Table of Contents Introduction
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Meet ULYP
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Word from Founder
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Word from Director
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Building Foundations
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Scaffolding Academics
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2016 Programs at a Glance
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Paving Paths
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Sustaining the Change
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ULYP Campus
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Board of Trustees
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Volunteers
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Our Funders
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Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award
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Alumni Association
Education is a right; effective education is our obligation. This is the foundation upon which ULYP builds its programs – the belief that everyone should have access to quality education, and that it is the responsibility of governments and other organizations to ensure all have access to this right. We focus on education because of the pivotal role it plays in change – in changing one’s situation and in improving the lives of others. In essence, we leverage educational services to improve as many lives as we can. The children and youth of today are our future. The more we can empower them with effective education, the better leaders, parents, businessmen and women, artists, doctors and teachers they will become tomorrow.
Beneficiaries in 2016 A Total of
3093
University Programs 18 - 21
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Training of Trainers 21+
Youth Programs 16 - 18
Who we are ULYP is a nonprofit organization (NGO #134) established in 2010 to propel a paradigm shift in Lebanon to a place where people can co-exist, unite, and work together for a better future. We offer equal access to quality educational programs to instigate this shift. The message that “diversity is a cause to celebrate, not discriminate� has taken hold with the 15,000 participants we have worked with since inception.
Vision A united Lebanon where everyone has equal access to education and the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Mission To empower the marginalized children, youth, and women of today with the skills and knowledge they need to become active agents of change for a better tomorrow, without discrimination.
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Meet Unite Lebanon Youth Project (ULYP) The word Unite aptly serves as the first word of our name and embodies our mission. ULYP invites participants from different communities to engage in our educational programs, meet with and learn from one another, and ultimately work together. We provide the Youth with all the tools we can to facilitate their integration, their acceptance of one another, and their understanding that diversity is a cause to celebrate and not discriminate. The word Project reflects that our objective of uniting the youth living in Lebanon is a huge undertaking and a constant, carefully executed work in progress. Our project requires considerable collaboration, time, and resources to succeed. We serve disenfranchised youth living in Lebanon regardless of their nationalities, backgrounds, or any other discriminatory factor. Our definition of youth is a fluid one, extending beyond the United Nations’ parameters covering only ages 15 to 24. ULYP sees youth as the period of transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. To serve this age group well, we have to start the intervention when they are younger—as young as four years of age. We also engage their teachers, caregivers, mothers, and families to help sustain the impact of our interventions, embrace the change and nourish their growth.
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Education is the main tool we leverage to achieve our goal of uniting Lebanon’s youth in the hope of securing a better future. At ULYP, we use the term ‘education’ to refer to the process of acquiring knowledge, developing reasoning and decision making skills, and generally stimulating intellectual, social and emotional growth for a successful adult life. Our programs cover a variety of topics and subjects ranging from gender-based violence to college preparatory courses, remedial math and English classes, human rights, and coding for learning, to name a few. The focus of each program is primarily determined by, and tailored to, the specific needs of beneficiaries and works to fill any gaps in the educational services they have access to. In the Annual Report for 2016, the different programs we offer are organized according to the developmental trajectory of the inspiring youth we work with. ULYP is building foundations for pre-school and elementary children, scaffolding academics for middle and secondary school youth, paving paths to tertiary education, and sustaining change with teachers and mothers.
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Word from founder 2016 has been a busy and exciting year for ULYP. The programs have grown and the circle of outreach has branched out. To me, the high point of the year was receiving the award from the Arab American Institute Foundation recognizing ULYP’s work. I would like to share with you part of the speech I gave upon receiving the award in DC. “I speak on behalf of everyone at ULYP when I say the honor of being singled out by the Arab American Institute as deserving of the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award for Institutional Excellence was without a doubt the highlight of the year. It was not just a pat on the back but a stamp of approval and a “ well done” for everyone who has worked with us at ULYP over the past six years. It was an endorsement of our values, and an affirmation of our policies and practices, a recognition of our relentless dedication in the face of overwhelming challenges to serve all underserved, to extend respect to the marginalized and to respect their right to education. Being honored by this award has motivated us to work even harder to achieve the paradigm shift that is our ultimate goal, spreading wider the positive change that is already being felt by the people we work with, by their families and communities. Needless to say none of this would have been possible without the trust of our generous donors. A big thank you to everyone who has believed in us, we promise we will not disappoint. We need your continued involvement. You are more than just donors; you are our partners.” I look forward to another prosperous year for ULYP, for our partners and sponsors, and every child, youth and woman we work with. Sincerely, Melek El Nimer
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Word from director I often start my workshops at ULYP with a riddle, asking participants who or what I am depicting with the following description: “I am your constant companion. I can be your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I am completely at your command. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.” I then invite them to guess, and 99% of the time answers are incorrect. What I’m describing are habits - they are always with us, and we bring them into our professional lives and places of work. One of my habits is never implementing the same task in the same way twice. As executive director of ULYP, this habit forces me to ask myself and those around me to rethink tasks and projects, with the objective of improving and adapting to best meet the needs of our beneficiaries. Yes, this takes extra time and energy, but it is well worth it in terms of the incredible return on investment. Our investment objective is to find the best ways possible to serve our children, youth and women so that every moment spent with ULYP is worthwhile and we instill in them values and tools that will serve their respective futures. I am confident to say that our investment always pays off. It is through motivating our participants, highlighting and celebrating improvements they have made along the way, and sharing in their pride at completing each program, that we truly achieve our mission of empowering and uniting the youth of Lebanon - taking that vital step closer to creating a better future for all. The following Maya Angelou quote embodies our ethos: “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how AMAZING you can be.” Most of the children, youth and women we work with have forgotten just how amazing they can be; it is our responsibility, through the various educational programs and services we provide, to give them the opportunity to rediscover their amazing potential. Our team’s excellence, donors’ and supporters’ commitment, as well as volunteers’ focus are paramount to our efforts. I thank you all for a great sixth ULYP year and promise you that we will continue to improve our standards and grow our circle of impact. I invite you to celebrate our achievements with us by reading through our 2016 Annual Report, and I hope you are as moved and as proud as we are! Yours truly, Nicole 6
Building Foundations ULYP believes it takes a solid foundation to be able to establish a successful academic career, and therefore works with preschool and elementary school children today in order to prepare the youth of tomorrow. Research on the value of early childhood education unequivocally demonstrates that the preschool years are critical for children’s learning, establishing the foundation for later academic and social success. Preschool programs are the first exposure children have to interacting with their peers and adults outside of their circle of family and friends. Children have the opportunity to develop learning habits and socialize in a safe school environment. Elementary school children, particularly refugees and/or disenfranchised children, are often not given the opportunity to reach their full potential to excel physically, creatively, and intellectually. Lack of adequate resources, limited access to quality services, and flawed implementation all contribute to issues of school enrollment and increase the risk of dropping out. To address these concerns, ULYP creates developmentally appropriate programs that help children believe in themselves, grow, and become learners for life by engaging in subjects such as the arts, sports, and language learning. For those enrolled in school, our objective is to supplement their current learning to help them excel. For those not enrolled in school, we provide a basic educational program with the same objective, helping prepare them for when they are ready and able to enroll. In 2016 ULYP built educational foundations with H.A.P.P.Y., Young Learners, ACT, Choral, Rainbow and Artists & Actors.
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Healthy Alternative Program for Pre schoolers & Young learners This program offers four and five year olds pre-academic learning and social skill development designed to ensure the children start their formal educational journey in grade one on a strong footing. The program has evolved significantly since its inception, and the demand for it is growing. HAPPY and Young Learners, inspired by the Reggio Emilia methodology, epitomize education par excellence by respecting the children’s inherent potential to learn and addressing them as sources of knowledge with curious minds, different interests, and the ability to create. ULYP also engages the children’s mothers as active partners in the learning process through sessions focusing on understanding the developmental stages of the young learner. Funded by the Welfare Association (Taawon) – Lebanon. Young Learners implemented in partnership with UNICEF.
Action for Children of Today: Educate, Entertain, Empower ACT engages elementary age children in indoor and outdoor projects through which they connect with nature and meet peers from other communities. The different components of ACT build capabilities in using English, IT, and the arts as a means of problem solving and accepting personal responsibility for actions. Human rights and conflict resolution topics are addressed in a child-friendly manner to enable the students to understand and practice these in a safe environment.
Supported by FutureFirst – HSBC. 8
Choral Choral encourages singing as a cathartic means of self-expression, vital to the social and emotional development of children. During the program, children have to work together to sing in tandem, laying the basic foundation for community building.
Artists & Actors The Artists & Actors program engages young girls and boys from remote areas who spend two to three nights on the ULYP campus and participate in an immersion program leveraging the arts and sports to rekindle self esteem, creativity, and happiness. Additionally, this program offers the children psychosocial relief and contributes to their psychosocial health. Both programs implemented in partnership with UNICEF within the CIRCLE program.
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Life throws challenges & every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it Amit Ray
A newly launched holistic educational program, RAINBOW brings light and color to Syrian refugee children, their mothers, and their communities, as well as a small number of peers from the host communities. RAINBOW is a one-year program implemented in parallel to the academic year in three geographical locations. The focus is on English language learning embedded with art and coding activities, giving the gift of language and self-esteem that will stay with them beyond the life of the program. RAINBOW also enhances parental skills in building a culture of learning at home, organizes monthly cultural trips to expand the horizons of the participants, and hosts celebrations in local communities to give participants the rare chance to be recognized and applauded for their success. Funded by a generous foundation that wishes to remain anonymous. 10
Scaffolding Academics ULYP recognizes the crucial transition periods students face during middle school as children move into early adolescence and again when moving to secondary school. During these middle school years, students who have been equipped with solid grade-level skills during their elementary years have a fruitful learning experience, and those who have not often start showing signs of veering off the path to graduation. These signs include chronic absenteeism, behavioral problems and low grades. Students also face added pressures when continuing on to secondary school, as they take intense standardized tests and debate continuing school or dropping out to seek employment. ULYP sees these transitional periods as an opportunity to assist students in getting back and staying on a trajectory for success at school, ensuring they remain motivated to continue their learning. We offer students assistance in scaffolding for academic skills including English language, coding skills designed to increase math, and critical thinking skills. Additionally, we offer a variety of personal development programs that use sports, art, drama and music that consider students’ multiple intelligences and allow for holistic growth that can support academic success. In 2016 ULYP provided scaffolding for academics through S.H.A.R.E., L.I.F.E., Together Let’s Code (TLC), Team Sports Camp, Harmony, #Respect and Frame by Frame.
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Spreading Hope and Reviving English SHARE provides extra academic support to middle-schoolers in grades seven and eight who are performing well so that they may excel and harness their learning momentum to carry them to higher education and beyond. Supported by Beit Jiddi Foundation.
The simple fact that my son came home one day and asked me to attend the parents meeting reflected to me how valuable the program is for him. LIFE Parent LIFE works with students in grades six through eight. It enhances their motivation to Learn, Inspires them to Focus and actively Engages them in their education. LIFE builds on the foundation of last year’s successful program Skills4Life, and applies its lessons learned and best practices. Key components of LIFE include starting the intervention at an early age, working with the children to rebuild their foundation of learning, and engaging their parents as partners invested in the success of their children. Funded by the Welfare Association (Taawon) – Lebanon. 12
Team Sports The Team Sports program reflects the connection between physical and psychological wellbeing. Engaging in sports often contributes positively to motivating the students academically, improving their self-image and ability to work together as a team. Our sports program focuses on football and basketball, and includes sessions on health, conflict resolution, and resilience training.
TLC: Together Let’s Code The future is coding and the future starts now. Susan Wojcicki, CEO, of YouTube, echoes these words and said: “Coding is a new literacy, and it gives people the potential to create, innovate and quite literally change the world.” In our TLC program, young girls learn how to develop games through coding simple steps using the SCRATCH program. Through coding, they also learn to work with peers from other communities, problem solve, and think critically, thus achieving the overall goals of ULYP. Both programs implemented in partnership with UNICEF within the CIRCLE program.
NO to gender-based violence, YES to living in harmony
HARMONY draws on the credibility that young people have amongst their peers and leverages the power of theater and film to convey the message that genderbased violence (GBV) is unacceptable. The program promotes the development of healthy relationships, exposes youth to the causes and effects of GBV, and shows them that harmony between the genders is integral to creating a better future for all. Funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, CFLI. 13
Respect is a two-way street With the slogan “Respect is a two-way street,� #Respect works with refugees and disadvantaged Lebanese youth to promote respect through coexistence, tolerance, and collaboration. Participants partake in conflict resolution, drama, and theatre sessions with the aim of producing a short film that conveys the important messages that emerged during the program. They eventually host screenings around the country to help disseminate the message of coexistence and engage in peer-to-peer education, conveying a more efficacious message coming directly from them. Funded by the U.S. Embassy Beirut Local Grants program.
One second of film is made up of 24 frames. Frame by frame, marginalized groups and refugees are portrayed in the media as people without culture, heritage, folktales, music, or even cuisine. This cultural exchange program aims to fill gaps in the provision of cultural services, which are key to unlocking potential, enhancing self-image, and promoting dialogue and mutual understanding. The participants work together and with their wider communities to design, narrate, and act/ star in films that remind us, frame by frame, of the value of culture and each individual’s role in preserving and sharing it. Funded by the European Union.
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2016 Programs at a glance HAPPY offers preschool aged children a head start program where learning is viewed as a positive experience of inquiry and discovery, both indoors and out.
ACT provides English, IT, art, drama, and conflict resolution classes to children ages 7-15 to give them a chance to succeed in school while improving self-expression, confidence, and mutual respect.
CIRCLE targets children, youth, women, and caregivers to improve psychosocial well-being through sub-programs designed to empower and educate community leaders of tomorrow
Rainbow brings light and color to Syrian refugee children ages 6-16 by engaging them in an intensive English learning program embedded with educational activities and cultural trips designed to enhance their learning.
SHARE Spreads Hope And Revives Education amongst capable middle school students who are performing well in school. Intensive English classes prepare students for eventual enrollment in university.
L.I.F.E. enhances students’ motivation to learn, inspires them to focus and engage in the process of education through a series of English enhancement classes, team building, and conflict resolution activities. 15
L.I.F.E
TLC brings the skill of coding to girls and encourages them to pursue their capabilities in the IT world. Girls ages 10-13 learn coding and life skills, and develop digital games.
Harmony utilizes the power of peer-to-peer education to spread awareness amongst youth ages 16-21 regarding the dangers of gender misconceptions and gender-based violence.
#Respect empowers and enables youth ages 16-22 to engage in conflict resolution activities, and to embody and promote the values of acceptance and tolerance in their communities.
Frame-by-Frame creates dialogue between youth ages 15-22 from different backgrounds in Lebanon by promoting and exchanging understanding of their own and others’ cultures.
BRIDGE helps promising students achieve college aspirations through English language instruction, college guidance, and college entrance exam training, as well as providing scholarships and stipends for Palestinian university students.
MOMs empowers mothers through English, basic IT and Internet skills, and lectures, to re-inspire a passion for learning, promote independence, and open a door to future opportunities. 16
Paving Paths A ULYP student once asked Nicole, our director, if she knew the saying, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” The student then explained why the phrase was on his mind: “I have the will to study hard in my senior year but this is not going to open the way for me to go to university, my family cannot afford it!” This conversation struck a ULYP chord and reaffirmed the reason why ULYP is committed to ensuring “everyone has the opportunity to access and reach their full potential.” Through its Bridge program, ULYP finds ways for capable students in the last two years of secondary school to pursue university education, ensuring that financial and socioeconomic status is not a barrier to their acquisition of knowledge and opportunity to excel. ULYP seeks a way to bridge the gap between students’ potential and opportunities for higher education.
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The Bridge Program engages and unites underserved youth from various isolated communities in Lebanon through a multifaceted university preparation program. It is implemented over an intensive two-year cycle and divided into three main modules that help students with every aspect of university preparation: Module I: The University Preparatory component (UPC): a group and individual university guidance program that assists 11th and 12th grade students in preparing for college applications, meeting SAT requirements, applying for and enrolling in universities. Module II: The University Counseling and Guidance component: multidimensional group and individual counseling sessions that cover career guidance, application assistance, personal advancement guidance and professional development. Module III: University Funding: in light of the financial burden many students face, the Bridge Program aims to find and match students with potential donors to secure their university funding. We draw on three sources for this funding: partnerships with universities abroad, various public and private scholarships and direct funding through ULYP.
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In 2016, 93 students graduated from different university programs in Lebanon and abroad and were celebrated at the “Celebrating Education – The Future Starts Now” annual event in July. These students who just a few years ago did not think they would be able to access university education, let alone succeed, proudly marched down the aisle and were recognized for their achievements, awarded for their special talents, and initiated as ULYP alumni. “Six years ago, I was one of the luckiest students to be granted a ULYP scholarship. Today I stand here in front of you as an MD graduate from Yeditepe University in Istanbul. Needless to say, ULYP has changed my life for the better. Now that I am a university graduate, there are many opportunities ahead of me, many of which would have been unattainable if ULYP hadn’t been there. As you know, many of us come from a background where getting to this level of education, or at least with these high standards, would be a dream. ULYP made it true. And now we are capable of competing and succeeding as anyone else in our community.” The journey continues. The application is now online. The future looks promising. Supported by various foundations, governments, universities & individual donors.
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Alumni Association The Unite Lebanon Youth Project Alumni Association (ULYPAA) was established in March 2016. A committee comprising of class representatives elected by their cohorts, members of the Scholarship Committee, as well as our Founder and Director governs ULYPAA. The alumni have been surveyed to propose alumni activities as well as to decide how to spend the ULYPAA budget. The decision was unanimous: 80% of the budget will go to scholarships for the younger generations and 20% will remain in the account to spend on alumni activities. This is a prime example of the commitment ULYP has instilled within our alumni to education and the readiness to give back to their communities to spread hope and change through education.
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Sustaining the change In order to fulfill the goal of uniting Lebanon’s youth, ULYP aims to generate a paradigm shift not just within the individuals enrolled in its programs, but also within families, schools, and wider communities. In order to sustain and enhance the positive change realized through our youth programs, we believe that it is incumbent upon us to collaborate with our beneficiaries’ mothers, schools, and teachers. As such, ULYP conducts capacity-building workshops to pass on the baton and equip teachers and caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and materials necessary to follow the same trajectory with their students, ultimately working towards both their academic and social success. These workshops generally take place towards the end of each program to ensure the methodology has been disseminated effectively to the teachers and caregivers who were actively involved in the learning process throughout the duration of the program. The objective is to have covered three important areas with all adults involved in the children’s education: knowledge, attitude, and skills. They are designed to enable them to continue working in their typical learning environment with a new and improved set of tools. With the mothers, a similar approach is followed to ensure the narrative at home echoes that of ULYP’s and encourages education. In 2016, ULYP worked on sustaining the change with The Most Outstanding Mothers Program (MOMs) and the Trainer of Trainers and/or Teachers workshops.
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Most Outstanding Mothers The idea behind MOMs is to work with mothers on changing the narrative at home to one that embraces learning and education. ULYP recognizes that the home plays a critical role in sustaining the change that the programs bring to the lives of children and youth. If the home environment is conducive to promoting self-esteem, encouraging the acceptance of the other, and supporting tolerance, then the change imparted by ULYP programs has a fertile ground to grow beyond the life of a program. MOMs empowers mothers of students in our programs and from different communities through the study of English, basic IT and internet skills, and lectures on topics of their choosing such as nutrition and hygiene, human rights, etc. This re-inspires their passion for learning and enables them to support their children’s learning journeys, while at the same time promoting their independence and opening them up to future opportunities. The MOMs Conversation program was launched in 2016 to follow up with the MOMs alumni and invited them to continue learning and refining their skills. Implemented in partnership with UNICEF within the CIRCLE program.
ULYP’s Training of Trainers workshops serve the purpose of passing on the baton to the children’s actual teachers so they can continue on the same path with their students. The journey of change starts with the teachers, caregivers, and administrators of students participating in the ULYP programs. It is therefore necessary that they actively observe the methodology ULYP implements and engage with it whilst the programs are still running. This knowledge is then cemented in workshops where ULYP shares the theory behind its work and equips the teaching cadre with the tools necessary to implement similar programs in their communities to benefit as many youth as possible. 22
ULYP Campus ULYP’s campus continues to grow to meet the needs of our beneficiaries and the higher standards ULYP is aspiring to reach. ULYP is immensely grateful to both the Jerusalem Fund and United Palestinian Appeal for their generous contributions that have enabled us to render our campus in Dibbiyeh more accessible to students and facilitate the holistic learning process. Students are enamored by the campus’ beauty, and we tailor lesson plans to engage with the natural environment and open spaces that are sadly all too foreign to the children living in cramped conditions in their communities.
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Board of Trustees ULYP’s Board of Trustees serves as the backbone of ULYP’s management and overall direction. Board members generously dedicate their time to supporting our growth and exploring new, impactful programs. Elias Baz Rana Hadid Nimat Kanaan Yusuf Kan’an Mohammad Mattar
Adalat Nakkash Hanna Nassar Melek El Nimer Youssef El Zein Caroline Clark
Volunteers We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who make up the ULYP family and embody and help promote our values and mission. They come from all walks of life—teaching, business, social science, art, and medicine—and selflessly give their time to our beneficiaries because they recognize the value and integrity of our work and the benefits passed on to the children, youth, and women we serve. Not only do our volunteers help lift our spirits and those of our beneficiaries, but they also help us operate efficiently in keeping our costs down so that we can focus on maximizing impact.
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Our Funders Ahliah School Ahmad Al Sari Ali Hassan Jamal Husseini Amal & Rima Hourani American Community School at Beirut American University of Beirut American University of Science and Technology American University of Sharjah American Women’s Club Americans for Children of the Middle East Bassam Aburdene Beirut Marathon Association Beit Jiddi Foundation Big Heart Foundation Bilgi University Bilkent University Blue Rose Compass Canada Fund for Local Initiatives Consolidated Contractors Company Culture and Science Foundation Dar Al-Handasah Daughters for Life Foundation Dina Itani Kaddoura Dr. & Mrs. Raja Asfour Dr. Ramzi Ata Dalloul Duke Engage Eastern Mediterranean University European Union Fidelity Assurance & Reinsurance Co. S.A.L. First National Bank S.A.L. FutureFirst - HBSC Hamid & Sawsan Jafar Hani Qaddumi Scholarship Foundation Huda Kitmitto Jerusalem Fund Koc University Lebanese American University Leila Straus Leonard Education Organization Inc. Liban Jazz Youssef & Lina Abou Khadra Maher Abu Ghazaleh 25
Maria Bayazid Medipol University Mohammed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim Mona Ibrahim Mohammed Al Mousa Mu’taz & Rada Sawwaf Muna Al Gurg Munib Masri Development Foundation Nabil Soubra Nazira Sarraj Near East University PACES Palestine International Institute Radwan & Ibtissam Alami Reema Chehabi Rifaat Nimer Foundation Ruwwad Al Tanmeya - Lebanon Salaam International Investment Ltd. Saudi Bin Laden Group Social Support Society Spark of Hope Tamim & Lamis Sahli Tayseer Barakat The National Institution of Social Care & Vocational Training The Omar and Rula Asali Foundation The Samih Alami Memorial Scholarship Fund for Students of Medicine at AUB The State of Qatar via Qatar Development Fund U.S. Embassy Beirut Local Grants Program UNICEF United Nations Relief and Works Agency United Palestinian Appeal United World Colleges Lebanese National Committee University of Balamand Wajih & Adalat Nakkash Welfare Association (Taawon) - Lebanon Wellspring Learning Community Worldwide Travel and Tourism Yeditepe University Youssef & Lina Abou Khadra Zafer & Tonia Chaoui
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ULYP receives The Spirit of Humanity Award On April 19, 2016, ULYP was honored to receive the Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Award for Institutional Excellence from the Arab American Institute Foundation in Washington, D.C. The Arab American Institute Foundation recognized ULYP’s work in Lebanon in the spirit of the famous Lebanese poet Gibran, despite the increased challenges faced with the influx of Syrian refugees to a country with an already fragile social fabric. In their letter to ULYP, the Foundation wrote: “For eighteen years, the Gibran Awards program has celebrated individuals and organizations whose work reflects the ideals of the great Lebanese-American poet by promoting inclusion, cooperation and greater understanding among people with diverse backgrounds, both in the United States and throughout the world. The achievements of the Unite Lebanon Youth Project are quite literally Gibran’s words put into action. We are amazed at the accomplishments of the small team at Unite Lebanon Youth Project in five short, tumultuous years. The work of Unite Lebanon Youth Project has created a space for the vulnerable youth of Lebanon – Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrians – to believe success is possible even in the midst of physical, financial, and mental insecurity. Unite Lebanon Youth Project is leading a transformation towards unity and understanding between different nationalities that do not naturally interact and work together towards a brighter future”.
Past recipients of the Award for Institutional Excellence have included St. Jude’s Research Hospital, Amnesty International USA, Children’s Defense Fund, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Vital Voices.
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L. I. F. E
Beirut OďŹƒce Beirut Building Company Bldg., Makdessi Street, Hamra Beirut Phone: +961 1 346 422 | +961 1 745 887 Fax: + 961 1 745 657
Dibbiyeh Campus Dibbiyeh main road, Facing the Chehab Gas Company Phone: + 961 07 985 210 | + 961 07 985 906 Mobile: +961 03 042 200