IEARN - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 125 countries. iEARN supports teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 2,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide.

Since 1988, iEARN has enabled educators and youth to engage in meaningful educational projects with peers in their countries and around the world.

Background

iEARN has been linking schools internationally since 1988. In that year, the Copen Family Foundation, under the leadership of Peter Copen, linked 12 schools in Moscow with 12 schools in New York State. Working with the New York State Education Department

New York State Education Department

The New York State Education Department is the state education department in New York. It is part of the University of the State of New York , one of the most complete, interconnected systems of educational services in the United States...

and the Soviet Academy of Sciences, students worked in both English and Russian on curriculum-based projects designed by participating teachers. In 1990 iEARN expanded to nine countries providing training and support to teachers. iEARN has since grown into a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 125 countries.

Mission and Purpose

iEARN-International's Constitution was signed at the meeting of the iEARN Management Team, Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut in the Argentine Patagonia. It is the head town of the Viedma Department, and has about 57,571 inhabitants according to the last census in 2001....

, Argentina, July 12, 1994. It states that "The vision and purpose of iEARN is to enable young people to undertake projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people."

Professional Development

Online courses and trainings for teachers that explore how to integrate technology into their teaching and how to use online collaborative projects that meet their local, state and national educational standards.

Events

Local, regional and international gatherings throughout the year. The largest of these gatherings is the Annual iEARN International Conference and Youth Summit.

Supporters and Partners

iEARN country programs work with educational, youth service, relief and development organizations to build a network of opportunities for young people to work together. These have included Adobe Systems

Adobe Systems

Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...

, Academy for Educational Development

Academy for Educational Development

AED, formerly the Academy for Educational Development, is a 501 nonprofit organization that focuses on education, health and economic development for the "least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world." AED currently operates more than 250 programs in the...

, Amideast

Amideast

AMIDEAST is a U.S. non-profit organization that works to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa...

, UN Cyberschoolbus, EDC, Elluminate, Global Teenager Project, Intel Teach, Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

Partners in Learning, Open Society Institute

Open Society Institute

The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...

, Schlumberger

Schlumberger

Schlumberger Limited is the world's largest oilfield services company. Schlumberger employs over 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities working in approximately 80 countries...

SEED Program, Sister Cities International

Sister Cities International

Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...

, and the United States Department of Education

United States Department of Education

The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...

and the United States Department of State

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

.

At the request of the United States Department of Education

United States Department of Education

The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...

, iEARN-USA created the Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet.

iEARN gets its funding from local and global fundraisers, sponsors such as the united states department of education, and the united states department of state.

Awards and recognition

• iEARN was honored as a Laureate in the Education category for the 2004 Tech Museum Awards for Technology Benefitting Humanity.
• iEARN received a 2003 Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...

' Prize for Excellence in International Education with the Asia Society

Asia Society

The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...

.
• iEARN is a Partnership for 21st Century Learning Editor's Pick. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.