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Past Professional Development Programs

Past Educator Workshops, Presentations & Resources
(in reverse chronological order)

2021

• September–December 2021:Teachers Collaborating Across Borders virtual exchange program between educators in the United States and in the Middle East
• August 5, 2021: “Kseksou/Couscous: A Moroccan Culinary Art Experience and Cultural Heritage” with Dr. Samia Touati, part of the Duke/UNC area studies centers’ “Cultural Kitchen Series”
• May 20, 2021: “How to Teach about the Middle East – and Get it Right” spring series: “Hip Hop and Women’s Voices in the Middle East and North Africa” with Dr. Angela Williams
• April 22, 2021: “How to Teach about the Middle East – and Get it Right” spring series: “Teaching about the Middle East through Underreported Stories” with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
• April 12, 2021: “Celebrating the History and Cultural Contributions of Arab Americans: A Webinar for Educators” presented with the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, NC State University
• March 18, 2021: “How to Teach about the Middle East – and Get it Right” spring series: “Experiential Learning about the Middle East through the Senses” with Barbara Petzen
• March 11, 2021: “Global Read Webinar Series Webinar: Salma the Syrian Chef” by Danny Ramadan, winner of the 2020 Middle East Book Award for Picture Books. Co-sponsored by the Middle East Outreach Council and the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University.
• March 8 – April 30, 2021: Online Course: Understanding the Modern Middle East, developed in collaboration with the National Humanities Center
• February 25, 2021: “How to Teach about the Middle East – and Get it Right” spring series: “Teaching Middle East History in World History” with Dr. Allen Fromherz
• January 28, 2021: “How to Teach about the Middle East – and Get it Right” spring series: “Teaching Islam through Art” with Dr. Christiane Gruber

2020

• December 8, 2020:  Webinar on “The Future of Language Learning in North Carolina,” held in conjunction with the 6th annual Learning through Languages High School Research Symposium
• December 5, 2020: K-12 Webinar: Making Positive Change: Stories of Peacebuilding from the Middle East and North Africa – Panelists from Syria, Iraq, and Sudan discussed their diverse work in peacebuilding and community engagement. Held in collaboration with the Institute of World Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for International Education.
• November 20, 2020: Middle East and African Cultures Fellows virtual site visit: Immigrant Kitchen
• November 16, 2020: K-12 Webinar: Understanding Racism in the Arab World and Beyond, part of an International Education Week series on Social Justice and Human Rights around the World organized by the Duke-UNC area studies centers and the NC Department of Public Instruction
• November 9 – December 18, 2020: Online Course: Understanding the Modern Middle East, developed in collaboration with the National Humanities Center
• November 6, 2020: Middle East and African Cultures Fellows virtual site visit: Masjid Omar ibn Sayyid
• November 5, 2020: “Poets of Protest – Poetry in the Middle East and North Africa” Session at the North Carolina English Teachers’ Association virtual conference
• October 16, 2020: Middle East and African Cultures Fellows virtual site visit: North Carolina African Services Coalition
• October 13, 2020: K-12 Webinar: Challenging Misconceptions of Slavery:
The Life of Omar ibn Said. A partnership with Carolina K-12, the NC Museum of History, and UNC’s Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies to discuss the incredible life, work and resistance of Omar Ibn Said, as well as the often-overlooked role of Muslims in Antebellum America. 
• September 18, 2020: Middle East and African Cultures Fellows virtual site visit: Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
• September 14–October 23, 2020: Online Course: Understanding the Modern Middle East, developed in collaboration with the National Humanities Center
• September 13 – November 22, 2020: Teachers Collaborating Across Borders virtual exchange program between educators in the United States and in the Middle East
• August 4-7, 2020: Virtual Summer Seminar: Diversities of the Middle East. Through both synchronous and asynchronous sessions, the seminar addressed the religious, geographic, ethnolinguistic, economic, and cultural diversity found across the Middle East and North Africa.
• July–December 2020: Teachers Collaborating Across Borders virtual exchange program between educators in the United States and in the Middle East
• July 23, 2020: Global Education Happy Hour: Global Teaching and Digital Learning, a series of informal discussions on different global topics for educators, sponsored by the Duke-UNC Area Studies Centers
• July 16, 2020: Global Education Happy Hour: Arts-based Global Education, a series of informal discussions on different global topics for educators, sponsored by the Duke-UNC Area Studies Centers
• July 9, 2020: Global Education Happy Hour: Teaching Globally in Rural Settings, a series of informal discussions on different global topics for educators, sponsored by the Duke-UNC Area Studies Centers
• May 22, 2020: Webinar: “Curriculum on The Syrian Civil War from the Choices Program.” By exploring the history of Syria from the Ottoman Empire to French colonial rule, Syrian independence, and the rise of the Assad regimes, The Syrian Civil War provides the necessary historical background to understand the recent conflict.
• May 7, 2020: Webinar: “Ramadan and Public Education: How Teachers Can Meet the Needs of Muslim Students during COVID-19 and Beyond”: This webinar by Anderson Al Wazni, MSW, addressed practices and traditions of Ramadan, as well as how COVID-19 is affecting Muslim families and communities.
• April 21, 2020: Webinar: “Understanding the Modern Middle East.” This webinar examined historical forces that have shaped the region across the 20th century, and increased understanding of the complexities and familiarity of its peoples and societies. Featuring Akram Khater, Professor of History, Khayrallah Distinguished Professor of Lebanese Diaspora Studies, North Carolina State University. This event was in partnership with the National Humanities Center.
• March 18, 2020: Webinar: Middle East Book Award Winner, Darius the Great is Not OKAY by by Adib Khorram (Dial Books, 2018), winner of the 2019 Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature. Co-sponsored by the Middle East Outreach Council and the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. Recommended grade level 7 – 9.
• March 2, 2020: Workshop: Andalucía: History and Culture of Muslim Spain, National Humanities Center, Research Triangle, NC. Teachers learned about the flourishing of learning, development and the arts in Al-Andalus, the history of Andalucía, and the nature of the coexisting (or convivencia) of various cultural groups, as Andalucía was at the crossroads of several civilizations resulting in a blend of European, Spanish, Islamic, Arab, African, Middle Eastern, and Jewish civilizations.

2019

• November 7, 2019: K-12 Twitter Chat: International Education Week: This Twitter chat was co-hosted by the NCDPI Global Education Committee, UNC-Duke Consortium for Latin American And Caribbean Studies, Center for European Studies, Carolina Navigators, Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies, Carolina Asia Center, and the African Studies Center! See #NCisGlobal, #NCIEW, and @NCGlobalEd.
• November 2, 2019: Workshop: Global North Carolina Bringing International Competencies to Teachers & Classrooms, Duke University: Sessions addressed immigration trends, cross-cultural communication and collaboration, as well as diverse cultures, histories, and perspectives of different global communities in North Carolina, preparing teachers to navigate global issues in the classroom. Sponsored by the NC Department of Instruction & the UNC-Duke Area Studies Centers.
• October 28, 2019: “She Who Tells a Story: Women and Gender in the Middle East” workshop at the Ackland Art Museum. During this interdisciplinary, arts-integrated workshop, teachers learned how women have shaped political, social, and cultural life of the Middle East, while making connections to the Ackland’s special exhibition, She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World.
• October 25, 2019: “Learning Through Languages: An Opportunity for Students to Show Global Expertise” at the FLANC conference, Winston Salem, NC. This session provided teachers with information and multiple perspectives on the annual Learning through Languages Research Symposium (LTL) at UNC, a unique way for students to conduct and present research in their language of study. 
• October 9, 2019: “Connecting the Middle East to the Southeast” Professional Development Workshop in Greensboro, NC, offered in partnership with Guilford County Schools. This half-day professional development workshop explored various dimensions of the Middle East with speakers from UNC Chapel Hill and the Greensboro community, addressing history, cultures, migration, and current issues. 
• September 26, 2019: K-12 Educator Open House featuring “She Who Tells a Story” at the Ackland Art Museum
• September 23, 2019: Informational Webinar for the Learning through Languages High School Research Symposium, offered in collaboration with NC DPI World Languages.
• August 22, 2019: The Consortium offered two sessions on “Teaching About the Middle East Through the Arts” at the Guilford County Schools social studies professional development day, Greensboro, NC.
• August 15, 2019: The Consortium offered two sessions on “Teaching About the Middle East Through the Arts” at the World View Global Education Summit, Hickory Ridge High School, Harrisburg, NC.
• June 23-28, 2019: “Dimensions of the Middle East: A Summer Institute for Educators,” Duke University. 40 teachers from across the country joined DISC and DUMESC for a five-day workshop designed to introduce teachers to geopolitics, history, cultures and arts, and diverse religions of the Middle East. 
• April 13, 2019: “Women and Gender in the Middle East: A Workshop for Educators,” Durham Technical Community College: Teachers joined Carolina K-12 and the Duke UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies to explore women and gender in the Middle East.
• April 11, 2019: “World War I and the Middle East: A Workshop for Educators”, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC: This workshop explored World War I and its impacts on the Middle East, providing historical context to today’s struggles over belonging, identities, and the map of the Middle East. 
• February 28, 2019: The Consortium offered a session at the 49th annual NCCSS Conference in Greensboro, NC: The Destruction of Syria.
• January 23, 2019: The Consortium collaborated with the Middle East Book Award to present a conversation with award-winning author, J. Zeynep Joukhadar on her book The Map of Salt and Stars.

2018

• December 8, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program Culminating Workshop, UNC-Chapel Hill: This final event in the year-long Middle East & African Cultures Teacher Fellows program featured a panel discussion on the importance of Middle Eastern and African studies and culturally-relevant pedagogy. The MEAC Fellows also presented curriculum they created with fellowship themes.
• December 1, 2018: “Exploring Iran: Politics, Society, and Culture,” UNC-Chapel Hill: K-12 teachers joined the Consortium for an exploration of Iranian culture, politics, and society. Teachers deepened historical and contemporary understanding of Iran with sessions by preeminent scholars in Iranian studies and made connections to the Iranian community in North Carolina.
• November 29, 2018: Area Studies & Outreach Conference, Chicago, IL: Outreach Coordinator presented: “Knowing your Neighbors: Engaging Community Experts in Outreach to K-12 Educators” to other outreach specialists.
• November 7, 2018: Bassem Youssef: The Joke is Mightier than the Sword,
UNC-Chapel Hill: In this special event for teachers who have participated in the Consortium’s intensive teacher fellows programs, teachers explored the Arab Spring and political satire, focusing on the Egyptian Revolution and the environment in Egypt today.
• October 17, 2018: The Consortium offered two sessions at World View’s fall Global Education Symposium for K-12 educators; Co-director Charles Kurzman gave a keynote lecture on “The Destruction of Syria,” and Outreach Coordinator gave a concurrent session on “Teaching about the Middle East through the Arts.” 
• October 11, 2018: Webinar: “The Dark Continent: (Re)Thinking and (Re)Defining The Way We Study and Learn Africa:” The Consortium partnered with the National Humanities Center to offer this webinar on Thursday, October 11, 2018 featuring Terza Lima-Neves, Professor of Political Science, Johnson C. Smith University. This seminar moved beyond sensationalized popular stories of Africa to focus on the current realities, successes and challenges as well as general themes illustrated through specific country examples from the African perspective, including content on North Africa. To access a recording of the webinar, please visit here.
• October 6, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Cultural Landscape & Community: Iranian Cultural Society of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
• September 8, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Cultural Landscape & Community: Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, Raleigh
• August 14, 2018: The Consortium offered two sessions on “Teaching About the Middle East Through the Arts” at the World View Global Education Summit, North Buncombe High School, Weaverville, NC.
• August 10, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Migration and Diaspora: NC African Services Coalition, Greensboro
• June 24-29, 2018: “Dimensions of the Middle East: Foundations, Cultures, and Geopolitics: A Summer Institute for Educators,” Duke University. 38 teachers from across the country joined us for a five-day workshop designed to introduce teachers to different dimensions of the Middle East. From social movements to geopolitics to cultures and more, teachers deepened understanding of both the historic and modern Middle East.
• June 22, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Shared Histories & Cultural Retention: Middle East & African Food, Charlotte
• April 28, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Shared Histories & Cultural Retention: Masjid Omar Ibn Said, Fayetteville
• April 26, 2018: Webinar with award-wining author, Ibtisam Barakat: The Consortium collaborated with the Middle East Book Award to present a conversation with award-winning author, Ibtisam Barakat on her book Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine.
• April 21, 2018: Environmental Issues in Latin America & the Middle East, UNC Chapel Hill: K-12 teachers joined the Duke-UNC Consortia in Middle East and Latin American and Caribbean Studies for a day-long interdisciplinary workshop to explore environmental issues in Latin America and the Middle East. During this interactive one-day workshop, teachers explored pressing global environmental concerns including issues related to water, climate change, mining, and environmental activism, as well as comparative ways to examine these issues across regions.
• March 1, 2018: Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program site visit: Migration and Diaspora: Al Sarah and the Nubatones, Durham
• February 24, 2018: Hip-hop and Peacebuilding in the Middle East, A Workshop for Educators, UNC-Chapel Hill: During this creative one-day workshop, teachers learned about major sociopolitical shifts in Syria and uprisings in the Middle East with world-renowned hip-hop artist Omar Offendum, and explored how music and the arts can be an avenue to engage students in cross-cultural learning.
• February 16-17, 2018: Program orientation for the Middle East and African Cultures Teacher Fellows Program.
• February 8-9, 2018: The Consortium offered two sessions at the 48th annual NCCSS Conference in Greensboro, NC: Learning and teaching about global Islam through the arts; and The Truth About Terrorism

2017

• December 13, 2017: Learning Through Languages High School Research Symposium, UNC Chapel Hill. NC world language high school students had the opportunity to showcase their language, research, and presentation skills in a scholarly environment. Visit http://areastudies.unc.edu/ltl/ for more information.
• December 2, 2017: Turkey: From the Ottoman Empire to Contemporary History and Politics, Durham, NC: In this day-long workshop, teachers explored the historical, political, and cultural aspects of the Ottoman Empire as well as its legacies and Turkey today.
• October 26-27, 2017: World View Symposium: Human Rights and Social Justice | Friday Center, UNC Chapel Hill: This global education symposium featured sessions on human rights issues to increase awareness of human rights and social justice issues, and to provide pedagogical strategies and resources for integrating human rights and social justice issues into teaching. Omid Safi, Duke Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, gave a keynote presentation, “Need for Social Justice and Finding Peace.”
• October 12, 2017: Webinar: The Art of Revolution: Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria:
The Consortium partnered with the National Humanities Center to offer this webinar on Thursday, October 12, 2017 featuring Professor Ellen McLarney, Duke University. This seminar explored the historical contexts leading to the eruption of the uprisings known as the Arab Spring in early 2011 with a focus on influence of religion, religious parties, and religious movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria—in the post-uprising elections, governments, and constitutions.
• August 22, 2017: Word View Partner’s Program: A World of Opportunity, Northside High School, Jacksonville, NC: The 2017 UNC World View Partners Program in Onslow County kicked off the school year with a focus on 21st century global issues and global education. The Consortium presented two sessions on “Teaching about the Middle East: Strategies and Resources.”
• August 15, 2017: Connecting the Middle East to the Southeast: A local study tour for educators on Middle Eastern food: This one-day professional development program offered a meaningful experience for teachers to deepen their understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and foodways.
• June 25-29, 2017: Summer Institute: The Middle East and Islam: New perspectives of Islamic History from the 16th century to the present, Duke University. During this five-day workshop, teachers were introduced to key themes in contemporary Islamic Studies, exploring overviews of the Safavid and Ottoman empires and their modern counterparts in Iran and Turkey, as well as the impact of Islam in America today. This program was hosted by the Duke Islamic Studies Center, with support from the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies.
• June 22, 2017: World View Global Education Leaders Program: Professor Charles Kurzman presented ‘Teaching the Middle East,” and Outreach Coordinator presented “Strategies for teaching about the Middle East.”
• Saturday, May 20, 2017: Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program: Final Workshop. This final workshop featured presentations by each fellow on the curriculum they created as well as a panel discussion, “Broadening Minds: Exploring the Diversity of Islam” to discuss major themes from the year.
• April 8, 2017: Silk Road: Past and Present, a Workshop for Educators, UNC Chapel Hill. This day-long workshop explored the Silk Road and contemporary trade through art, music, and presentations by faculty and staff from UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, and Duke University.
• Friday, March 31, 2017: Sounds of Kolachi, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program. Presentation on Pakistan and Sufi traditions by David Gilmartin, NC State University.
• March 28-30, 2017: World View Spring Seminars: World View offered a seminar for K-12 and community college educators to learn about Africa and North Africa, highlighting the diversity of lived experiences within the continent of Africa and the interconnectedness of Africa with other nations. 
• March 2-3, 2017: North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Conference, Greensboro, NC: The Consortium presented two sessions: “Understanding the United States and Iran,” and “Religious Diversity in the Classroom: Learning and Teaching about Islam.”
• Thursday, March 2, 2017: Ajoka Theater: Dara, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program. Presentation on the Mughal Empire by Matt Cook, Professor of Postcolonial and South Asian Studies, NC Central University.
• February 12, 2017: Power of Poetry in the Classroom, During this innovative half-day workshop, teachers attended Mohammad Moussa’s Shattered Glass, then explored how spoken and written word can be used as a teaching tool in the middle and high school classroom with internationally renowned spoken word artist Kane Smego, particularly as a means to engage with social issues that connect to diversity, religious tolerance, and Islam.
• January 28, 2017: Islam in America: A Cultural History, In partnership with the National Humanities Center’s “America in Class Webinar” series, this free webinar posed the question, “What does it mean to be a Muslim American?” by addressing local and global, national and transnational identities led by Ellen McLarney, Associate Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University
• Friday, January 27, 2017: Nani | Topeng Losari, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program. Lorraine Aragon, Adjunct Associate Professor for the Departments of Anthropology and Asian Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill presented on Indonesian Cultural Arts.

2016

• December 10, 2016, Visual arts workshop, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program.
• December 8, 2016, Learning Through Languages High School Research Symposium, UNC Chapel Hill. NC world language high school students had the opportunity to showcase their language, research, and presentation skills in a scholarly environment. Visit http://areastudies.unc.edu/ltl/ for more information.
• November 12, 2016, Migration and Human Rights: Stories from Latin America and the Middle East, Duke University.This workshop focused on migration, displacement, and human rights in the context of Latin America and the Middle East, as well as connections between these two regions.
• October 25, 2016: Youssou N’Dour: Sufi Songs, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program. Barbara Anderson, Associate Director, African Studies Center; Lecturer, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies presented on “Sufism in Senegal.”
• September 18, 2016: Ping Chong & Company: Voices of Muslim Identity, Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows Program. Juliane Hammer, Associate Professor and Kenan Rifai Scholar of Islamic Studies, Department of Religious Studies presented on “Islam in America and the Diversity of Muslim American Identities.” 
• August 16, 2016: “Connecting the Middle East to the Southeast” Study Tour, Greensboro, North Carolina. This program was a partnership between Guilford County Schools, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC-Greensboro.
• August 11, 2015: “Full STEAM Ahead” A cross-discipline program exploring global STEM & art education, World View Partners Program, Greensboro, NC: Outreach Coordinator presented: “Using Hip Hop for Global Literacy: Exploring the Arab Uprisings through Lyrical Texts” (Lesson Plan: Exploring the Arab Uprisings through Hip Hop) and “Strategies for Teaching about the Diversity of the Middle East” (Click here for the lesson ideas).
• July 8, 2016: Anne Chesnutt Middle School Enrichment Day at UNC: The Consortium hosted day-long workshop for a language immersion school with sessions on the three cultures represented in their world language programs: Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.
• June 28-July 12, 2016: In conjunction with GEEO (Global Exploration for Educators), a non-profit teacher-travel organization, the Consortium supported a trip to Morocco.
• March 22-23, 2015: World View Spring Seminar- Building Bridges: Cultural Respect and Equity in the Classroom, The William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, Chapel Hill. This Seminar explored issues of multicultural education and equity to build a culture and climate of respect in the classroom.
• February 25-26, 2016: North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference, Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, NC. The Consortium presented two sessions: Strategies for Teaching about the Diversity of the Middle East (Click here for the lesson ideas) and The Truth About Terrorism (Click here for the lesson ideas).
• February 19-20, 2016: World War I and the Transformation of the Middle East, UNC Chapel Hill. The Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies’ annual conference provided professional development for K-12 teachers. Teachers completed readings, attended a concert of Ottoman music, participated in sessions with scholars from around the world, and attended a special working lunch to discuss classroom applications.
• January 29, 2016: Arab Refugee Crisis in the 21st Century Conference & K-14 Workshop, Duke University: This exciting conference focused on the Syrian crisis and provided professional development for K-12 and community college educators. Click here for the complete schedule and speakers.

2015

• November 22, 2015: MEOC Nuts and Bolts Outreach Workshop at MESA: Outreach coordinator presented on  Needs-Based Evaluation: K-12 & Community College Teachers Say “We Need More Resources on the Middle East”.
• November 10-11, 2015: Area Studies & Outreach in the Social Studies Classroom, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA: UNC area studies outreach coordinators presented on how evaluation strategies support high-quality resources for educators, while engaging in best practices. We discussed how collected data informs center strategies, and how different methods have improved the sustainability and quality of various programs.
• October 2-3, 2015: NC English Teachers Association Conference, Asheville, NC
Presentation on “Using Hip Hop for Global Literacy“. Lesson Plan: Exploring the Arab Uprisings through Hip Hop.
September 27, 2015, Disgraced: A Workshop for Educators on Muslim American Identities, Center for Dramatic Art, UNC Chapel Hill: This workshop for secondary educators began with viewing a matinee performance of Disgraced, followed by two sessions to discuss the themes presented in the play.
• September 12, 2015: Religious Beliefs and Religious Violence Seminar (offered by the UNC Program in the Humanities), Chapel Hill, including a session for teachers on strategies for teaching the diversity of the Middle East.
• August 11, 2015: “Connecting the Middle East to the Southeast” Local Study Tour, Triangle, NC.
• August 6, 2015: “Navigating Global Literacies”: World View Partners Program, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Session on “Using Hip Hop for Global Literacy“. Lesson Plan: Exploring the Arab Uprisings through Hip Hop.
• March 25-26, 2015: “The Modern Middle East” World View Spring Seminar.
• March 20, 2015: “The Modern Origins of Contemporary Conflicts in the Middle East” Seminar, Program in the Humanities, session for K-12 teachers on “Hands-On Resources for “ReOrienting” the Middle East.

***For information about programming prior to 2015, please email mideast@unc.edu