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News & Events
December 2003-February 2004

Training for teachers from Bokhtar

Teacher Training for New Communities at Kurgan-Tyube ILC-- February 9-18, 2004
From February 16-18, Master Trainer Sayora Goibova led a training at Kurgan-Tyube School #12 for six teachers from Bokhtar district. The training was organized at the request of the Head of the Educational Department of the Bokhtar District Hukumat. All of the participants teach math and computer science, but they had never used computers before. During the three-day training, the teachers learned to use computers, design newsletters in Microsoft Word, and make slides in PowerPoint using text and images downloaded from the Internet.

They found new information for their lessons using the search engines mail.ru and google.com. For example, Negmat, a 55-year-old math teacher, found information and images on the Internet about a famous math scientist, and also found some new math problems for his students. At the end of the training, each teacher received printed materials on how to use the Internet, Word, and PowerPoint.

On February 9, Master Trainer Sayora Goibova also led a training at School #12 in Kurgan-Tyube for five teachers from the Kolkhozabad district. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) requested the training for the teachers, who participate in their civil society project.

Teachers at Critical Thinking seminar

RRS Master Trainer and Lead Teacher Create "Critical Thinking" Seminar for Teachers -- February 16, 2004
In January 2004, Connectivity Project Lead Teacher Munira Rahimova created and led a seminar called "Critical Thinking" at School #10 in Dushanbe. After attending a training held by Master Trainer Umeda Davlatova on "Effective Reading and Writing," Munira decided to hold a seminar about critical thinking for the other teachers in her school. In total, 77 teachers participated from School #10, School #34, and Gymnasium #53, as well as representatives from the local and national departments of the Ministry of Education.

In the school's Internet Learning Center, Munira prepared a module for the seminar with help from Master Trainer Umeda Davlatova. Together they searched on the Internet for information, finding Bloom's taxonomy and the International Reading Association website, www.reading.org. Munira used information from the online journal "Peremena" (or "Change"). Sixteen students from the 8th grade participated in the seminar as well. After the seminar, the teachers visited the ILC to search on the Internet and browse the sites Munira recommended to find answers to their pedagogical questions.

Buying coffee, School #12

IFES Student Action Committee Supports ILC in Kurgan-Tyube -- February 2, 2004
The Student Action Committee (SAC) at School #12 in Kurgan-Tyube, developed by IFES, is working to solve school problems by starting their own income-generation activities. In collaboration with On-Site Monitor Olim Abdulloev and Master Trainer Saiyora Goibova, a meeting was held about how SAC students could contribute to the management of the Internet Learning Center.

The Head of the School #12 SAC, Bobojon Turayev,and the students decided to design and maintain a display of the resource materials at the ILC. They also developed a plan to fund the purchasing of chandeliers and heaters for the center. Their first fund-raising activity will be to sell coffee daily in the ILC for 20 dirams per cup.

RI-SOL Program Staff Visit Phase II Candidate Schools -- January 26-30, 2004
In the RRS, Sugd, and Khatlon regions, RI-SOL staff met with directors and teachers and toured the schools to collect information for the selection of Phase II schools. The ten Phase II schools will open in early March.

Sister City forum, Dushanbe

Students at Dushanbe School #10 ILC Log On to Dushanbe-Boulder Sister City Forum -- January 26, 2004
School #10's ILC has become an access point for students from several Dushanbe schools to participate in this joing IREX-Boulder Sister City project. The Tajikistani and US students will exchange viewpoints and opinions on cultural and educational topics over the course of several weeks.

School museum, Gulakandoz

Chkalovsk Students Visit ILC at School #16, Gulakandoz, Sugd Region -- January 24, 2004
On January 24, 2004 Director Rustam Eshboev and ILC On-Site Monitor Anna Filatova organized a field trip for Connectivity students and teachers of School #4 in Chkalovsk to visit School #16 in Gulakandoz. While Chkalovsk is primarily Russian, Gulakandoz is a town with 90% Uzbek population. It has a strong history of community activism and participation.

School #16 prepared a cultural program for the visit with amateur art activities. Older students showed the school museum to the students from Chkalovsk, who learned about the history of the town and the kolkhoz that was famous in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan. They toured the ILC and met the Connectivity Lead Teachers.

At the end of the visit, students exchanged their new email addresses and planned to write to each other about their experiences in the Connectivity Project. Both directors from Schools #16 and 4 noted the importance of this event. "These kind of visits will start a friendly relationship not only between students,but between teachers," said Director Rustam Eshboev, School #4,Chkalovsk. Gulakandoz School #16 is planning reciprocal visit to Chkalovsk on February 14th upon the kind invitation of the Chkalovsk team of teachers and students.

At the end of the visit, students exchanged their new email addresses and planned to write to each other about their experiences in the Connectivity Project. Both directors from Schools #16 and 4 noted the importance of this event. "These kind of visits will start a friendly relationship not only between students, but between teachers," said Ismat Tukhtaev, On-Site Monitor at School #16.

Nafisa and her daughter

Connectivity Students and Trainers Connect People with Disabilities -- January 17, 2004
RI-SOL and ORA International began a six-week project to integrate disabled children outside the school system and disabled adults into mainstream community through IT training in life skills. Three participants in ORA's Disability Program come every Saturday to School #10 in Dushanbe to work with Connectivity Project Master Trainers and students for an hour on the computers and the Internet.

Nafisa, a woman in her mid-40s who has paraplegia and is a wheelchair user, was a librarian at the Firdausi Library in Dushanbe before a devastating car accident. Prior to coming to the ILC, she had not only never used a computer, but she had also not left her house in over four years. Her first trip was a rewarding one--Master Trainers are helping her to learn computer skills such as Microsoft Word and Internet research in the hopes of getting her old job back.

Master Trainer and Olim

RI-SOL On-Site Monitors are also helping the students to work with younger people with disabilities. Behruz is a 13-year-old with muscular dystrophy who was forced to leave school because he was no longer able to walk. The students and trainers are teaching him to use the Internet, email, and the digital camera to raise his interest level and get him involved. Olim, a 14-year-old wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy, runs a small shop selling sweets in his neighborhood. Trainers are helping him to learn Microsoft Word, Excel, and economics basics through the Internet.

ORA Disability Assistants also come to the sessions and learn computer skills as well. RI-SOL and ORA hope to expand the project to Rudaki, Gissar and other schools with ILCs.

School #10, Dushanbe

Nine Schools Open Internet Learning Centers -- December 15-19, 2003
This week nine schools officially joined the Tajikistan School Connectivity Project: Khujand Gymnasium #4, Chkalovsk School #4, Jabbor Rasulov School #16, Gissar School #2, Vakhdat School #139, Rudaki Tajik-Russian Lyceum, Kulyab School #40, Kulyab Lycee #1, and Kurgan-Tyube School #12.

Each school held a formal opening ceremony with local government officials, partner and non-profit organizations, as well as students, teachers, and parents. Jennifer Washeleski, Public Affairs Officer from the American Embassy in Dushanbe, attended the three school openings in Khatlon. The school director and a representative of the Community Committee both signed a contract for participation in the project, and, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the schools were officially part of the Connectivity Project.

U.S. Ambassador and Ministry of Education Officials Open First School Connectivity Internet Center, Dushanbe, Tajikistan -- December 1, 2003

Ambassador Richard Hoagland, Ministry of Education Officials, School Officials and Relief International - Schools Online (RI-SOL) opened the Connectivity Program for Tajikistan on December 1, 2003. The opening ceremony was held at Dushanbe School #10.

The project supports improving Tajikistan's education system with the help of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The opening at Dushanbe School #10 is the first of 20 Internet Learning Centers (ILCs) in communities across Tajikistan. The first ten centers are located in Dushanbe, Leninsky, Gissar, Vahdat, Kulyab, Kurgun Tube, Khujand, Chkalovsk and Rasulov. In February 2004, ten more Internet Learning Centers will be opened in other regions.

The Connectivity Program is intended to increase access to learning, global dialogue and open communication by providing training to teachers, installing modern computer equipment, and facilitating learning projects Schools in the United States will be partners with schools in Tajikistan on the project, and there will be a teacher exchange from Tajikistan to the U.S. in summer 2004.

The School Connectivity Project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by Relief International - Schools Online.

The Tajikistan School Connectivity Project for Central Asia is a project of Relief International - Schools Online's Global Citizenship & Youth Philanthropy Program and has been made possible with major funding from the United States State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Global Catalyst Foundation.