America's Unofficial Ambassadors
We work at the grassroots level throughout the Muslim World to counter violent extremism before it takes hold, to promote tolerance and understanding, and to foster better relations with the United States.
My Students at the Azrou Center and the Growing Confidence.
I’m so happy to have met them all!
Unofficial ambassador Alessandra Testa is pleased to share an exciting photo gallery that features elements of Fez and the summer she spent teaching English and creating an “end of the year showcase” with her students at the Al-Akhawayn University Azrou Center in Ifrane, Morocco.
Our weekend started with a trip to Fez. Here are two pictures of the marketplace in the Old Medina. During Ramadan, the fast is always broken by eating one date. You can find many varieties of them in the market. The second picture is of traditional sweets and pastries. They’re sold everywhere!
These are our intermediate students. After lots of brainstorming in the classroom, we headed downstairs to practice. In between learning dance moves for “What makes you beautiful” by One Direction and rehearsing “Forgotten Promises” by Sami Yusuf, we took plenty of breaks! The students loved having their photos taken with “teacher”.
For our advanced students, Neethi and I focus on public speaking skills as a way of developing confidence in English skills. Our curriculum has involved many presentations and speaking activities, and will culminate in a play and individual presentations. Neethi and I work with them one on one and focus on elements such as dictation, pronunciation, body language, and confidence through practice. Here I am with Sahli, who is working on memorizing a powerful, reflective adaptation of the poem “Until I See You”.
Finally, we were invited to an Iftar at one if our student’s houses. Houda has three younger sisters and a large, welcoming family. Neethi and I got to let out our inner children while getting to know one of our most passionate students better.
America's Unofficial Ambassadors 