Amideast

Programs: (1) exchange programsgovernments, donor agencies, educational institutions, and corporations turn to amideast for assistance in managing scholarship and exchange programs in the united states for middle eastern and north african students. Successful programs require solid logistics and support: sponsors must determine appropriate selection criteria and make the most of limited resources; candidates seek advice on educational choices and on handling application, financial, and travel arrangements; and participant progress needs to be closely monitored. Amideast ensures that all these requirements are met so that scholarship and exchange programs can achieve their objectives. Amideast's services to education and training program sponsors include program announcement and recruiting of candidates; managing the selection process; placement; predeparture orientation; ongoing advising and monitoring; financial administration; reporting to sponsors. For groups of american students or professionals, amideast designs and implements academic study, cultural immersion, and professional development programs in the middle east and north africa. These programs are tailored to the needs and interests of each sponsor and can range in duration from a few days to an entire academic year. Among the program elements amideast can arrange are predeparture and arrival orientations; academic courses and lectures; memorable cultural experiences; arabic language instruction; field trips, internships, and professional meetings; and housing, including homestays. In addition to customized programs, in 2017 amideast operated semester abroad and summer intensive arabic programs in jordan and morocco. In 2017, amideast supported scholarship and exchange programs for approximately 1,600 students. (2) institutional strengtheningfor decades, amideast has contributed to strengthening institutions in the middle east and north africa through a range of specialized services and programs designed to meet the needs of governments, nongovernmental organizations, and companies. We have administered programs that improved the quality of teaching and learning at k-12 and higher education institutions, empowered youth to play active and productive roles in their communities, advanced the quality of judicial training, contributed to faculty development at educational institutions, raised awareness of the importance of transparency and accountability in local government, and increased the participation of civil society organizations in public discourse. In 2017, amideast administered-as either a prime or subcontractor-five institutional strengthening projects in the west bank and gaza, lebanon, yemen, and tunisia. (3) trainingin response to growing demand for english language training throughout the middle east and north africa, amideast has made the expansion of its english language training programs a priority. In addition to english language classes, amideast offers preparation for a number of standardized tests including the test of english as a foreign language (toefl), graduate record exam (gre), sat i and ii, and the graduate management admissions test (gmat). Amideast also designs and conducts english for special purposes programs to meet the specialized requirements of public and private sector entities, including national ministries, international and nongovernmental organizations, and businesses. In addition, amideast combines its experience in language training and institutional development to help government ministries, public agencies, and educational institutions develop and improve their own english language training programs. In addition to english language training, amideast field offices offer training programs and courses that provide individuals and institutions in the region-including private corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations-with the skills they need to meet professional challenges. Among the subject areas in which amideast routinely offers training are employability skills, project management, entrepreneurship, and basic business skills. In 2017, amideast taught english language and professional skills to 57,500 students and professionals. (4) educational advisingamideast offers expert, reliable guidance on u. S. Study and training options. Our educational information centers help individuals and institutions select the right options for their specific needs. As educationusa sites, amideast centers in morocco, tunisia, egypt, lebanon, yemen and west bank gaza provide comprehensive, accurate, and impartial support. Some of the resources available at amideast educationusa centers include extensive libraries focusing on the u. S. Educational system and study opportunities; presentations on the u. S. Admissions process, specific fields of study, orientation to u. S. Life and study, and other topics; individual consultations with our professional advising staff; support for each step of the application process, and assistance for u. S. Graduates returning home. Centers also work with groups of well-qualified but financially disadvantaged students to help them gain university admission and scholarships. In 2017, amideast education usa centers provided information and guidance to 93,000 visitors. (5) testingas the leading test administrator in the middle east/north africa region, amideast handles registration for and supervision of examinations for hundreds of thousands of students. Amideast administers the most commonly required u. S. Standardized tests, including the toefl, sat, gre, gmat, toefl itp, and toeic. Testing services are provided for individuals and a variety of institutions, from ministries and universities to small businesses. With more than fifty years of experience, amideast can provide support in all areas of testing: identification of appropriate, recognized exams for academic or professional purposes; registration services; test administration and proctoring; quick, accurate, and secure scoring; and test preparation resources, courseware, and classes. In 2017, amideast administered 190,000 computer-based, paper-based, and internet-based tests.