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Projects
Collaborative Projects
 | | Debating online, Chkalovsk |
US-Tajikistan school teams collaborate on projects and activities
addressing civic education concepts and issues. The collaboration
started in February 2004, and will extend through the duration of the project.
In late summer 2004, five Connectivity Project Lead Teachers from Tajikistan were
selected through a competitive process to participate in an exchange program
to the US. In September 2004 Tajikistani teachers have met US teachers and
visited schools to discuss and compare methods of teaching with ICT in American
classrooms.
In response six Connectivity Project Lead Teachers from the US are
going to visit Tajikistan to participate in an exchange program in February -
March 2005. The US teachers will visit Tajik schools, education departments,
factories, culture centers to complete their own research.
Personal History
 World War II
Veteran Saidov Kodir
from
Fayzabad City told
connectivity student his
story.
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In January, as part of the collaborative projects between US and Tajik schools
RI-SOL held the “Personal History” project. This series of lessons and interviews
gave connectivity students a great opportunity to learn first hand important stories
from members of their community. Learning about ones own history is very important
for the young generation, because you can't build a strong future for yourself,
without knowing your past.
Students from both countries were asked to choose history topics that they, as well as their partner
schools, could relate to. Some of the chosen topics were about the Vietnam War, the Cold War,
the fall of the Berlin Wall, World War II, War in Afghanistan, and so on. Many were about wars
as now the world is once again discussing the rights of nations to conduct war, and the effect
it has on the world. As part of the project, students interviewed community members that had
served in past wars. The older veterans were proud that they younger generation still showed a
respect for their sacrifice.
This lesson gave students an idea of how events of the past still affect people’s lives, how people
survived during war, and what changed in their lives after the war ended. This activity showed we
can live together to prevent war and cataclysms, and how to not forget all the good sides of our
past legacy.
During the course of the project the US and Tajikistan Connectivity students showed all their new
skills they have learned in research skills, communication and computer programs. By combining
personal interviews with the power of the internet students were given a personal account of history
in another culture.
Click here to see the presentations
Problems in Teenagers’ Lives
 | Garth Willis, Tajikistan
School Connectivity Project
director in a circle of
psychologists
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Almost all ILC’s took part in this activity. Students were happy that we suggested
this topical theme.
During these seminars students had a chance to discuss their problems. All together they looked for
the right solution – learning to analyze their own deeds from different points of view. Students
analyzed various problems: relations between adults and teenagers, alcoholism and narcotism among
teenagers, teenagers isolation in their own small worlds, a transition period in teenagers life,
unrequited love and many other problems.
Also the forum offered a professional psychological consultation for the students to discuss problems
in their own lives.
Click here http://tojikiston.com/connect/forum/viewforum.php?f=10
to see the great attendance
in the forum.
As a result each center has created presentations on those themes which they consider the most
pertinent to their lives.
Click here to download the results of the students’ presentations
Holidays and World Religions
 | Students at Colorado Academy,
Denver, Colorado celebrating
Eid-i-Ramazon
|
We all love to celebrate. People in the USA and Tajikistan enjoy their holidays.
And although they have different holidays, they also have much in common.
This lesson was designed to introduce students to customs and traditions that
show even ancient holidays can connect us with the universality of celebrations.
Connectivity students, with the help of the Internet and their partner country, researched and then
filled out electronic organizers about the November holiday of their partner country (Thanksgiving
in the US or Eid-i-Ramazan in Tajikistan). Then they planned a celebration of their partner country’s
holiday in their school.
Students were divided into small groups to research specific aspects of the holiday in their partner
country on the Internet--such as the history, decorations, clothes, food, songs, and religious aspects.
They asked their partner schools questions online about how students personally celebrate this holiday.
At the end of the project, students created a real or virtual celebration of the holiday in their
partner country--Eid-i-Ramazon in the US or Thanksgiving in Tajikistan. Students invited other youth
at their school or Internet center to celebrate the holiday with them.
Students prepared food, made decorations, and practiced traditional greetings while sharing what they
have learned about the holidays and traditions of another culture. They took photos of the celebrations
and sent them to their partner schools.
Click here to view some of the photos from the celebrations!
Click here to download the results of the students’ research
Identifying Issues in Elections
 | Election activity at
International School of
the Americas, US
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The objective of this lesson is for students to analyze the issues that make up an election--how government does/does not address the problems of daily life, what is a party platform, and how to become involved by voicing your
concerns to political parties and NGOs
Throughout this activity, students have learned about how both an established democracy and a developing
country address their problems and disagreements. Ultimately, they learned why it is important to
vote and become involved in civic life. Almost all ILC’s invited representatives from local political
parties to their classes.
As a result students send their summaries about political and election issues to their partner schools.
Click here to find out results of their research
 | Students at School #3, Nurek,
working on the "A Day in the Life
of a Student" activity |
"A Day in the Life of a Student" activity gives students the opportunity to explore and describe their home, lifestyles, and culture for their partner schools, and to understand the daily realities of life in another country.
Using photos and text, student teams from each school prepared a presentation in PowerPoint and designed
it, focused on a typical school day: what time they get up and what time they go to bed, what they eat
and when, what religious or family traditions they follow, who their friends and families are, what
they wear, what movies and television they watch, etc.
Click here to view some of these presentations to see what you can learn about students lifestyles in the US and in the Tajikistan
Global Citizenship & Youth Philanthropy (GCYP)
The goal of the Global Citizenship & Youth Philanthropy (GCYP) project is to prepare international youth for living and participating in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent global community. In June 2004, 15 schools all over Tajikistan began implementation of the project via three activities. Click here to find out more.
Exploring Stereotypes
The Exploring Stereotypes activity challenged students to consider their own perceptions of the world and how the rest of the world views them. The students were asked to explore several online photographs that either showed or disproved stereotypes of America and Tajikistan. Then students from both countries responded to each photo on the forums, learning first-hand from their partner schools how stereotypes are too simplistic to show the complexity of any culture. Some excerpts of their posts are below:
 | Photo:
Stop-Facism.org |
"...One might assume that the police are attacking the man because of his views, but he is being subdued because of his actions. The photo makes one feel safe in our country because the police will control any problems, but free to convey our personal views to the general public. A better photo would be an overhead view of all the people at the protest who are protesting peacefully." --Max, US
"Looking on this photo, I have presented on a place of this old man of father (grandfather). I have felt a pain in my heart. In our country of old men respect and appreciate. Even if it Demonstration it is impossible to act so with old men.... The USA she shouts that the free country, and where this freedom? Who will answer?" --Gleb & Rafael, Tajikistan
"Was this photo taken in USA?!... According to your Constitution everyone has a freedom to take part in the social life of the country! A demonstration is one of the ways of expressing one's opinion. Have those people broken the law? Why are the policemen beating them?..." --Dilorom, Tajikistan
"In response to Gleb & Rafael, America is a country in where we strive to be unbiased no matter what sex, race, color, creed, or even age. When you expressed your anger toward the beating of the older man I understand where you are coming from, but this picture shows that no matter what your appearance or how old you are in America, all are to be treated equally and fairly under the law, and for the police to act with such violence is normally out of retaliation or protecting their own safety." --Nitrologly, US
 | | Photo: CNN |
"The child in the picture look innocent and neglected. It gives us the impression that all children in your country have no opportunities to bath, eat, or have hope in the future.... Even though in America some children are left homeless and unkempt but the majority of them are not; this picture makes us sad for the children of your country and makes us greatful that we live in America." - Sam and Jon, US
"This picture doesn't show the real Tajikistan now, it was in the past. The better picture could be the one in which a Tajik child could play in our playgrounds.... Now my children are happy, when there was a war in 1992 to 1994 we standed in a turn to buy a bread. This was very horrible time.... Now the things are getting well. Everyone who work well can live better. The shops and markets are full with what you wish." --Sofia, Tajikistan
"At first, this photo led me to believe that Tajikistan was extremely poverty-stricken, and that children were all malnurished and starving. But I read some comments made by Tajikistan people saying that this photograph was misleading so I have now realized that this may not be an accurate portrayal. Many Americans have preconceptions that countries in the Middle East are poor and hungry, but perhaps this stereotype is unfounded and we need to learn more before we judge." --LindaSuh, US
Click here to read more of their discussions:
Stereotypes Forum
Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities
 | | Poll results, Chkalovsk |
For the Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities theme, the students studied the IFES textbook "Human Rights" chapter. They participated in trainings from local NGOs on human rights and practice debates. Students then conducted school and community polls on human rights, and graphed their results in Excel. The students also wrote essays in Word on what responsibilities correspond with the human rights that are most important to their community. In discussions with NGOs, parents, and On-Site Educators, they considered what can be done by the government, international organizations, local community groups, and individuals to protect these rights in their community.
After receiving training on how to use the RI-SOL message board forums, the student teams from each Tajikistan school chose a debate theme from a list of topics about human rights and which side they wanted to argue. Click on some of the debate topics below to view the students' posts:
 | | Poll results, Harbor City International School |
They prepared arguments and introductions for their partner school in the US, and posted these to the forum. Over a period of several weeks, students from both sides posted their introductions, arguments, responses, and opinions on the forums. Current issues were discussed on both sides, such as the issue of gay marriage on the forum debating "Individuals should be free to marry whomever they want." The students also had more informal exchanges on the Partner School forums discussing cross-cultural themes and queries from the students about life in their partner community.
My Community
The "My Community" project was an opportunity for students to explore and describe their community for their partner school. The focus of their explorations was to identify the variety of elements that make a community unique and discover what attributes all communities have in common. It challenged the students to question what they see every day and discover new ways of interpreting their reality for peers from another culture.
 | | Poll results, Gissar |
Lead by Connectivity Lead Teachers assisted by On-Site Educators, the students first studied the "Family & Society" chapter from the IFES textbook, which deals with family structure as it relates to culture, economics, and the state. Then they studied different family structures in their own communities by conducting a survey among their neighbors. The students made Excel charts of their results to complete the IFES "Graphing Families" activity.
 | | My Community site, Delano High School |
The students were divided into teams to prepare and build their My Community website. They spent several weeks collecting information about their communities--conducting interviews, taking photos, and visiting museums, sites, and offices. They learned how to use the digital camera, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft FrontPage to create websites in Russian, and in most schools, in English as well. Click below to see some examples of the sites:
School Newsletters
As a result of their training sessions with Connectivity Project Master Trainers, teachers and students are putting their new computer skills to use. After learning how to use Microsoft Word, how to search for information on the Internet, and how to manipulate graphics, the teachers and students have made several newsletters to share what they have learned to a wider audience in their schools and communities. Here are some examples:
 | | Children's News, Kurgan-Tyube | |
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.
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