Title of project

VES Sets Out to Understand Contemporary IslamVirginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VAIn collaboration with American International School of Gaza

Global Citizenship Project

Project BackgroundVirginia Episcopal School (VES) in Lynchburg, VA participated in a virtual exchange program hosted by Global Nomads Group. As part of the program, our school collaborated with American International School of Gaza to develop solutions to the challenges our communities face.

We decided to address the problem of misconceptions and misunderstanding of true Islam in the wake of recent newscoverage of terror attacks.

To do this, we created a week of learning on campus for our adult and student population within the VES Community.

Understanding islamOur project was wholly inspired by our friends at AISG. In the wake of recent terror attacks and in the height of various political rhetoric consisting of anti-Islamic sentiment, VES students decided to try to learn more about Islam and bring about a better understanding to the rest of the VES community:Our hope was to bring about some programming that gave our community a foundational knowledge of Islam while at the same time breaking down misconceptions about the religion. We realize that most conflict and fear is a result of not understanding. We felt that if we could just bring about an awareness and open up in dialogue, it might plant seeds of change.

ProcessWe decided to use the same format that Global Nomads employs: Learn, Act, and Reflect.

We spent the first four days learning. We did this through documentary screenings, inviting speakers, as well as having a Fun Facts and Trivia game.

Then, we ask the students to reflect on their learning through writing a letter to our speakers, creating a video for AISG, or any other creative project. Thanks to GNG, we were able to survey the VES community at the start of the week and at the end of the week to measure learning.

ProcessAdd more photos of the processContinue to describe the steps your class took to create your project.

Qasim Rashid talks to VES parents and adults about True Islam.

ProcessAmong other documentaries, VES watched Salam Neighbor

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Lebanese American and college student, Maria Al-Abd discusses what it was like growing up as a devout Muslim in Lynchburg, Virginia

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Pakistani-American, Author, Lawyer, and Spokesman Qasim Rashid talks to the VES community about Islam.

ChallengesSome of the challenges we faced was an opposition to spending time to learn about Islam when we are a Christian school.

Once we provided a background for why and explained that We cannot solve the worlds problems with the same level of thinking that created them everyone seemed to better understand. We discussed the importance to merely understanding and opening up in dialogue which will build bridges rather than walls.

Final ProjectWe had letters, tweets, videos, and songs written as a final reflections from students Add a video, flier, photos of your finished project

Final Project

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Final ProjectMore photos, videos, or visuals of your final project

Final ReflectionsHow do you hope to continue this work in the future?

We can use this program as a learning platform to know how to approach this kind of awareness programming in the future.

Seeds were planted that will enable us to enter into future programming and events along the same lines.What went well?The speakers and the dialogue that was started between VES students and adults was profound. The openness and willingness of the community to learn.The survey results were better than I thought that they might be.All of our events were very well attended