This multicultural experience included immersion and interaction with the Israeli Druze, Bedouins, Palestinians, Jews, and Arabs to obtain a deeper understanding of the variety of perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The goal is to add depth to classroom discussions about the Middle East. During their 10 days in Israel, educators traveled through Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Caesarea, Haifa, Jerusalem, and the region near the Sea of Galilee.
The program was envisioned and developed by William Fluharty, director of the Nexus Global Studies program at Cape Henry Collegiate and director emeritus of the Global Education Benchmark Group. Fluharty created the itinerary and connected with private and public schools across the state to offer this opportunity to faculty and administrators.
“Educators participating in this program will gain a depth of knowledge on the challenges in Israel, which will transfer to their students with more engaging personal narratives,” says Fluharty, who led the 2017 trip. “As a teacher who visited Israel for the first time in 2006, seeing these historic sights and speaking with the people who lived there impacted the way I teach the topic of Israel and Palestine. Whenever teachers can supplement their knowledge of a topic with firsthand experience, the students will be the clear beneficiaries.”
After the trip, participants are required to share details of their experience through published articles and presentations in their community. CRC hopes the program will grow over time to reach a broader number of educators. The goal is to run the Virginia trip annually, and in time, invite other states with partnering Jewish communities to also participate.
“These educators will be able to enhance their curriculum with firsthand experiences and model for students the passion that can develop when immersed in another place and culture,” says Christopher Garran, head of school at Cape Henry Collegiate. “I am excited that we can offer teachers such a rich professional development experience overseas, and know that those experiences will enhance their teaching and our students’ learning.”
The other participating Virginia institutions were Collegiate School in Richmond, Episcopal School in Alexandria, Lakeland High School in Suffolk, Norfolk Academy, Norfolk Public Schools, and St. Christopher’s School in Richmond.