2006 Morocco Civic Engagement Workshop

The first Civic Engagement Workshop was held from April 6-13, 2006, in Rabat, Morocco. Seven Moroccan secondary school teachers, all graduates of UME's Teacher Education Institute, and four Boston-area high school teachers participated in the program.

In the workshop, participants were asked to collaboratively develop civic engagement activities for students. Discussion centered on the ways in which teachers could shape student involvement locally to both reflect and foster an international perspective, in line with the CEWs’ “Local Activism/Global Awareness” model of civic engagement.

Results of the workshop included: cultural exchange between Moroccan teachers and their American guests; “pen pal” programs and shared projects for American and Moroccan students; and the creation of the official Association of Moroccan Alumni of UME to further unite and organize Moroccan alumni of UME programming. Most importantly, each of the seven Moroccan high schools represented at the Rabat CEW developed new civic engagement activities for its students. Some of these included:

• Alphabet Festival, a mentoring project between high school students and orphans
• Tousna ("Knowledge"), a student magazine about school and community issues
• Let’s Save Our Earth, a student environmental action and awareness club
• A Water Resources Management Club
• Anfa Medinaty ("My Town"), an organization to build appreciation for Casablanca’s cultural heritage; “youth activism inspired by a deeper understanding of community history.”

The 2006 Morocco CEW was a personally and professionally enriching experience for participants, and provided new opportunities to their students. UME plans to reproduce and build upon this success in further CEWs across the MENA region.