While their American host communities observe Black History Month, YES alumni are taking the celebration of African American achievements international.

Access English Microscholarship students in the West Bank spent time in February this year learning about prominent African American figures and preparing presentations. To help them, YES alumni organized a public speaking training session on February 18, 2017 at the AMIDEAST office in Ramallah. Dawoud Zahran (YES 2011-2012, hosted by AFS in Brodhead, WI) and Noor Maslamani (YES 2015-2016, hosted by IRIS in Boone, IA) joined YES Alumni Coordinator Ahmed Touqan (YES 2011-2012, hosted by YFU in Raleigh, NC) for the training.

Dawoud started the day by providing students with tips on how to give a powerful, creative and effective presentation. Then Noor and Ahmed gave further explanations and examples. During the session, YES alumni used an interactive, video approach; Access students were asked to deliver their presentations in front of the class while YES alumni videotaped their performance. The videos were then screened in front of the presenter and the whole class helped evaluate them. This approach in presentation skill training allowed the presenter to evaluate his or her own performance, areas they need to work on, and how they can reach their maximum potential. The training created a supportive environment that allowed more engagement and learning for the entire class.

By the end of the day, Access students and teachers found this training to be very beneficial, and they all learned more about African American heritage in the process. You can see for yourself in the video below, created by Ahmed!