Project Duration: 10/01/2006- 30/04/2008, Now its activities have become a core component of our programs
Start/End Date:  Nine months from March 31st, till December 31st 2007 but then the project become a continuous activity at the computer clubhouse

Religions, Hobbies, Education, People, Transportation, Street, Nature, History, and many other topics have been documented by 58 female and male students between the grades of 6 and 10 using Sura Project Camera.

The project's mission is to teach youth how to take photos by professional photographers, and provide them with digital cameras to take photos that reflect their ancestors, streets, families, hobbies etc. Thus they can document and express their thoughts taking into consideration the diversity around them.

Partnering Organization(s): 
 
The Arab American National Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
aameri@accesscommunity.org
http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/Home.id.2.htm
 (313) 624-0200
Museum Director: Anan Ameri
The Arab American National Museum is the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. Arab Americans have enriched the economic, political and cultural landscape of American life. By bringing the voices and faces of Arab Americans to mainstream audiences, we continue our commitment to dispel misconceptions about Arab Americans and other minorities. The Museum brings to light the shared experiences of immigrants and ethnic groups, paying tribute to the diversity of our nation. 
 
Princess Basma Youth Resource Centre
Amman, Jordan
pbyrc@zenid.org.jo
www.johud.org.jo
+962 6 5052431
+962 6 5052435
Jenine Jaradat: centre manager
Jenine.j@zenid.org.jo
The Princess Basma Youth Resource Centre (PBYRC) is part of Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), was established in 2002 in response to the high demands and needs of young Jordanians. The Centre works with young people aged 10-24 from all backgrounds and regions in Jordan. PBYRC’s mission is to promote the active role of youth in society, enhance their participation in the development process and provide them with opportunity, support and freedom to express their needs and shape new realities for their future.
Drawing from past experiences of working with young people, and being a pioneer in initiating programs that reflect youth’s needs, the Centre’s vision is to empower young people to use their voices, participate more actively in their communities, and think creatively and critically about themselves and their roles in society.
 
Our Beliefs
We believe that all young people everywhere deserve the opportunity to develop their own unique strengths, and their own enlightened consciousness. More than this, we believe that our very global future depends upon the evolution of such an expanded consciousness of citizenship.
Through a rights-based approach, gender equity, participative environment and sustainability which are our core principles, we see our role as providing the space and creative environment for young people in Jordan and of this region. We wish to engage young people in a learning process in which they can reflect internally and externally, developing their awareness of self and consciousness of the world in all its complexity.
 
 
Project Mission : SURA (Students Understanding and Relating to Art) Arts Academy is a pioneering initiative initiated by the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and led in Jordan by Princess Basma Youth Resource Center’s (PBYRC). It equipped 46 young people between the ages of 11-15 years with the basic instructions of the art of photography and opened a creative channel for them to reflect their communities and their understanding of issues of identity, diversity, culture, democracy and team building. 

Project Objective(s):  The objective of this project is to facilitate Jordanian youth to creatively express and explore their reality from behind a camera lens, and to document and communicate that reality to one another and overseas to their peers in U.S.
 
• Provide long-term quality art classes for 45-50 youth in low-income neighborhoods of Amman
• Instill a sense of community pride and a better understanding of citizenship by allowing the participants experience and see their community/country from a different perspective
• Equip the participants with the basic interpersonal skills to enable them better interact with their community.
• Create a platform for the youth to express their opinions using creative methods.
• Provide young people with the opportunities to consider future careers in the arts, including photography.

Target group(s) : Youth aged between 11-16 for SURA. SURA 2 targeted Alumni up to 19 years old
Geographical scope(s) of project: Amman in Jordan, and Dearborn, MI in USA
Countries involved: Jordan and USA

One page summary about the project: Attached 

US involvement/contribution within the project : The project was fully funded by the U.S Department of State.
 
Achievements/progress to date: 46 students between the ages 11-15 were equipped with the basic instructions of the art of photography and this opened a channel for them to reflect their communities and their understanding of issues of identity, culture, democracy, and team building.
 
More than 5 video conferences were conducted between the students in Amman and USA, where they shared ideas and reflect on each other’s experience and getting to know each other face to face.
 
Over 120 photos were exhibited in Amman and the USA that were taken by young youth from both countries.
181 people visited the exhibition and signed their names in the guests’ sheet, most of them wrote on the guest book and all were surprised that those photos were taken by this age group and they were impressed by their work.
 
Members shared photos and commented on them through the flicker website.
 
18 youth were selected to be trained in professional photography and given training to become young trainers for their peers. Then they initiated SURA 2 program where they trained other youth about the basics of photography.
 
A group of SURA members participated in Suzan Mubark initiative for peace, two SURA members was selected and volunteered to train about photography and they give one day training to 16 participants about photography basics
 
SURA project become a continuous activity at the computer clubhouse through peer to peer education and through the self directed learning environment.
 
Our members become professional photographers at a young age, and our organization relies on them when documenting events in photos.
 
For more information about the success and achievements please refer to the document below of an external evaluator for the first phase of the project 2007-2008 
 
Contact person for the project:
Suha Al Syouf
Clubhouse coordinator
Suha.s@zenid.org.jo
Tel: +962 6 5052431 ext:214