Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education
HOPE is a program intended to join the teachers of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati with their counterparts in the schools of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Patriarchate serves the Latin (Roman) Rite Catholics of Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Cyprus and operates 44 schools with about 20,000 students and 1,800 teachers and administrators. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati serves nineteen counties of western and southwestern Ohio and maintains 110 schools with 40,000 students.
In 2003, preparations for the 150th anniversaries of two Parishes,
St. Andrew in Milford, Ohio and Annunciation in Beit Jala, Palestine, provided the inspiration for HOPE. Nancy Hemminger, an educator and St. Andrew’s Parishioner, with Pastor Fr. Rob Waller, worked with Annunciation Parish to bring five Eighth Grade students and their teachers from Palestine to Cincinnati. The result of this initial encounter was the beginning of HOPE.
Under Nancy Hemminger’s leadership, HOPE progressed into personal teacher to teacher “twinning” relationships that have created lasting friendships. It was also found that, rather than staying in hotels, whenever possible visiting teachers were welcomed into the homes of their “twins”. This opportunity for joining the families of another continent has proven to be not only a cost saving measure, but a life enriching experience for all involved.
With the keen cooperation of the Patriarchate School Superintendent, discussions and studies with educators from both Cincinnati and the Patriarchate, subsequent visits were expanded to more schools and educational programs were studied and introduced.
One of these programs is Talents Unlimited, which has been used in Cincinnati and has been enthusiastically adopted by the Patriarchate Schools. In addition to ongoing training by Dr. Kelly Lomax, two teachers in Nablus, Palestine not only underwent the extensive course of study to become certified Talents Unlimited Trainers, they also translated the teaching manual into Arabic. Two teachers in the Jordanian Patriarchate school district have also become certified trainers. To date, more than three hundred teachers from the Patriarchate Schools have received Talents Unlimited training.
Dr. Joe Gaston of the University of South Alabama has introduced to Patriarchate Schools concepts in video production as a teaching tool.
And the late Sr. Kateri Koverman, S.C. was instrumental in assisting educators in Palestine to recognize and aid students suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because of events experienced by living in a violent environment.
With the ongoing support of generous donors and the service of a volunteer Board of Directors and advisors, HOPE continues to bring together teachers, culture and understanding.
Although Nancy Hemminger retired from leadership of HOPE several years ago, she reminds us that HOPE is “for the children” and she remains an active proponent of our Mission. HOPE continues to work to be part of “God’s Project”.
NANCY HEMMINGER
HOPE’S FOUNDER
Nancy Hemminger and HOPE Beginnings
HOPE: Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education was founded in 2005 by Nancy Hemminger to build a bridge of love, peace, and friendship through education,” connecting teachers in the Latin Patriarchate Schools (LPS) of Israel, Jordan, and Palestine and those in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (AOC) schools. We walk with our brothers and sisters in the LPJ schools and, at their request, provide trainings, programs, and twinning between teachers.
Nancy has a background in education as a teacher in many areas of expertise including: working with students with special needs, students who are gifted and talented in her own elementary school classrooms and she has worked with college students in many situations as well as volunteering in other schools, her parish, and with the Children’s Peace Project in 2003 – 2009.
In cooperation with St. Andrew Parish in Milford, they brought over a group of Palestinian students for an experience in Cincinnati, Ohio. During that visit it became clear that the children had been affected by the turmoil in the country and needed additional help. By working with teachers many more students could receive the benefit of assistance and so HOPE was born.
In alternating years teachers from the Holy Land and Cincinnati connect for friendship, mutual training, fellowship, and sharing of each culture. They are hosted on each side by their fellow teachers and have a first-hand experience of life in another culture. These partnerships have led to increased sharing in classrooms in both places of the both cultures and student awareness of the effort for peace.