2003 Press Releases

Embassy Celebrates International Education Week 2003

Nov. 24, 2003

The Public Affairs Section, in conjunction with ECA-sponsored partners, American Councils for International Education (ACCELS) and IREX, organized a week of events and activities throughout Turkmenistan to celebrate International Education Week (IEW). Based on the theme Friendship In Education, IEW events during the week of November 17-22, 2003 included roundtable discussions, an Art for the Disabled program, and a pre-Thanksgiving Day feast. A conference highlighting the importance of tolerance and diversity concluded the week's events with a reflection on how the acts of tolerance and celebration of diversity are themselves instruments of education. Local media outlets widely publicized the week's activities, carrying event schedules and positive articles in support of future programs.

Capital City Events: Ashgabat Students Take the Drivers' Seats for Their Own Education

In Ashgabat, ACCELS and IREX hosted alumni roundtable discussions on topics geared toward informing the local community on educational opportunities and experiences in the United States, Turkmenistan, and abroad. PAS organized several well-attended events, for groups of exchange program alumni and local teachers and students:

Art for the Disabled

An International Visitor Program alumna combined her IV training in special education programs in America with the support of a grant from the FSA Alumni Small Grants Program, organized the third in a series of art therapy projects for disabled children, called Art for the Disabled during International Education Week. Art for the Disabled introduced children to the art of origami, watercolor painting, and appliquй with dry leaves, giving them an opportunity to express their inner thoughts through art. PA chose twelve winning pictures from students at the School for Mentally Impaired Children to display in a calendar, which will be sold at a Children's Winter Festival on December 7. Proceeds will benefit the child artists who created the calendar. In celebration of the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, CAO Natalie Ashton and Alumni Coordinator Dinara Matkarimova will present certificates of participation to all children who contributed their pictures for the calendar.

IRC Ashgabat Introduces Online Resources about Education in the United States

On November 18, 2003 IRC Assistant held a presentation “Online Resources about Education in the USA” dedicated to the IEW in ACCELS office. A group of schoolchildren, students and alumni were introduced to online resources related to the U.S. education in general, and educational administration, policy and development in the United States in particular. The participants also learned about online resources related to current education reform initiatives in the United States. The Internet resources ranged from the U.S. government websites to websites of non-profit organizations and think-tanks. The IRC Assistant demonstrated IIP e-journals, publications and links available through the InfoUSA CD-ROM. At the end of the presentation, each participant received publications related to the U.S. society and education.

An American in Moscow: American Exchange Student Experiences

On November 18, Embassy Ashgabat's GSO Joshua Baker spoke with 25 students about his experiences as an American graduate student in Moscow. Participants enthusiastically responded to his remarks with questions about the differences between American and Russian higher-education systems. While Mr. Baker's knowledge of English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic languages impressed the students, he was equally impressed by their English-language abilities and the fact that most of them expressed a preference for speaking Russian rather than Turkmen in their own homes.

Student Visas

Consular Officer Jennifer Hall-Godfrey provided information about visa regulations, and new rules and requirements for obtaining U.S. visas for educational purposes to those anxious to study in the United States. Most participants were in their post-secondary school years, exploring opportunities for obtaining higher education. Their travel questions led to further discussions on gaining the benefits of an American-style education while studying close to home, at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA).

Thanksgiving Celebration at CAO's House

One week before Thanksgiving Day, on November 22, CAO Natalie Ashton hosted a turkey dinner for FLEX and FSA/Undergraduate alumni. The CAO and alumni designed the pre-Thanksgiving Day event to celebrate Friendship In Education and cross-cultural awareness during IEW. Nostalgia permeated the evening, as students recalled American Thanksgivings and reunited with old friends from Ashgabat and throughout the regions. Alumni coordinator, Dinara Matkarimova, noted the importance of alumni gatherings for mutual exchanges of ideas and experiences. The CAO emphasized the Embassy's appreciation for alumni dedication and determination in their philanthropic work throughout the community. Most of the alumni who attended also took the lead on initiating projects and presentations for IEW.

Self-Study in Turkmenistan

On Friday, November 21, the CAO organized a roundtable discussion about home schooling at the ACCELS office in Ashgabat. DCM's wife, Stephanie Tansey, founder of the Chinese International School in Beijing, China, and Zohra Meredova, founder of a home school in Ashgabat, who designed an online home-study course for her own children, spoke at the roundtable. Maya Meredova, Cultural Affairs Assistant, promoted the PA's English Language teaching materials for those interested in learning English at home. Embassy representatives discussed home schooling opportunities with students, including how to self-study for university entrance exams and strategies for developing a learning enrichment program at home. Local community participants described the challenges they face in advancing their knowledge and pursuing higher education in Turkmenistan and abroad. Speakers encouraged participants to share resources and knowledge with one other, and to initiate college preparatory and study groups. This presentation represents the first in a series PA will devote to home school and self-study experiences.

Diversity Conference Participants Learn Publishing Principles

On November 23, 2003, the PA's IRC Specialist held a workshop on desktop publishing principles during the Diversity and Tolerance Conference organized by ACCELS. Around thirty schoolteachers, including TEA program winners from the capital and regions, learned skills for developing brochures, fliers, and posters. The IRC Specialist conducted interactive training in the fundamental elements of design and trouble-shooting techniques for creating brochures. Workshop participants practiced their skills by critiquing various brochures and fliers on diversity and tolerance, as well as developing material for creating an inclusive environment at schools. Each participant took home IRC resources, including lesson plans, teaching tools, Forum magazine, and the e-journal Language and Civil Society.

Country Journeys: Regional Events Bring Globalization Home

Throughout the regions, ACCELS and IREX hosted regional workshops, exposing students and teachers to U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs; American culture, education, and government; and global issues, such as tolerance and diversity, world population growth, women's education, European governance, and China and the West.

Dinara Matkarimova, Alumni Coordinator, traveled throughout Turkmenistan during IEW, conducting grant-writing workshops for active alumni. She explained new grant requirements in light of new local laws on foreign assistance and encouraged alumni to continue their work to promote civic activism in their communities.