand and flourish!

We at ibtida anticipate that this partnership will promote cultural understanding and will strengthen the values of peace and pluralism that ibtida promotes.

Their email exchanges continued as Amra became editor of a new children’s magazine in Pakistan, Suntra.

Amra has now translated three of Alice’s stories for Suntra, sending her friend sample issues as the stories appeared. Recognizing the value an attractive and affordable magazine could have for students in our schools, Alice has donated funds that allow ibtida to provide each of three schools with 15 year-long subscriptions.

We hope it may be possible to keep the issues coming in future years.

In July 2007, Nilore Model School experienced a magical journey when Adnan Virani, an undergraduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, held a 3-week summer camp at the school.

Students and teachers were exposed to new curriculum areas such as music, theater, sports, health education, critical thinking, and self-expression with the aim of enhancing ideas of global citizenship, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-esteem, and leadership skills.

In Adnan’s own words:

“Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to volunteer internationally. Everything fell into place when the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community asked the Ismailis globally to offer time and knowledge, as a pledge, to commemorate his Golden Jubilee as an Imam.

I started researching all possible NGO’s in Pakistan. One late night I came across IBITDA’s website. After being fascinated by IBTIDA’s aim to educate ultra poor youths in rural areas of Pakistan, I quickly decided to contact IBTIDA’s management.

The next few weeks seemed as if they only spoke of one thing and that was making a difference by giving the best.

In America I put together a team of educated professionals to create motivating and exciting content for the school. Our strategy was to tailor the content so that it takes into consideration available resources and level of comprehension. The process was vigorous and much was left open due to our lack of understanding of cultural norms.

I arrived at Nilore on July 18th, 2007. Upon arriving I was introduced to the teachers and my first question was, “Are you ready to start?” and surprisingly they responded “yes” with enthusiasm.

I instantly felt at that moment that I was at the right place at the right time. The first week of camp I was very involved in coaching the teachers. By the time the second week rolled around, I noticed a progressive change in everyone. The teachers had transformed into counselors and managed all small issues by themselves or collectively as a group.

Week three was like I was invisible, it was then I realized that the camp was self-sustaining and the counselors were now focused on taking camp to the next level.

The camp, people, and culture were all components that gave me a personalized experience that I will never forget.

Thank you, IBTIDA & Nilore Model School.”