Project Updates

Konstantine (Koba) Grdzelishvili (Muskie ‘03) and Nini Jokhadze (UGRAD ‘07) visited high school students in Gori as a part of Georgian Alumni Quarterly Events. Mr. Grdzelishvili studied education in the US and already has a substantial experience in teaching school children. Mr. Grdzelishvili and Ms. Jokhadze held a CV-writing and motivational letter writing workshop, which covered a number of related topics.

Muskie alumni have been connecting with and contributing to their communities. Here are some updates on their work.

Karine Taslakyan, Armenia (Alumna 2004) During her fellowship in the United States, Muskie alumna Karine Taslakyan was afforded an array of opportunities that provided her with invaluable skills in both project management and natural resource management. She studied Public Administration at the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington for two years and interned for a summer at the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Individual initiative is often the small spark that incites change within a school community. Raphael Aidoo-Taylor of Ghana is an alumnus of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA), which equips teachers with teaching methodologies, strategies for classroom management, and a broader understanding of the culture and people of the United States.

As new media technologies continue to proliferate, Russian media outlets have a growing need for skilled editorial staff who can utilize these new media tools and understand how they can be integrated into the traditional newsroom. This in turn has led to a rising interest in educational programs on multimedia journalism.  Yet only a few universities in Russia have the resources to launch such programs.

During September-November 2010, sixty-four teachers from 21 different countries came to the US for a six-week professional development program.

IREX’s 2010 annual report is here! In it we feature stories about just a few of the partners and participants who inspire us, such as: the energetic teacher who’s improving access to education for the homeless in a poverty-stricken community in India; the individuals from different clan and subclan communities in Somalia using media and mediation tools to transform conflict; the librarians using technology to better serve over 300 communities across Romania; and more.

The Muskie program celebrates International Education Week (IEW) with the release of the 2011 Muskie Host University Application.  Since 1992, Muskie fellows have contributed to campuses  across the US by adding their unique perspectives to the classroom and campus life.   University hosts benefit from the enthusiasm and dedication of these bright and promising Eurasian leaders.  At the same time, Mu

It sounds counter-intuitive, even cruel, but when the participants leave in tears, I know our program is working.

Elena Celac has been working for Sor TV for six years. She loves to talk with people, to hear about their joys and their grief, and to discover interesting stories for the TV viewers. Her work in television gives her this opportunity daily. She looks for her subjects on the street, in schools, on her way to work or home – anywhere.