Global Cultures: Middle East, Arabs, and the Islamic World

In September 2004, Programs in International Educational Resources, International Affairs Council (PIER-IS) in The MacMillan Center in collaboration with the Yale Muslim Student Association (MSA) received a grant from NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State for Global Cultures: Middle East, Arabs, and the Islamic World. The project’s purpose is to develop an organized, systemic approach to enhance U.S./Muslim intercultural awareness among K-12 teachers and students by:

1) Establishing a cultural ambassador program by Yale MSA students to     primary and secondary schools in Connecticut;
2) Fostering relationships between MSA and primary and secondary students; and
3) Preparing teachers to enhance learning among K-12 students through     thematic professional development workshops in Academic Year 2004,     followed by an intensive summer institute on Islamic societies with an     accompanying field study abroad.

In Academic Year 2004, 95 teachers and other community members attended three professional development workshops featuring Yale faculty, MSA students, and other experts. Topics included, What and Where is the Middle East?, The U.S. and the Muslim World, and Islam or Islams: Unity or Diversity?

MSA students also shared their experiences and expertise with hundreds of middle and high school students at schools in Connecticut while, at the same time, learning about and interacting with students in local schools. Some schools took advantage of the opportunity to visit Yale where students spent the day learning about Islam and its contributions to the world by visiting a local mosque, hearing about the Qur’an and Islam in South Asia, learning to write names in Arabic, sampling traditional foods, and conversing with a panel of MSA students.

The MSA and PIER continue efforts to continue to increase US/Muslim Intercultural Awareness, particularly among schools and communities beyond Connecticut. Follow the links below to presentations prepared by individual MSA members and other useful resources.

For further information on how to participate in the Global Cultures: Middle East, Arabs, and the Islamic World program in Academic Year 2005, contact Janet Headley, PIER Director, International Studies (janet.headley@yale.edu).

PowerPoint Presentations:
Windows users, right click (control click) to download PowerPoint files.

Introduction to Islam
Saqib Bhatti, MSA, Class of 2004

Islamic Science
Saqib Bhatti, MSA, Class of 2004

PowerPoint notes for Introduction to Islam and Islamic Science presentations. (pdf)

Geometry and the Islamic Arts (pdf)
Sara Hashmi, Graduate Student