January 2014

Program Overview

USAID supports the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) through programs that improve teaching methodologies, introduce contemporary approaches to teaching and learning strategies, and expand the impact of early childhood programming. For high school students and new graduates, USAID supports increased access to educational opportunities and community-based youth programs.

Goals

• Develop programs to introduce and encourage best practices in education.
• Support Palestinian governmental and educational institutions to design, administer and manage programs.
• Increase Palestinian youth employment opportunities by preparing them for the job market through training in areas including leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
• Provide extra-curricular activities to help prepare youth for the job market through a wide range of trainings.

Active Projects

Palestinian Faculty Development Program (PFDP)
PFDP provides scholarships to Palestinian faculty to pursue graduate degrees in the United States in order to promote professional development and reform teaching practices in Palestinian higher education institutions.
Implementing Partner: AMIDEAST; Life of Project: 09/29/2005-03/30/2015; Total Estimated Cost: $22,404,213.

Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program
MAT supports the MoEHE to enhance the quality of basic education by improving teaching skills and providing opportunities for public teachers and supervisors to obtain graduate degrees in teaching.
Implementing Partner: BARD College; Life of Project: 05/10/2012-05/09/2015; Total Estimated Cost: $4,257,015.

Youth Entrepreneurship Development (YED) Program
YED provides trainings for youth aged 14-29, making them more competitive for the job market. YED also helps entrepreneurs start their own businesses.
Implementing Partner: International Youth Foundation; Life of Project: 09/30/2010-09/30/2015; Total Estimated Cost: $15,000,000.

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD) Program
LTD improves the competencies of thousands of teachers and principals through a decentralized approach to training and leadership development. LTD enhances the capacity of the MoEHE to efficiently qualify thousands of school teachers in accordance with its National Teacher Education Strategy.
Implementing Partner: AMIDEAST; Life of Project: 05/03/2012-05/03/2016; Total Estimated Cost: $15,999,977.

School Improvement Program (SIP)
SIP supports marginalized schools in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by: upgrading classrooms and school facilities in at least 50 schools; enhancing the schools’ learning and teaching environment through teacher training and leadership development for principals; and implementing extracurricular, career counseling, and sports activities.
Implementing Partner: AMIDEAST; Life of Project: 03/04/2013-03/03/2017; Total Estimated Cost: $20,000,000.

Master’s Scholarships Program (MSP)
MSP provides 20 scholarships for Palestinian students to pursue graduate degrees in the United States. These scholarships enable students to acquire knowledge and skills to help develop the Palestinian economy.
Implementing Partner: World Learning; Life of Project: 09/30/2013-09/29/2017; Total Estimated Cost: $4,049,519.

Partnerships with Youth Program (PwY)
PwY expands educational and leadership opportunities by creating sustainable hubs for youth and encouraging extra-curricular learning and innovation. It continues to develop and support Youth Development Resource Centers (YDRCs) which provide diverse trainings and partner with Cisco, Microsoft, and Intel to promote information technology (IT) skills among youth.
Implementing Partner: IREX; Life of Project: 03/01/2013-02/28/2018; Total Estimated Cost: $15,928,350.

Successes

• Helped 340 public school teachers complete professional certificate programs in English, math, science, and IT.
• Awarded seven sub-grants to train 4,000 youth aged 14-29 and prepare them for the job market.
• Conducted seven workshops providing career guidance and internships for students.
• Established centers of teaching excellence at An-Najah, Bethlehem, and Hebron Universities.