Spring Updates: A New School, Music Week and more!

Dear TSF Supporters,

Happy Spring! The Syria Fund has been hard at work making major expansions to our education programs, aligning them more closely than ever with the official Jordanian Response Plan, and reaching out to different groups, like teenagers and young adults, to broaden our impact! Read on to see what we've been up to thanks to your support.

The Stamp of Approval for The Azraq School

Over the last 6 months, The Syria Fund team has been working with the Jordanian government to register The Azraq School as an approved education program within the Official Jordan Response Plan to the Refugee Crisis. We received approvals from the local ministry of commerce in Zarqa Governorate (the governorate for Azraq), the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Education, and finally the Prime Minister’s Office! These approvals will allow us to expand the program, hire more teachers and serve more students, and benefit from the resources and support from the Ministry of Education. Since the program is a joint project with our local partner SAWA, registration will also enhance their capacity to serve the community of Azraq. We are so proud to share with you this exciting development!

A New School with MECI for 150 Kids

TSF Director Lexi signed on the dotted line this month to collaborate on a new education program with our longtime partner the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI). We’ll work with MECI to bring their proven remedial education and psychosocial support curriculum to 150 vulnerable children in Northern Jordan. We look forward to launching this program in the coming months and expanding our mission of making sure every child has the education they deserve! Special thanks to the Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation, the Giuliani Foundation for the Arts, Travel with Purpose, Students for Refugees and the many individuals who donated to bring this program to life!

Songs for Syrians 3rd Annual Music Week

TSF was proud to host S’Cool Sounds Director Nina Stern for the 3rd Annual Songs for Syrians Music Week at The Azraq School! Over the course of a week, students immersed themselves in music and art with courses in recorder, percussion, singing (in Arabic and English!), and drawing. The program culminated in a final performance in front of 30+ parents and community members. Music has become an integral part of our school community and our students love to express themselves through the arts! Look out for a video recap in the coming weeks!

A Skype Exchange with Canada

This month, Azraq School students participated in a Skype exchange with students at the Dixon Hall Music Camp in Toronto, Canada. The kids exchanged songs, asked each other questions, and learned about each other’s customs. It was an amazing experience for all! Read more about the exchange HERE in the Toronto Star.

New Programs to Reach Teenagers

In addition to our work with students ages 6-14 at The Azraq School, we are working to expand our efforts to reach other vulnerable groups including teenagers and young adults. The first stage was a percussion club pilot program targeting teenage boys during our music week. High school drop-out rates among Syrians in Jordan are high and several of the boys who participated in this pilot program have completely stopped attending school. Bringing them together around percussion helped them focus on communication, rhythms and concentration - valuable skills they can carry over to other areas in their lives. At the end of the program, the boys had made tremendous progress and were confident enough to successfully perform in front of 30+ community members! Stay tuned for more updates as we expand our presence through The Azraq School to reach teenagers and other community members who need it most!

Thank you for continuing to support The Syria Fund's work to reach vulnerable refugee children and families in Jordan! Everything we do is possible because of your generosity. 

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With gratitude,

The Syria Fund team