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About iEARN
The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN)
is a non-profit that work to connect schools and youth organizations
via email, web and video technologies, in order to empower
young people to connect classroom learning with real world
issues, and to work collaboratively to find solutions to these
issues. Established in 1988 as a pilot project between schools
in New York and Moscow, iEARN has grown into an international
network of tens of thousands of schools in more than 120 countries,
each organizing national programs, but operating with the
same vision and purpose of supporting young people to make
a difference with their learning.
Structure
As part of iEARN's democractic structure, all international
decision-making across the network is carried out by an Assembly,
made up of representatives from iEARN Centers, all with one
vote. Any Center can apply to be on this Assembly, which meets
online throughout the year, and face-to-face once a year at
the annual iEARN Teachers' Conference and Youth Summit, hosted
by a difference iEARN country each July. The network's International
Executive Council rotates every two year, involving different
Centers in serving on the council. All iEARN Centers are held
to the standards set forth by the network's Constitution,
originally signed at the meeting of a preliminary iEARN Management
Team, Puerto Madryn, Argentina, July 12, 1994. At that time,
attention was paid to developing internal mechanisms of accountability
and transparency, and a structure emerged "based on the
principle of the global solidarity and equality of all of
its Members".
For a complete listing of countries currently active in
iEARN, see http://www.iearn.org/globe
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"The Open Society Institute
was working with programs for children in a number of
countries, and we got them computers and we spent a lot
of money, but we weren't really satisfied with the way
computers were being used, because teachers were using
old-fashioned techniques...and then I had the pleasure
of meeting Peter Copen and we got together and introduced
iEARN to the countries where the foundations work and
that was really much, much closer to what the Open Society
Foundations really wanted to accomplish. So this is why
I say I should be giving you an award. When we first met,
I didn't really think that 10 or 12 years later you would
have made such progress and you are now in 93 countries...
and it is doing a lot of good."
-George Soros, Chair, Open Society Institute, at iEARN’s
2000 Making a Difference Awards Gala in New York City |
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History
| Early Press
Coverage of the iEARN’s work as a pilot project
with the New York State Education Department and the Academy
of Science of the former Soviet Union. |
iEARN has been linking schools internationally since 1988.
In that year, the Copen Family Foundation, under the leadership
of Peter Copen, linked 12 schools in Moscow with 12 schools
in New York State in a pioneering demonstration that education
could be enhanced and the quality of life on the planet improved
if young people were to have the opportunity to use telecommunications
technologies to engage in collaborative projects.
Working with the New York State Education Department and
the Academy of Science of the former Soviet Union, students
worked in both English and Russian on curriculum-based projects
designed by participating teachers.
An independent evaluation of this demonstration project noted:
- students discussed political/social issues and international
events more frequently than a control group
- students read more at home, more news magazines and books
by authors from other countries
- the project impacted students' awareness and understanding
of international issues and current events
- enrollments in second language courses increased as students
wrote for an authentic audience
The heart of the program was (and continues
to be) the principle that students can be empowered
to enhance their learning through interactive project-based
learning and that they can, by addressing local, national
and global issues in these projects, make a meaningful
difference in the quality of life on the planet.
Based on teacher reactions (one told evaluators that
it "was the most dynamic and rewarding educational
experience I have had in my 22 years of teaching"),
iEARN expanded to nine countries in 1990. In each country
a "Center" was created to provide training
and support for teachers who were at the cutting edge
of educational change. |
Russian students find friends
in their US partners in the early days of iEARN.
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Based on the successful project work completed between 1990
and 1994, iEARN opened its network to schools worldwide and
currently works with schools in over 100 countries. Most of
these countries now have their own iEARN Coordinator and teacher
support structure to help educators integrate this technology
into their classroom teaching and learning. In some countries
the iEARN program is within the Ministry of Education. In
other countries it is a separate non-profit organization with
close ties to education and youth-service institutions. iEARN
involves approximately 1,000,000 students annually in collaborative
project work. It is growing exponentially as more classes
become connected.
During the last decade, iEARN teachers have received worldwide
recognition and many awards. They have accumulated centuries
of collective experience in how to design and implement collaborative
project work on-line. They are now active leaders in the field
of professional development and conduct trainings to enable
additional educators to participate in interactive on-line
educational work.
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