The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is often unknown to Americans despite its rich complexity and centuries-old history and cultural traditions. WACDFW and the Embassy of the UAE in Washington, D.C., collaborated for a third educator study tour (previously in 2015, 2017, and 2019) to develop an educational program to bring context to the American classroom.
During the tour, educators interacted with top UAE government officials, visited internationally renowned museums, participated in cultural activities, visited schools and universities, and more! The purpose of the study tour was to forge connections between classrooms in the UAE and USA and provide primary experiences for US educators to engage with the Middle East and bring that knowledge back to their classrooms.
Participating Educators:
- Amanda Ledwon (TX) – Comparing and Contrasting Turning Points in History United States and United Arab Emirates
- Jessica Lugo (TX) – A Partnership to Save the World: A Deep Dive into the UN SDGs
- Jazmin Mier y Dominquez (TX) – Discovering the United Arab Emirates
- Mary Murphy (TX) – UAE Executive Briefs
- Linda Grosvenor (TX) – Meet the United Arab Emirates Unit Plan
- Paula Lewis (TX) – What is an Argument: Differences in the UAE vs. U.S.
- Dannica Barnum (GA) – Pieces of Me – Digital Mosaic Project
- Kimberly de Berzunza (CA) – UAE – Medieval World History
- Andrew Hartman (WI) – Urban Design and the UAE
- Oktay Ince (OH) – Innovation in the United Arab Emirates: A STEM Unit Plan
- Stephen Muench (NJ) – The Modern UAE: Cultural, Economic, Environmental, and Political Transformations in the 21st Century
- Anna Sifford (TX) – Lesson Plan: Emirati Foreign Policy & A New Pan-Arabism
In the spring of 2023, a delegation of educators from across the United States visited the UAE as part of a study tour supported by the UAE Embassy and the World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth. Their mission: explore, learn, forge connections, and bring that knowledge back to their classrooms. The group met with senior government officials, surveyed important religious and cultural sites like the Abrahamic Family House and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and observed classrooms in action at various UAE schools. Hear three teachers from three states share what they experienced and discovered in the UAE.