Description:

New Year party at American Corner Khujand with ELF Sharon Saternus was really cross-cultural event, because 5 nations were participated in this great event: Tajik, American, British, Uzbek and Chinese. It was unforgettable New Year in history of American Corner Khujand:
Program of the event included these steps:
Game “Take a sit”
Have a funny face: competition for the funniest face
Dancing with native American: introducing American style of dancing to others by Sharon Saternus
Dance Tajiki: introducing tajiki dance by our volunteers to guests
Read New Year wishes: in the beginning participants had to write their own New Year wishes to piece of paper and put it into the balloon, and at the end everybody read the wishes inside the balloons and were excited.
Having sparkles outside of AC

At the middle of the event our volunteers prepared a gift to our native American Sharon Saternus. Gift is presenting Tajik culture top Sharon.

Results: This cultural event one more time showed that we can build a mutual understanding between cultures and introduce our culture to other cultures, especial to Americans. And doing it through dancing was really unique way to exchange cultures.

At the end As Sharon Saternus said: “This New Year was really great!

Orphanage trip to Dehmay

American Corner Khujand in order to strengthen the community service activities sparked youth to be involved in orphanage trip. Main idea of going to the orphanage was:
Strengthening the community services in our town: in order to achieve this goal we have done:
Bring orphans donations that was gathered by AC: diapers, toys, socks and some warm clothes
Show to children a little performance “Santa and snow girl coming to orphanage” (fun stuff)
Give them New Year presents
Cookies and osh for all children

Results: - strengthening community service activities
- changing youth’s mind about community services
- involving more youth to this kind of activity
- improving volunteer skills of AC visitors
- encourage some able orphans to read poems

As Pamela (VSO volunteer who are volunteering their) said: “You have done really marvelous thing”
Special thanks to GCEP alumni Isfandiyor Boboev for providing this activity with osh and cookies for orphans and to the U.S. Embassy for supporting us in transportationJ

Announcing of the winners of the best poster for the World Aids Day

Where: American Corner Khujand
When: 3rd of December at 3:00 pm
Who: everybody

Speaker: ELF Sharon Saternus

Duration: one hour

Total number of attendance: 28 (19 boys and 9 girls)


In this one hour discussion Sharon announced the winner of the best poster for the World Aids Day. The posters were sent to our IRC for fair evaluation. Masuda Sobitova UGRAD who was in the winner team was represented this team. Winner team got as a gift the Info USA CD and Muslims in America. Sharon provided the laws and society survey, so everybody can answer questions in survey. It was about laws and students opinion about what laws should government have, for examples should government say where we should live, and everybody voting. It was interesting survey and interesting feedback of discussion.

Results:
· Winners of the poster were happy to be the first and ready for other competes
· Students shared ideas about laws and society
· Laws of Tajikistan and U.S.A was compared


Distributed or donated materials: Info USA CD (q-ty 1) and Muslims in America Journal (q-ty 7)

Where: American Corner Khujand
When: 29th of October at 3:00 pm
Aim: cultural exchange
Duration: 1-30 hour
Halloween part at American Corner Khujand made 24 participants aware about Halloween symbols. Also we had fun staff that made all of them cheerful and happy. What did he have:
Who am I (guess who am I, what Halloween symbol I?) – intellectual and vocabulary multiplying game
Q&A game (fun staff)
My best movie that I have ever seen (discussing and playing game)
Another 3 fun games

24 students learned more about Halloween symbols and history. They sparked by our party and thought to celebrate Halloween party at their own schools. Also they borrowed the scenarios of our games in order to have fun Halloween party at schools. One more important thing that it is great opportunity to make mutual understanding between cultures, that is the main goal of American Corners.

Education in the U.S. by Charles Martin

Where: American Corner Khujand
When: 28th of October at 2:00 pm
Aim: to give an information about education in the U.S. and educational/exchange programs
Duration: 1 hour
American Corner Khujand hosted a guest from the U.S. Embassy. The topic of discussion was the U.S. Education. It was pointed main points of this issue, like:
Experience in Kazakhstan of Charles Martin
Kinds of universities and schools
Differences between in Central Asia and U.S.A.
What kind of degrees you can get by getting education in the U.S.A
Educational exchange programs
Opportunity grant
Q&A


Results: 35 students and 2 graduators got a chance to talk with native speaker and learn more about Education in the U.S. by representative of the U.S. Embassy and also gained a lot of interesting facts from advisor Naimjon Avezov regarding applying to the U.S. universities, getting opportunity grant, writing essays, recommendation letters.

NEWS FEED Educational/exchange programs in the U.S.A

Coming soon

Would you like to learn more about educational/exchange programs in the U.S.A? Then come and join us for meeting with the representative of the U.S. Embassy.

When: 28th of October at 2:00 pm – 3.00 pm
What: Education in the U.S.
Where: American Corner Khujand

Do not pass a chance to be aware about educational programs!

MUSKIE and GLOBAL UGRAD presentation

American Corner Khujand conducted presentation about GLOBAL UGRAD and MUSKIE program, presentation was held by alumnus of GLOBAL UGRAD program Bakhtioyr Isoev.
The presentation was going by an interesting way. Program of presentation:
- Game icebreaker (to find out what is the goal, respect and achievement. Find out the connection between these definitions and connect them with )
- What is MUSKIE and UGRAD?: explanation about processes of both programs
- Q&A with semifinalists of UGRAD program
- Splitting in to three groups and preparing questions
- Q&A with B.Isoev
- Conclusion

Results: 40 people – 5 graduators, 35 students of the universities engaged to apply to this program. They have learned about this free chance to get education in the U.S.A. Particularly student of the Khujand Branch of the Technological University of Tajikistan – Adiba Mirzoeva who is a first year student and was the semi-finalist of FLEX program said: “I heard about GLOBAL UGRAD program, but didn’t know that it has such kind of advantages”. Students and graduators were sparked to apply to this program. Also Q&A was really useful, because they made clear all unknown parts of this great opportunity to get a good education.

MUSKIE and UGRAD presenatation

Coming soon

Are you graduator from the university or student of
1, 2,3rd course?
Do you want to study in the U.S.A.?
Are you curious on MUSKIE and UGRAD PROGRAM?
Then come and join us for unique presentation by alumni of UGRAD program Bakhtiyor Isoev

When: on 22nd of October at 2:00 p.m.
Where: American Corner Khujand, Asiri Library 3rd floor
What: UGRAD and MUSKIE presentation
For whom: for all interested person
Hurry up places are limited J

For more information call us by phone: (9923422)6 03 13

ORPHANAGE TRIP!

Where: Dehmay Orphanage
When: 23rd of September at 3:00 pm
Aim: Engage youth for community service activities

American Corner recently announced the action: “Make you own contribution”. This action devoted to Ramazan month during the month people came to American Corner Khujand and donated Fitri Ruza’s money for orphans. All gathered money from this action plus money from the battle recycling and visitors contribution went to the Dehmay orphanage.
We bought color pencils, small books for painting, and cookies for orphans in Dehmay.
Totally 17 persons were engaged and inspired by this event.

Results: Two sides were bemefit from this event:
8 boys and 9 girls improved their volunteer skills, get inspired by this event, learn more how to organize community service activities and most of them change their minds and decided do more community services by themselves.
Orphans were happy to see us, get more closer to our volunteers and most important learnt how to do an airplane and were happy to paint books.

Tools: Announcing charity action, making sign –up sheet, transportation Khujand-Dehmay-Khujand, books, cookies and volunteer skills

FLEX program presentation

Do you wanne learn more about FLEX program? Are you curious on getting know more about this porgram, then come and join us on presentation of FLEX alumni at American Corner Khujand on 16th of September at 3:00 pm.
First come, first serve!

CHAT WITH DAVID HOLZMEYER (ELF)

In order to be connected with David Holzmeyer who was for 11 month at American Corner Khujand and Khujand State University – American Corner Khujand organized a chat conversation by means of yahoo messenger with David Holzmeyer. Topis of chat was “How to rite a good essay”. 3 students: Manija Boymatova, Parvina Zoidova and Mohira Shermatova enjoyed with I hour conversation.

Results:
- Students had one hour opportunity to be in touch with ELF, which helps them to improve their ELS
-they learned more about writing a good essay
-David Holzmeyer advised them to use American Corner’s resources and also other resources to be improved in this sphere
- students were gratitude to AC for organizing this event

Ramazan Charity action!

Make your own contribution!

28th of August due having Ramazan Month American Corner Khujand announced charity action - MAKE YOUR OWN CONTRIBUTION.All interested person who is going to make the contribution to help people in need can do this by donating FITRI RUZA to them. Action will have a duration till RAMAZAN month ending.

Thus you can come to American Corner and donate money for orphans.

ALL MONEY WILL GO FOR DEHMAY ORPHANAGE!

DEADLINE 23rd of September!

DONATE TODAY AND MAKE YOUR OWN SOCIETY BETTER!

NEW BOARD AT AMERICAN CORNER KHUJAND

For a 11 month American Corner Khujand hosted ELF - David Holzmeyer. This almost 1 year was unforgettable for all visitors of American Corner. Nowadays David Holzmeyer keeps in touch with ACKhujand and tries to make bridge between two cultures - Tajik and American. Thus AC made a board with pictures of David Holzmeyer board about Tajikistan that he made in Seattle. Kind of connection is good on building mutual understanding between Tajikistan and USA.

American Corner Khujand brings hope to orphans

On 15th of August American Corner Khujand's "Youth volunteer club" that was organised by participants of American Corner's Summer Camp visited "Dom Malutka" in order to:

- clean-up the location

- make a donation that was gethered by them from people who are living around

- play with children and read them Tajiki fairytales

Results:

- Volunteers improved their volunteer skills

- Cleaned up the location

- Make the firewood for "Dom malutka"

- 15 people were attracted to this event

First TOEFL IBT preparation classes by non-American

American Corner Khujand opened new TOEFL IBT preparation classes, by Mahfuza Sobitova - UGRAD alumnu.

Participants of these classes are graduaters of TOEFL PBT preparation classes that were held by David Holzmeyer during 8 month at AC. These classes will be held twice a week.

Results:

1. 12 students will be prepared to pass TOEFL IBT and will have an opporutnity to pass this test in real and apply for US collegues and universities in order to get the best education and return back to Tajikistan make our country developed

2. Participants of these classes will conduct the TOEFL preparation classes for another students who don't have an opportuntiy to prepare for this test, due sicking a place where person can go and get it for free.

All handouts are providing by American Corner Khujand for free.

NEWS FEED: Young volunteers club

American Corner Khujand's fun organised "Youth volunteer club":

Goal: organise community service activities in order to help orphans

Steps:

1.Having donation box - everybody who wants can donate money for orphans, the box is at American Corner. All money will go for orphans

2. Donation drive box - going to homes and gathering clothes, toys and other stuff for orphans

15 person will be responsable for organising this project. Idea about organising this club was by Saida - the participant of ACSC - 2009. 4 peolple from 15 are the participants of the ACSC and it is real result of this camp! Go ahead guys, everybody who wantsto join our club - welcome!

English Language classes for beginners: learn english with fun!