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MEET Launches 2006/07 Project Phase with ‘Real World’ Clients |
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First MEET class to graduate faces challenging new summer curriculum |
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MEET's Bethlehem Program - an Update Business Curriculum to be Expanded and Taught by MIT Sloan Students |
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Daimler-Chrysler invites local investors to join business network |
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Sun Microsystems and leading Palestinian Businessman sponsor the MEET Lab |
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MIT Student Group Founded - MEET Instructors Take Leading Roles |
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MEET 2005 Summer Program Successful |
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MEET 2005 offers scholarships to students from Bethlehem for the first time Doubling in size, MEET 2005 to offer advanced classes and leadership training |
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February 2009
MEET FINANCIAL INFORMATION
OVERVIEW
The current global financial crisis presents an extremely challenging period for nonprofit organizations around the world and in the Middle East in particular.
The challenges presented by the financial downturn have been further augmented by the decline of the dollar rate. This has deeply impacted organizations such as MEET whose income is to a large extent in dollars.
INCOME ANALYSIS
FINANCIAL CONTROL ENHANCEMENTS
MEET continues to work on a pro bono basis with one of the most respected financial auditors in the area (Mualem, Glazer, Hunio Inc.).
In order to improve our financial controls, we have also appointed a new treasurer, with a strong banking and financial background, to serve as an internal consultant and auditor for all MEET's financial transactions, and to work with the Executive Director on a monthly basis.
MEET’s three-member external audit committee continues to work on a regular basis. The committee’s members all have wide ranging and long term experience in the private sand nonprofit sectors. The Executive Director updates them continuously on MEET’s financial status.
LOOKING FORWARD 2009
From our recent conversations with our biggest investors, it seems that none were directly impacted by the Maddof fraud.
Nonetheless, taking into account the volatile dollar exchange rate and the possibility that funders may not meet their projections, MEET has taken steps of precaution.
First, we created a conservative budget for 2009, one that we are certain we can work with and balance.
Second, we have taken the following steps to ensure that we are ready to meet any changes in the financial reality:
This will only be possible with continued support and commitment from each of our MEET supporters.
Long-term financial stability and transparency are cornerstones of MEET’s operations. In these challenging financial times, we'd like to share with our community and supporters, our financial data for 2008, and our strategy for operations in 2009.
MEET is a non-profit organization that began its operations in the summer of 2004. Over the past five years, MEET has been supported by a diverse group of international investors, foundations, private donors and corporations.
Funding break-down: In 2008 MEET raised over US$564,949.
We have always put an emphasis on financial control mechanisms. We are especially focused now on strengthening and broadening these mechanisms in order to ensure that we are best prepared to meet these challenging times.
Looking towards 2009, our positioning both as a leading educational program and a result-driven organization remains strong. We have firm commitments from investors for 2009 with a big part of 2009's budget already secured.
In summary, although the current economic climate is unfavorable we remain confident that MEET is well positioned to continue and grow, impacting our students and their communities.
October 2008
Article by Wissam Jarjoui, MEET alum and MIT sophmore:
"The key behind this program, I believe, is to show students that politics is not the only way out. The program concentrates on building relationships between the students in a non-political environment, and shows them that the only difference between their cultures is what they choose it to be. And I loved this concept. But I've only realized now, after being part of this program for four years, that this is how you take the future leaders of the region and teach them that the other side is as human as theirs. And I loved the transition that this program took us all through. It was very smooth, from teenagers, who not only have never heard of each other but also considered each other adversaries, to very close friends who now have the skills to lead and the resources to make an impact."
To read the full article click here.
Wissam is the first MEET alum to be accepted to MIT. He writes about his story, his experience in MIT, and about the role MEET played in his life:
August 2008
MEET graduates sparkle like the stars they are
The festivities commenced with a reception at the Hebrew University's "Piano Bar" and the opportunity to log onto student project sites from different Apple computer stations set up in the foyer. Students gleamed with pride as they showed off their efforts with a variety of business and non-profit clients.
The official program got underway as all 250 guests congregated in the Wise auditorium. Hebrew University President, Professor Menachem Magidor, extended a warm welcome to all. He noted that the University's Givat Ram campus, which has proudly played host to the summer program for the last five years at their state-of-the-art computer farm, is delighted to be a MEET partner. He noted that when he had initially been approached some years ago by one of MEET's co-founders, Assaf Harlap, to team University resources with a then brand new and untested social start-up for Israeli and Palestinian youth his excitement was tempered with a touch of concern. For while fully supportive of the idea, he wondered how the project could be sustained over time, particularly given the tense political situation. Turning to the graduates in the front row, he thanked them for again helping to prove his fears to be unfounded and saluted their having completed their own three-year study program as the third graduating MEET class, proudly declairing that "tonight we are celebrating the joyous expansion of our family."
The evening continued with a series of tributes and awards as two students from MEET's graduating class, Samir and Yeranohi, delivered a dazzling and heartfelt speech, while a video montage splashed images of the past summer above their heads. Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, their inspired words touched each and every person in the room (click for full speech):
The teen hosts then turned the program over to MEET leadership. Co-founder Anat Binur spoke next and called on graduates to always remember to count not only on MEET to help in every possible way in the future but to draw strength from one another, as well. While she charged graduates who sat before her to always aspire to excellence and never to settle for being anything less than extraordinary she also directed her words to the newer students as well, reminding them of the powerful legacy they have inherited from their processors and of the exciting new challenges which await them as part of the MEET program.
The microphone was then turned over to Yaron Binur, another of MEET's co-founders, who echoed Anat's words of congratulations and added strong praise and gratitude for the visiting MIT educators, mentors, and all MEET staff, singling out Mustafa Hussein, the summer program project manager and the director of student recruitment, and Abeer Hazboun, one of MEET's co-directors.
Yaron made particular mention of Abeer's ongoing and exemplary commitment to excellence, noting that her efforts over the last five years were instrumental in taking the vision of MEET and helping to turn it into an outstanding model for social change. It was announced that while Abeer will soon be leaving the professional MEET team she will stay a close member of the MEET family as she has accepted a seat on the organization's Executive Board. Yaron then shocked Abeer and the entire assembly when he announced the establishment of the ANNUAL ABEER HAZBOUN AWARD for excellence, to be granted on a yearly basis to a future MEET student who demonstrates extraordinary promise. The crowd exploded in enthusiastic applause as Abeer accepted her tribute. Her words which followed, though very modest, further inspired the graduates who then were called up one by one to accept their own awards.
The event ended with a group photo of the proud graduates, a picture which could have easily been titled: "MEET – The Future Has Arrived!"
The evening of August 17, 2008 – marking the closing event of the MEET summer program and the graduation of the current MEET third year students - will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most meaningful events of the year for all members of the extended MEET community: pupils, parents, educators, mentors, financial partners, and staff, alike.
"Today, on the 17th of August of 2008…most may think that today we celebrate the end, however, we actually believe it is the start, the start of a new vision and mission…the vision of peace through mutual appreciation, understanding and respect, and, most important…trust and confidence. Yes, through commitment to such values in life, our goals will be achieved, I assure you. Here at MEET, we made it work through business ideas and working through groups of mixed cultures, religions, and backgrounds. Our focus was always on achieving our goals."
MEET Graduation Yearbook
July 2008
The MEET Summer 2008 has begun!!
The incoming 40 members of the Year 1 class were selected out of close to 600 applicants! They will join the Year 2 and Year 3 students who have been working throughout the year on technology projects for real clients in the nonprofit and business worlds.
The MIT MEET team which has volunteered to spend their summer in Jerusalem, represents a diverse group from countries such as Mexico, Spain, the US, and Russia and includes 11 computer science instructors and a business instructor that comes from MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Throughout the summer, student's will undergo an intense program, meeting 5 days a week from 9am to 5:30pm in Jerusalem. Each day students will have top level lectures, small group recitations, and computer lab work in addition to workshops and activities aimed at developing their business, leadership and teamwork skills (including Out Door Training Workshops where students will learn how to work together and trust each other while climbing rock walls, rappelling, walking across tight ropes, and other adventures).
All the student's and staff have been waiting eagerly for the Summer Program to begin. Older students are already planning the advice they will give the new incoming Year 1 students as well as taking pride in their achievements thus far in the program. MEET alumni who graduated from the MEET program are also planning to participate in some of the summer's activities and provide a mentoring hand to the younger students. This will represent MEET's fifth Summer Program, not a small achievement considering the hardships and political turmoil, which have characterized the past several years in the Middle East.
Come Visit MEET's 5th Summer Program this July/August!
For more information on visiting MEET, download this invitation.
June 2008 Craig Newmark visits MEET
You can read more about Mr. Newmarks's visit here.
April 2008 Student Recruitment 2008
The recruitment process this year is headed by Mustafa Hussein with the assistance of Nufar Yuan and Nancy Sudah. In addition to conducting the evaluation, MEET staff visited all thirty high schools and presented the wide variety of opportunities that MEET has to offer, including business and technology education, leadership skills, and a new common language between students from diverse backgrounds.
The MEET program has grown increasingly selective in recent years, and the entering Year 1 class will have a total of 40 students, with an admission rate of roughly 1 in 14. The Year 1 roster will be available in the beginning of May, and we all look forward to welcoming these students to the MEET family.
December 2007 MEET Holiday Party
On Sunday, December 23rd, MEET students attended a holiday party to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The night was filled with holiday music and food (including delicious home-baked soufganyot and mamoul). The students exchanged gifts and spoke about the origins and traditions of the three different holidays. The highlight of the night was the gift wrapping competitions. Students split into 20 teams and participated in a timed competition to see which team could most creatively wrap a gift. The winning team, Amir Gurfinkel and Kassem Sharif, came with MEET staff and alums to deliver all the gifts to children at the oncology ward in Hadassah Hospital. The looks on the children's faces upon receiving the gifts were priceless. Chef's Experience Teaching Java in the Middle East
When I arrived in the Middle East, I was looking forward to meeting
some smart people and enjoying a vacation from my post-college life.
My career as a chef had not taken off quite as brilliantly as I had
anticipated, and getting away from the looming, blank pile of med
school applications covering every surface in my room seemed like a
great idea. I did get a vacation from real life, as expected, in one
of the most culturally rich and beautiful places in the world. I also
had, hands down, the best summer of my life.
During the first few weeks of the program, I was in shock. I felt
like I was working harder than I had ever worked at MIT. In our
apartment, the Year 2 instructors, myself included, would take the
dining table hostage and cover it with laptops, scraps of paper, Java
books, schedules, and we'd get up only to inhale more pita and hummus.
Then, slowly, the curriculum came together, technical difficulties
resolved themselves, and, magically, the projects that we had so
loosely sketched out began to take shape as the students made them
their own. Through all my experience as a tutor and test prep
instructor, I had never seen so many bright students in one place.
Not only were these kids technically skilled and able to create a
fully functional prototype of an interactive restaurant menu in 5
weeks, they were able to seamlessly transition between being leaders,
artists, engineers. Perhaps most surprisingly, they were able to look
past their upbringing and social pressures and work together without
having to push the idea of "the conflict" under the rug.
My fellow instructors were another amazing group of people. Working
and living with them made me infinitely less jaded about collaborative
efforts and made me fall in love with problem solving and technology
all over again. After spending the summer working for MEET, it was
easy for me to choose a career in software engineering, and I am
currently working full-time in a job that I can't wait to start in the
morning. All cliches aside, the MEET experience was truly
life-changing, and given the opportunity, I would gladly return. November 2007 MEET Students Reach New Heights
Photos of the event can be found here.
MIT 2008 Instructor Recruitment To Begin Soon
MEET's instructors volunteer their summer, spending five weeks in Jerusalem teaching computer science, business and leadership to MEET's students. The process to become chosen as an instructor is quite selective - every year many apply and MEET chooses a team of only about ten. Those chosen not only get to work with an incredible group of people but they also gain a rare opportunity to learn about the Middle East from a grass roots perspective, travel the region, and gain a unique leadership and teaching experience.
Read one instructor's MEET experience from his blog. If you would like to learn more about becoming an instructor, please join us for an informational meeting and free food on Wednesday, November 28, at 6PM on the MIT campus in room 1-135.
September 2007 News articles published on first MEET Alum to attend MIT July 2007 MEET Summer 2007 a Great Success
This year, forty new students proudly joined the summer program but only after going through a long and rigorous selection process which included exams and personal interviews. The 40 students were chosen out of 440 applicants!!! The proud Year 1 class joined they Year 2 and Year 3 students, creating a highly talented and diverse student body coming from the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Bet Shemesh, Ramallah and the newly added city of Mevasseret which is situated just north of Jerusalem.
The summer program was taught by an amazing team of 11 top-level MIT instructors, who volunteered their summer to work in Jerusalem. The team included MIT undergraduates, graduates and alums from countries as diverse as China, Turkey, Spain and Knoxville Tennessee.
One of the new aspects of the summer program included the Year 3 projects for nonprofit clients and companies. Student projects included creating a social networking site for an interfaith organization in Jerusalem, developing a portal for a nonprofit which helps women who run small businesses and a project for a well known cement company. Students spent the summer developing the projects and eventually integrating them into the client's workplace.
And unlike any other year, during this past summer, four of MEET's alumni worked as teaching assistants to help the MIT instructors teach the first year students and so enhance, strengthen and use all the skills they acquired to help and support the younger students as well as serve as their role models.
The summer session ended with an emotional and moving final event, with keynote addresses by the President of Hebrew University and the Vice President of Al Quds University. Parents looked on proudly as their children came on to the stage to receive the diplomas and present some of the work they had achieved over the summer. Everyone was sad to say goodbye but also excited and filled with energy to begin work on the yearlong program which was to begin in September. May 2007 MEET Alum accepted to MIT MEET Launches 2006/07 Project Phase with ‘Real World’ Clients Student recruitment kicks off in Style In order to meet this new target, the number of schools we will be reaching out to, will also increase to 30 Israeli and Palestinian schools, from the cities of East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Beth-Shemesh, Ramallah and Mevasseret. As in past, years, the MEET staff will be targeting a wide range of 9th grade students, presenting the program to them, gathering applications, administering written examinations and holding personal and group interviews, all with the aim of selecting a worthy new class of students for Summer 2007. In an attempt to upgrade MEET’s student recruitment process, this year MEET has invested many resources in improving all aspects of its student recruitment. By reviewing its strategy and the level of the tools used to reach out and select the ideal MEET student, we are confident to successfully find a large pool of students that meet the predefined criteria for acceptence including intelligence, leadership, teamwork ability, motivation and so forth. As the level of excitement towards recruiting the new class grows, the search begins for those with fire in the eyes and the drive to meet the challenge of excellence offered by the MEET Program. July 2006 More Cities, More Students You're Fired! - The MEET Apprentice Business Curriculum Expanded June 2006 First MEET class to graduate faces challenging
new summer curriculum The Summer is Approaching! May 2006 MEET the New Instructors Both Nune and Paul are very excited about participating in MEET! Recruitment 2006 is Complete April 2005 MEET's Bethlehem Program - an Update Business Curriculum to be Expanded and Taught by MIT Sloan Students February 2006 Daimler-Chrysler invites local investors to join
business network MEET the new Israeli Director January 2006 Co-director showcases MEET in Stockholm Conference Student Recruitment December 2005 Mid Year Presentations Sun Microsystems and leading Palestinian Businessman sponsor the MEET Lab September 2005 2005 Mentor Program Kicks off MIT Student Group Founded - MEET Instructors Take Leading Roles
August 2005 MEET 2005 Summer Program Successful To see the MEET summer in action, please visit our photo gallery. The First Ever MEET Advanced Summer Course Graduates By the end of the summer each group had working prototypes of the products they developed: "Math In Space", an educational Math computer game aimed to make math attractive to young children; "MEET Navigator", designed for use on college campuses, this provides an automated system for finding locations and getting directions; "MEET Jerusalem", an interactive tourist site for Jerusalem. Now fluent in business and high tech lingo, the students are ready to take on the next stage in the MEET program. During next academic year the students will continue to work together, this time developing real products for actual clients. In summer of 2006, they will be given the opportunity to take part in MEET-sponsored internships in high tech companies in the Middle East, or to work as Teaching Assistants to the MIT instructors for the incoming MEET students. Japanese Government Invests in MEET MEET the New Students and Instructors 2005 Summer Program Kicks-Off! May 2005 "Bringing Palestinian students into the program from beyond East Jerusalem has been one of our most important goals since MEET's inception," said MEET co-founder Anat Binur. "I'm very excited that students from Bethlehem are joining us this year and I hope this will be just a start in MEET's cooperation with schools and towns throughout the West Bank and Israel." Doubling in size, MEET 2005 to offer advanced classes and leadership training "The response we got during instructor recruitment was outstanding. The number of applicants and their level of experience was staggering," said MEET co-founder Yaron Binur. "I'm pleased that we had the opportunity to choose the best of the best here at MIT. The continued support of MEET here at MIT continues to defy our grandest expectations and is something our students are very thankful for." MEET launches new Web initiative Applications for 2005 instructors now being taken
On Sunday July 14th MEET began it 5th Summer Program (!), which will continue for five intense weeks. 100 exceptional Palestinian and Israeli high school students joined a team of 13 instructors from MIT to work together for on cool and complex technology projects, business plans, and just have fun.
Come share this exciting program with us and see MEET in action. Meet our Palestinian and Israeli students as they develop technology projects, create business plans and prepare to change the world.
Craig Newmark, the founder of the online classifieds website craigslist.com, stopped by MEET to see the yearlong program and saw student's presentations on their projects and joint work together around computer science. He was accompanied by Tareq Maayah, Director of G.ho.st and a MEET Board member. G.ho.st Inc is a Palestinian and Israeli high tech company created in 2006 to develop a web operating system that MEET students have built upon. MEET students were excited to meet that founder of the largest online classified site in the world, which is available in 450 cities in 50 countries.
This year's student recruitment process has begun auspiciously, with a total of 553 applicants from 30 high schools, spanning East & West Jerusalem, Mevasseret, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Bet Shemesh. The prospective students have had to undergo a rigorous, 3-part evaluation, including a written aptitude test, observed group tasks that measured the students' leadership and interpersonal skills, and a one-on-one interview that gauged the students' enthusiasm about MEET.
By Marta Luczynska
MEET Yearlong Program Manager
By Aline Lerner
2007 Year 2 Instructor
As part of their yearlong program, on November 15, MEET students participated in a team and leadership building activity, spending the afternoon rockclimbing together. Students were divided into four teams and competed in several different activities: timed harnessed climbing, height bouldering (unharnessed climbing to the highest height possible), trapeze jump (jumping from an elevated platform and grabbing onto a suspended beam), and the swing (where the team worked together to pull up one of the teammates, who then let go of the rope and swung back and forth from the ceiling). The activity required many students to step outside of their comfort zones, with screams and shrieks filling the air. Everyone had a blast enjoying the time they could spend together and the overall event was a great success.
In a few weeks the MIT Student group will begin its Summer 2008 Instructor Recruitment Drive. Each year, the MIT MEET group looks for the best of the best from MIT - for a team of about ten highly-motivated and qualified individuals to become the next MEET MIT Instructor team. MEET instructors are the foundation of MEET. The instructor group, which is made up of a diverse group of MIT undergrads, grads and alums, plans and runs the MEET summer program as well as develops the program throughout the year. MEET depends upon their creativity, their energy, and their passion.
Two MIT news organizations interviewed MEET's very own Wissam Jarjoui, the first MEET alum to attend the 'tute. Wissam spoke of his first exposure to MEET, MIT, and peers from the other side of the Middle East conflict. Commenting on the conflict and MEET's approach to it, Wissam said, "I believe the way to do it is to make those two groups of people interact with each other and realize that the only difference they have is what they choose. That's what MEET showed me. It gave us all a chance to explore one another without looking at the political side." Read the complete articles on Wissam at the following:
The 2007 MEET program, which ended in August proved to be a huge success. In its fourth year now, the summer program was the climax of MEET's activities, bringing together over 85 excelling Palestinian and Israeli High-School students from 5 Palestinian and Israeli cities for an intense five week course held in Jerusalem and taught by an incredible team of MIT instructors. The students spent the five weeks in lectures or labs, brainstorming about their technology projects, discussing business cases or undertaking out-door training to develop their leadership and teamwork skills.
The entire MEET family is buzzing with excitement!! Wissam Jarjoui, from the MEET class of 2004 was accepted to MIT and in September will join the MIT class of 2011. Wissam, a 17 year old Palestinian student from East Jerusalem, joined the first ever class of MEET in 2004 and after three years in the program graduated from MEET this past summer. Inspired by the MIT spirit of MEET and all the impressive MIT instructors he met, Wissam knew there was one school his eyes were set on - MIT. As part of MEET's first alumni group, for which Wissam heads the management team, Wissam joined another 6 MEET students in a MEET sponsored SAT course and soon after sent his application to MIT. Last week Wissam received a letter from MIT welcoming him to the class of 2011. Joining the MIT community is a huge opportunity for Wissam individually and also very meaningful for MEET and who knows maybe for the Middle East. MEET aims to empower our students individually and as a group so that they may return to their own communities to make a difference and provide a brighter future for the Middle East. Our hope is that in the coming years we will be able to bring MEET Israeli and Palestinian students together to MIT. At least in the near future, we at MEET now wait to see Wissam return as an MIT instructor!
MEET second year students recently began work on programming projects for real world clients: for Nesher, the largest cement factory in Israel, a revamp of the company’s procedure management system is under way; for Ghost, Global Hosted Operating System a Palestinian startup offering an online desktop service, our students are developing a compatible task management application.
Moreover, a special pilot is underway - MEET second year students are now for the first time ever providing an IT solution for a non-profit client. For the Palestinian Media & Development Institute (PMDI), our students are developing a Business Portal to eventually serve over 5000 Palestinian business women. Another collaboration with a non-profit client is planned for the 2007 Summer Program and 3 more by this time next year. The success of this pilot will enable strengthening our students’ involvement in promoting local communities and a unique synergy of civil society actors.
Our first year students too are now coding away, developing their first programming projects and learning to work in a team with the assistance of local mentors. This year MEET chose to include a recent dedicated graduate among our Year 1 mentors, Lior Kastel. Successfully integrating our alums in ongoing MEET programs constitutes a step forward toward the long term sustainability MEET is striving to achieve.
We wish him and the entire student core a fruitful 2006/07 Project Phase.
Starting February, and for the fourth year running, our Jerusalem based staff has been hard at work towards the recruitment of a new cycle of MEET students. This year's incoming class will be larger than in previous years, with 40 new students to be recruited rather than 30.
MEET's 2006 summer program which kicked off to an amazing start on July 2nd and will come to a close on August 6th, has grown even further this year, with a class of 30 new students coming from the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Bet Shemesh and Ramallah. All together, MEET had 66 students in this year’s summer program. Students are being taught by a team of 11 instructors from MIT who are professionals in the areas of computer science and business. As the students from Bethlehem did last year, the now larger group coming from outside of Jerusalem spends their weeknights at the Jerusalem YMCA.
On July 18th, MEET's students from the Year 2 and
Year 3 class, took part in a business competition, called The MEET
Apprentice, modeled after the very popular American television
show "The
Apprentice".
Five teams of 5-6 students each had to design a marketing campaign
for a Palestinian Woman’s cooperative. The goal: try to export and develop
a line of beauty products made out of olive oil (soaps, shampoo
etc). After meeting the clients in the morning, the student teams
had 7 hours and a budget of 200 Shekels to design the campaign.
Students went out on the town to survey potential target clients,
bought materials to create the packaging of the products and worked
on pricing strategies and marketing pitches. After a frenzied day
all teams presented their proposals before a potential client and a panel
of judges. While all the presentations were extremely impressive,
this is the business world: four teams had to be fired! The winning team,
which presented a rather unique pricing and marketing strategy, got a free
lunch at an elegant Jerusalem restaurant with MEET's own Donald Trump and
his management team.
The MEET summer program for Year 2 students
has been thoroughly expanded. This year
for the first time, MEET has taken two instructors from MIT's
Sloan School of management, Shahid Rashid and Michael Fox, to
teach the students an in depth business curriculum developed
by a group of Sloan MBA students and faculty. The curriculum
has included classes on marketing, strategy, and finance, as
well as specific guidance on how to write business plans. By
the end of the summer, not only will MEET’s Year 2 students have
working prototypes of their projects, which include a computerized
cook book and educational computer game on geography, but they
will have completed business plans as well.
In August, 15 students will become the first
to graduate from MEET's Three Year Educational Program. For these "Y3" students
this summer will be nothing like the first two. No longer under the sole
instruction of the MIT team, these mature Palestinian and Israeli students
will become interns, teachers, and organizers in their own right. Only
so much can be taught inside of a classroom. While the Y1 and Y2 programs
have been very successful at providing valuable skills in programming,
software development, business and entrepreneurship, the Y3 program focuses
on preparing students to take responsibility and be leaders in the real
world.
The MEET Y3 Students will be divided into two tracks. Internship Track
students will spend five weeks as interns at a local IT company, working
four days a week on site and developing projects with a mentor. They
will have obligations, deadlines to meet, and at the end of the summer
a presentation to the rest of the Y3 students on what they accomplished.
The Teaching Track students will help to teach the Y1 curriculum alongside
the MIT Instructors. They will be get experience teaching in front
of a class, and will also mentor the Y1 students. Y3 student-teachers
will also act as software consultants to the Y2 software projects,
providing expertise and assistance.
The other major goal of the Y3 program is the creation of the MEET
Alumni Network. The MEET Alumni Network, which will be established
primarily by the Y3 students, will facilitate networking among MEET
graduates. We plan to report more on the Network, as it develops, in
our Summer Newsletter.
Can it be? Yes, that's right, the MEET 2006 Summer
will be here before you know it. Here are some important dates to keep
in mind:
This year, the newly-formed MIT MEET student group was responsible for recruiting, interviewing and selecting instructors from nearly 60 applicants in various departments at MIT. The recruitment was a great success and resulted in nine new computer science instructors, including Paul Ojanen and Nune Martirosyan (pictured). Each instructor brings their unique set of talents, curiosity, and lots of new energy to the MEET team.
Paul graduated from MIT with a Computer Science and Electrical Engineering degree in 2001, and has worked as an electrical engineer for several American companies. He has also taught math and computer science at Duke University's Talent Identification Program for gifted students, and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Mathematics Education from Harvard University. Paul also served as an officer in the US Air Force, and while stationed in Germany he worked as a communication engineer alongside representatives from many countries.
Nune Martirosyan is currently a sophomore at MIT double-majoring in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering and Brain & Cognitive Sciences. She is also earning a minor in Russian Studies at Harvard University. Born in Armenia, Nune lived in Fairbanks, Alaska before enrolling at MIT. She has been an undergraduate research assistant at MIT's Computational Cognitive Science Laboratory, and is also a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and volunteer for MIT's student-run ambulance service.
The selection process this year was extremely competitive, with over 250 applicants from more than 25 high schools. This year's selection was particularly diverse, as students were selected from not only East and West Jerusalem, but Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Bet Shemesh as well. Thirty high school freshmen have gone through a challenging recruitment process, and we look forward to working with this excellent group this summer!
Last year, MEET decided to expand its impact outside of Jerusalem by taking 5 students from the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Because the trip between the two cities can be difficult, these students made the voyage only once a week, spending weeknights in Jerusalem. Working hard during the week the students had the pleasure of spending the evenings together too. This initial pilot proved to be such a success that we are now taking steps towards becoming a fully overnight program. This summer MEET will expand the overnight component of the program with students from yet another Palestinian city, Ramallah, and an additional Israeli city, Beit Shemesh - all together 15 students - spending the weeks in Jerusalem.
Since students work together throughout the year and are expected to meet every week, the students are often faced with the daily reality in the region. Bethelehem students often encounter difficulties in reaching the MEET labs in Jerusalem. MEET has been able to secure travel permits for these students on a regular basis, but it is not always a simple task and remains an ongoing challenges. The recent West Bank closure required new approaches. Building its technological strengths, MEET has utilized voice-over-IP and other collaboration software to keep students in touch and working together. We continue to explore ways to further leverage technology to bridge the walls, checkpoints and physical seperations between our students, as we plan to increase the number of students from the Palestinian Authority cities as well as from other cities in Israel in the coming years.
Based on the success of last year's Y2 business curriculum, this
year the MEET instructor team will include two MBA students from the MIT
Sloan school of Management, Shahid Rashid and Michael Fox. Rashid, Fox, and
other Sloan students have worked throughout the year to develop the business
curriculum, designed to introduce students to the entrepreneurial skills
necessary to bring their innovations to market. Students will create a complete
business plan for their Y2 projects while reinforcing MEET's objectives of
teamwork and communication.
On Feburary 4th, MEET’s Israeli Director,
Ms. Tali Dowek, and Executive Board member, Mr. Assaf A. Harlap, showcased
MEET in a special event hosted by Mr. Godel Rosenberg of Daimler-Chrysler
and his wife. The audience included over 30 leading members of the
Israeli business community and the German embassy. "This is not
a charity event. We are not looking for donations but for investments," proclaimed
Mr. Rosenberg. "This is a glimpse to the future of the Middle
East and this is your opprotunity to invest in these outstanding individuals."
The MEET Management Team is excited to add a
new member to the team, Tali,
who will be taking over the position of Co-Director. Tali has vast experience
in working to enhance the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians,
Jews and Arabs, focusing over the past several years on training young
business executives in cross-cultural management. We are very excited
to have her as part of the MEET family and wish her success.
On January 30-31, MEET’s Palestinian Director,
Abeer Hazboun, and Executive Board member, Ms. Anat Binur, represented
MEET in the Palestine International Business
Forum (PIBF) conference in Stockholm Sweden. Particpating in the
conference, which was hosted by the Swedish government, NIR (International
Council of Swedish Industury) and PIBF, were top level Swedish, Israeli,
and Palestinian business leaders, as well as representatives of the the
World Bank. MEET was invited to join the prestigous conference to present
the unique way our educational model is promoting the future economic
development of our region. In her presentation Ms. Hazboun emphasized
the way in which the MEET program is developing professional networks
between future Palestinian and Israeli leaders. "We are educating
the next group of leaders who will sit in a room like the one you are
all sitting in today here in Sweden, except that they will already come
with the experince of having worked together and with a recognition of
the advantage of being professional partners", said Abeer. The hands-on
enterperneurship spirit of the private sector dominated the discussions
of the conference and its outcomes, proving the strength that business
and economic interests can have in overcoming political challenges. Participants
in the conference were greatly enthusiastic about the MEET program and
its achievements over the past two years. Swedish, Palestinian, and Israeli
business people were committed to support the intiative which they felt
represented a hope for the future.
As February approaches, the MEET team is tirelessly
working to recruit our third class of Palestinian and Israeli high school
students. This year MEET has started recruiting students from two new
cities, Beit Shemesh and Ramallah. Students who pass the rigorous selection
process (a written exam and personal interview) will receive full scholarships
to participate in the MEET program.
On December 28th, first year students presented
their projects. Anticipation suffused the auditorium, which was filled
with excited MEET students. The students had been working hard, meeting
weekly in their groups and attending tutoring sessions, since the end
of the summer. This was their opportunity to show the MEET management
team, their mentors, and their peers what they had accomplished during
the past few months. The first group took the stage, and began explaining
the new features they had implemented on their C-MEET Mystery programming
project. Their program is a game, in which the player has to answer knowledge
questions in order to progress towards the prize. They discussed a detailed
future plan of the work that still needed to be done, and discused some
of the challanges in working in a multicultural team holds. Other ongoing
projects which were presented included a remote picture viewing program,
a reminder program which helps you remember tasks, a text editor, and
a tic-tac-toe game. The students admitted, that yes they were facing
challenges, but were ready to work and overcome these challenges together.
(You can see photos on our online
gallery).
Amazed and excited, MEET students took the elevator
to the second floor of the beautiful Jerusalem building located on the
seamline which divides Jerusalem between East and West. This was the
first time they were seeing the new MEET office and labs – our
new home! The space is the result of the financial support of one of
Jerusalem’s leading Palestinian businessmen and a donation of 15
computers from Sun Microsystems Israel. This is the first time the MEET
yearlong programs will have its own space where students can work together
and where the MEET organization can operate from. This generous investments
ends a long search for a place to facilitate the ongoing work of MEET
students and their mentors throughout the academic year between their
MEET summer programs. The new office will also allow MEET’s staff
to develop the organization as it continuous to grows. The students could
not believe their eyes – the place is beautiful and it is all theirs!
After a long day of painting and cleaning Year One student Anwaar wrote: "This
new space is such a great idea, because what I felt is that this is actually
OUR place that belongs to US, and nobody esle but US, as MEET family
:D!"
Excited to continue working together and energized by their newly acquired skills from the summer, 49 MEET students reassembled on September 29th in Jerusalem to begin work on their yearlong projects. The students were divided into teams of 5-6 according to the projects they had begun to develop at the end the summer. To stay focused on their work, each team plans to meet on a bi-monthly basis throughout the academic year. The students were especially excited to meet their new mentors - a group of outstanding professionals from the Palestinian and Israeli high tech sectors and academia. The advanced class of second year students was especially excited: within a few weeks following a series of academic lectures, they will begin to work on projects for actual clients, where they must learn about writing specifications, solicit user/client input, create prototypes, and undertake user testing. Of course MEET isn't just about hard work: the students were also looking forward to the social activities that await them during the year, including some rappelling from high cliffs
Determined to ensure MEET's sustainability and to continue to allow MIT students to gain from the unique MEET summer experience, members of the MIT Instructor team from both 2004 and 2005 created the MEET MIT Student Organization. The Organization will be responsible for recruiting future instructor teams, expanding MEET’s network at MIT, and spreading the word about MEET all over the campus. This new student group elected Thatcher Clay as its President, Benji Sterling as Vice President, Sarah Newman as Treasurer and Kwan Lee Hong as Secretary. The Student Organization will be an integral part of the MEET organization working closely with the Middle East team to develop and ensure each summer's success.
On August 4 2005, 49 excelling high school students from East and West Jerusalem and Bethlehem took part in MEET graduation 2005, marking the completion of another MEET summer program (Student Page). 18 of the students had returned for their second year to take part in the MEET Advanced Summer Course, while 31 had arrived for their first MEET summer, having been chosen from a very selective admissions process. It was an intense five weeks: every day from nine to five the students found themselves submerged in a very challenging curriculum of computer programming and business. This excelling group of students was taught by eight MIT instructors who volunteered their summer for MEET. In addition, there were a variety of lectures by leading Palestinian and Israeli businessmen who discussed their experiences in the high tech sector, and the challenges of building companies and developing IT in the region. Couple that with plenty of exciting extracurricular activities such as an outdoors training day to develop leadership and teamwork. As they parted from their MIT instructors, the students finished their last day at MEET with hugs and tears but also with renewed energy to embark on the next stage of the program – the yearly MEET projects.
Summer 2005 marked the graduation of the first ever MEET "Second Year Summer Course". These 18 exceptional students, also known as the Y2's, are truly MEET's pioneers! Having already worked together throughout the summer and following year, they returned in 2005 for a second summer at MEET. In order to develop skills in both advanced programming as well as teamwork and leadership, the students were divided into small teams and asked to design, develop and market real-world software products. Through a challenging business curriculum, the Y2s learned to write and develop business plans, analyze case studies, and to give effective business presentations. Within each group the students assumed all roles, from Project Manager and Business Manger to Quality Assurance Manager.
In the summer of 2004, representatives of the Japanese government visited the MEET summer program. After meeting the students, and seeing them work together on programming projects, the representatives were moved and excited by what they saw. Having experienced MEET's innovative educational program, the Japanese Government decided to invest financially in MEET (Photo). Over the years the Japanese Government has been a vital and steadfast supporter of developing the Middle East and promoting a peaceful resolution between Palestinians and Israelis. In supporting MEET, the government's representatives have emphasized that they were investing in the future of the region and its people.
July 2005
With the start of the summer, we would like to introduce you to this year's MEET 2005 program. With the addition of the Student page and the Instructor page to our site, you can see the new faces that define the MEET project and it's impact. What's more: the MEET blog is live! Kwan from Korea, Rejeen from Bethlehem, Muyiwa from Maryland, and Aharon from Jerusalem will each maintain an online journal, giving you a personal and behind-the-scenes look at what MEET is really about – the stories and the people whose lives are affected by the program.
Starting July 3rd, MEET kicks off its five-week summer program. MEET05 will be attended by over 50 excelling Palestinian and Israeli students chosen from high schools in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. 20 students who are returning after completing last year’s summer program and thirty-two students recently chosen from a pool of over 250 applicants will be arriving daily to the Hebrew University to study computer programming, entrepreneurship, teamwork and leadership. This year’s exciting hands-on curriculum will be led by a team of exceptionally talented and energetic instructors from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). In addition, the students will enjoy lectures from leading business people from the region and the world as well as a visit to IBM and Intel. MEET05 promises to be even more exciting, empowering, and fun than MEET04!
June 2005
The President of MIT Invests in MEET
Prior to stepping down from his 13 year role as the President of MIT, President Charles M. Vest decided to support MEET through a substantial financial investment. Following a meeting with two of MEET's co-founders, the President was excited by MEET's innovative use of MIT resources to make a positive impact in the Middle East and the rare opportunity MEET provides for MIT students to gain leadership experience and a unique understanding of the Middle East. President Vest emphasized the need to ensure MEET's future growth. The President provided the generous investment to ensure that MEET's vision for an expanded second program could become a reality. "I share MEET's hope that science and technology can provide a bridge that will reduce the chasm between these warring societies" said Vest.
PalTel partners up with MEET
PalTel, the Palestinian national telecommunications provider and a leader of Palestinian business and IT, has decided to partner with MEET to support and ensure the continuance of MEET’s educational program for Palestinian and Israeli high school students. PalTel has contributed an initial seed investment to sponsor MEET’s Bethlehem project, while future PalTel investments will go toward MEET’s growth to additional cities throughout the Palestinian Authority.
MEET 2005 offers scholarships to students from Bethlehem for the first time
Planning for MEET 2005 is in full swing and many exciting changes are expected. Out of over 250 applicants from 20 schools, MEET 2005 has chosen 30 new students to join the graduates of 2004, offering scholarships to nearly 60 students from East and West Jerusalem. MEET is also proud to announce that for the first time students will be joining the program from the West Bank town of Bethlehem. This new initiative follows MEET’s vision to expand and include other Palestinian and Israeli cities. We kindly thank PalTel, the Palestinian national telecommunication provider, for their generous support which made this Bethlehem project possible.
The best of MEET 2004 students will be returning in 2005 for advanced classes and mentoring of new students. Second year students, who have met frequently to work on projects throughout the year, will once again find themselves on campus at Hebrew University's Givat Ram campus. They'll definitely be busy:splitting into designated project groups; finalizing their projects; finalizing their projects; taking their skills to the next level with new technical training; and taking formalized entrepreneurship classes. They will also play an integral role in helping the first-year students with their training and in forging new relationships.
April 2005
MIT Instructor recruitment exceeds expectations
MIT students are just as excited about MEET as the participants themselves. For six instructor positions, MEET received nearly 60 applications. Applicants hailed from over seventeen countries and had diverse and experienced backgrounds. Only after rigours and challenging application process and personal interviews were the final six chosen.
February 2005
FEBRUARY 8, 2005 – Today MEET announces the launch of its new Web initiative at www.m-e-e-t.org. The new site enhances MEET's communication with prospective students, instructors and supporters by clearly showcasing the compelling impact the MEET curriculum has on the participants and their communities. Click to read more...
Instructors are the lifeblood of the MEET program. MEET is excited to announce that recruitment ofsix MIT volunteer instructors for the summer of 2005 has begun. Click for more information...