iEARN-USA - The International Education and Resource Network

Kanza Manzoor, Pakistan

February 2006 - Exchange Student

This exchange program gave me memories that I won't be able to forget and will cherish them all my life. I arrived at Charleston airport scared and confused. I had no idea how I will be treated and what these three weeks would be. But all my fears soon vanished when my host family greeted me pleasantly and tried to make things comfortable for me. Especially my host mom who struggled to find me things that I like to eat - which went on till I left. My host family cooperated as much as they could to help me adjust as fast as possible....

On the first weekend we went to Washington, DC....The Holocaust museum was my favorite one. We also visited the State Department and were asked questions related to our experience so far in America. It was on this trip that we really became friends with all American students. We really had a blast; we laughed and talked... [and] realized that teenagers think the same all around the globe...

Saira Zia, Pakistan

February 2006 - Exchange Student

...The parents [in the USA] have same issues as parents [in Pakistan], and girls [in the USA] have same dreams, same problems and common interests as we have. And one of the biggest cultural shocks I had was that there was no cultural difference at all. Apart from the religion and some basic difference, the general lifestyle was the same. It had been such a great lesson for me that I learned that you cannot judge people by their governments or what others tell you and I think this will help me for rest of my life... Click HERE for more...

Alfa Aquino, US Teacher from High School for Law and Public Service New York

February 2005 BRIDGE Exchange to Morocco

It was such a great experience for me and my students. We all learned so much about the Moroccan culture and traditions. We clarified our misconceptions about Arabs and most of all we bonded with tolerance for one another. Every school we visited treated us very nicely and welcomed us like if we were family. Click here for more.

Abdeljalil ait Elghassal, Moroccan Teacher

May 2005 BRIDGE Exchange Morocco to GW High School Law & Public Service

Washington Heights, NY

"I would like to express my thanks to iEARN... for the opportunity given to me and four Moroccan students... to benefit from a trip which was excellent... I wanted to enjoy it fully... to interact with as many people as possible and learn as much as I can about their ways of life... thinking, and...culture...[and in turn, teach] them about my country, my religion and my civilization...[I gave] three presentations, one about Morocco and Marrakesh, one about tolerance in Islam, and the other about the status of women in Morocco...[It] helped to change the misconceptions the others had [of Morocco] and at the same time changed those I had myself...[We] achieved something and contributed [to] narrowing the gap and building a bridge between two peoples that didn't know much about each other... or had false ideas and misconceptions... So long live iEARN!" Click here for more.

Izzat El-Hajj, Lebanese Student Grade 10

May 2005 BRIDGE Exchange Lebanon to Verona Area High School, Madison, WI

"This exchange program was truly a huge success, and this was all due to the great contribution of the school, the students, the teachers, the families, and a great man named Sabi. Being able to talk with the people on the forums prior to the actual exchange was also a great facilitator as it made us more comfortable with the people before meeting them. [This] gave us a jumpstart at the beginning of the physical exchange...Naturally, experiences such as these are great character builders..." Click here for more.

Neamat Sleiman, Lebanese Teacher

May 2005 BRIDGE Exchange Lebanon to Verona Area High School, Madison

"As a teacher, I was impresseed at how disciplined the students were in class...[and how]...wonderfully decorated classes [were], though simple and creative...The curriculum was interesting and different from what we are used to, still many procedures and approaches can be adopted and used here in Lebanon...now I feel I owe iEARN a great deal, I believe the great deal I owe iEARN is working harder, and by this I mean benefiting more students and improving myself at the same time. This is iEARN, whenever you help others learn, you do learn novice things too." Click here for more.

Sue Reget, US Teacher

October 2005 BRIDGE Exchange to Universal School of Lebanon

"...Another unforgettable component of the exchange was the welcome the entire staff and student body at Universal School of Lebanon [USL] showed us. All of us felt absolutely comfortable and at ease with all in the school. By staying in a classroom with host Lebanese students each Verona guest was able to understand the curriculum, teaching styles, and schedule at USL...The most special events for me were the presentations our students gave for various audiences. It was truly humbling to observe the seriousness, earnestness and sense of humor that marked their presentations. I saw them become more mature students who understood their mission as ambassadors of goodwill...By communicating through the iEARN forum we were able to put aside some of our apprehension about travel and the changing political environment. It was especially fun to read the messages of the Lebanese BRIDGE students who sounded so eager to see us in their country. Surprisingly, we heard from students not part of the exchange who read the hundreds of messages and [watched] the exchange unfold. The forum is an indispensable format to encourage and facilitate communication between the groups..." Click here for more.

James Doing, US Student

October 2005 BRIDGE Exchange to Universal School of Lebanon

"...Before I was involved in this exchange program, the name Lebanon sounded vaguely familiar and I thought it was in Africa...what I did [with] iEARN was truly an exchange. I was surprised [about how little some Lebanese knew] about America, and now I know more about the country of Lebanon than I ever thought I would... I learned to respect a different culture and force myself to try new things. And once I did try new things, I usually loved them...One of the things I'm really glad I experienced was Islam. Sitting in a classroom with a textbook in a predominantly Christian country means nothing compared to actually going to an Arab country and seeing it firsthand. I don't know many people who have done that, and I'm SO LUCKY to have had the opportunity. I feel like a knowledgeable, well-rounded person...programs like iEARN, people like me are given the chances of a lifetime. I'm pretty positive that if I hadn't gotten accepted into this exchange program, I would never have gone to the Middle East..."

Naila Khan, Pakistan BRIDGE Teacher

October 2005, Reflection on BRIDGE Community Service and iEARN Projects

"Being an educator it's my duty to teach the coming younger generation to cherish all good things around you and to come together to help each other in the time of need [in order to] develop civic sensibility. It ís not enough to donate funds but more to work with your own hands to help people. And being part of iEARN has all the more empowered me to carry out these small aims."