Lots of things are happening with HOPE!   We’ll  begin with a great big THANK YOU to:  Fr. Ashraf, Alnimri, Superintendent of Latin Patriarchate Schools in Jordan Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Ms. Kelly Lomax, Director of Talents Unlimited in Mobile, Alabama.   We are most grateful to these three persons, who are real advocates for children. Last December 2014, a meeting was held in Jordan with Fr. Ashraf, Dr. Rigg and Nancy Hemminger, HOPE Director, along with Suha  Haddadin, who is the General Administrator for the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Jordan and the Training Coordinator and Curriculum Director to discuss training for Suha and a second teacher in the Thinking Skills Program called Talents Unlimited.   In 2011, Suha received her first  training in Talents Unlimited,   when she visited Cincinnati as part of the twinning program for HOPE (Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education).

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Jim Rigg, Nancy Hemminger, Father Ashraf, and Suha Haddadin,

Since that time, it was her hope to implement it for the LP schools in Jordan, but this program requires three in-service trainings  to become a Certified Trainer. In  March 2015,  Suha traveled to Mobile Alabama for her second training and she was joined by Amal Al-Thubian, an English teacher from Misdar School in Jordan.  Suha will come for her third training in Cincinnati in October and she will be joined by Amal and a Principal from Jordan. Director of Talents Unlimited – Kelly Lomax,  opened the door of hospitality and Talents Education in Mobile, Alabama for Suha and Amal.  Don’t miss the photos on the next blog showing the training of Suha and Amal and all of the Southern hospitality that made learning a joy.   Talents Unlimited Coordinator, Kelly Lomax  provided the following explanation of Talents: “The concept of Talents Unlimited is for the teacher to integrate academic standards with five different talents:  productive thinking, communication, decision-making, planning and forecasting.  One of which will be the student’s strength and will relate with his or her way of thinking.  The Talents model does not teach towards a test according to Lomax, “it’s teaching students to be better learners and better thinkers, ultimately it creates better citizens.” Suha Haddadin, a school director from Jordan and over twenty-five schools, believes the element of student interaction is what is missing in her classrooms.   A reason why she traveled twenty-seven hours to attend the Talents conference in Mobile. “I first trained in Cincinnati.” said Haddadin.  (The Archdiocese of Cincinnati endorses HOPE – Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education and  the Latin Patriarchate system of schools that is in the Middle East).   This time, thanks to Project HOPE  and the efforts of Dr. Jim Rigg and Fr. Ashraf Alnimri,  both Suha and Amal Al-Thubian attended an intensive two-day workshop. They observed several classrooms and shared ideas with Kelly and other educators from Alabama.   They are excited about launching the program back in the Middle East.  “It’s all about the students and getting them involved in the learning process,” says Haddadin, “actually most of our teachers are just implementing the traditional way, which is the teacher is the core.”  According to what she saw demonstrated, “displaying their achievements, their work hanging on the walls that is brilliant.  So it’s my hope to do the same back at home to get students involved and Talents Unlimited is the way to start.”   Thank you, Dr. Jim Rigg,  for inviting Suha and Amal. Thank you, Fr. Ashraf, for your support of your teachers and the HOPE project, including Talents. Thank you, Kelly Lomax, for opening the door to Talents for Suha and Amal  and all of your hospitality. Thank you, Suha and Amal,  for your dedication as educators in Jordan.