The Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) at the Lebanese American University (LAU) has been awarded a grant of 59,995 Euros from HOPES (Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians) for a project entitled “ Blended Learning Summer Schools for Teachers Working with Vulnerable Children”. This 12 months project is in partnership with University College London (UCL). The proposed project coincides with an existing 5-year research project (funded by ESRC) in partnership with UCL, which aims to promote inclusive growth in Lebanon.
The main aim of the project is to provide professional development opportunities through a 16-week module for individuals working in educational settings in Lebanon, which accommodates refugees, children and young people from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds. The module proposed will focus on teaching and learning strategies, classroom management, and teaching students with mixed disabilities. More specifically, the project comprises of a blended learning teacher professional development (TPD) programme, which combines learning via (Massive Open Online Courses) MOOCs and learning face-to-face. The project aims as well to develop the capacity of educators in providing quality teaching and learning for children and young people both refugees from Syria and Lebanese students who attend public schools. It also targets educators and educational practitioners in the non-formal sector.