"Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world”
- Nelson Mandela -
News >The Access INCLUSION+ Program
Mar 13,2023
The English Access Microscholarship Alumni Program, funded by the US Embassy and executed by Teach for Lebanon, launched the INCLUSION+ program to train, equip, and empower 86 Access alumni to lead community initiatives under the theme of inclusion, during the month of February, in a two-day retreat in these regions: Mount Lebanon, the North, Bekaa, and South, and Beirut.
The alumni were preceded by a pre-camp session as an orientation on the program, along with an assignment delivered by a trainer, to study their communities and conduct a needs assessment prior to the camp.
The training, led by Active Labz and trainer Mrs. Lama Tabet, covered inclusion ideas, project planning, and pitching using a design thinking methodology. The Access alumni were then mentored during the training by four TFL alumni from each camp, who, along with the trainer, fostered the creation of the community initiative.
Following each training camp in each region, the participants pitched their community projects in front of a jury composed of representatives from the U.S. Embassy, representatives from TFL, and subject matter experts including Injaz Executive Director Samar Dani, Makesense Lebanon Country Manager Celine Caudron, VP at the Global Center for Inclusion in Education Salyne El Samarany, design thinking trainer and consultant Aseel Honein, and social innovator and TFL alumnus Fahd Jamaleddine.
The four camps produced 23 project plans with inclusion-related themes (inclusion of people with disabilities, migrant workers, marginalized women, street children, ex-female prisoners, refugees, and other excluded communities), and 20 of them will receive funding of $2000 as a result of the jury's decisions.
Testimonial
“The program added immense value to my personality. I gained several practical skills and learned about the importance of diversity and inclusion. I was also able to network with several professionals in the field, in order to implement impactful projects in my society.” - Antonio Saadeh