QFI Exchange Trip to Doha Brings Brazilian and Qatari Students Together With National Geographic Photo Camp

Posted on 2012-01-16

Brazil to Qatar: One World, Many Stories
 
WASHINGTON—January 15, 2012:  Twenty-two high school students and six teachers from the Qatar Foundation International-supported Arabic language and culture programs in São Paulo and Curitiba, Brazil, run by BibliASPA, will be paired with students from the Qatar Leadership Academy and Qatar Academy on an educational exploration in Doha, Qatar, from January 19 to 29, 2012.  

QFI has partnered with National Geographic  during the 10-day exchange trip. In support of the learning objectives, National Geographic photographers and QFI staff will teach students how to use photography and video to communicate their ideas and explore their own communities through the camera’s lens. In addition to teaching the students these important technical skills, QFI and National Geographic staff will work with the students to reflect on their experiences while in Qatar and turn the raw materials they produce — photos, videos, journal entries, etc. — into digital stories.
 
The overarching theme of the trip is global competency — a capacity that will be nurtured and developed through intercultural communication and digital storytelling. The learning objectives of the exchange are designed to give students the skills they need to become globally competent. During the trip, students will learn to (1) investigate the world beyond their immediate environment (2) recognize their own and others’ perspectives, and (3) communicate their ideas with diverse audiences.
 
Before traveling to Qatar, the students in Brazil will begin interacting with their peers in Doha using YALLAH, QFI’s moderated online discussion platform that features hybrid human and machine translation capabilities in Arabic, English, and Portuguese. Students in Brazil and Qatar will create individual profiles and upload photos and videos to serve as a snapshot of their communities.  Once they arrive in Qatar, the Brazilian students will meet the Qatari students they have been corresponding with online and for 10 days they will travel together around Qatar visiting important sites and learning about each other’s cultures and language.

National Geographic Photo Camp has provided programs for more than 1,000 young people in over 50 locations since 2003. Visit www.nationalgeographic.com/photocamp for more information.

Be sure to follow the progress of the trip live through the #BtoQ hashtag on Twitter and via QFI's Facebook Page.


About Qatar Foundation International
Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is a private U.S. foundation established on the principle that education can transform for the better individual lives, communities, and nations. Our mission is to promote education as a force that builds strong local communities, facilitates collaboration across geographical, social, and cultural boundaries, and builds a network of global citizens who communicate effectively and work together to find solutions to pressing global problems.

QFI will implement this mission through innovative educational and volunteer programs, which inspire lasting exchanges of experience and knowledge. Our programmatic focus is on interrelated issues of global importance: education, community engagement, technology, and health. QFI’s vision is of a world that embraces and respects diversity, values lifelong learning, and empowers individuals to take action to shape their future.

About the National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

###
CONTACTS:
Mimi Koumanelis                           Lauren McCollough
National Geographic Society          Qatar Foundation International
(202) 857-5814                                (+974) 332 52167 or +1 (202) 255-3575
mkoumane@ngs.org                        lmccollough@qfi.org
    

 

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