IEARN

iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 125 countries. iEARN empowers 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 pioneered on-line school linkages to enable students to engage in meaningful educational projects with peers in their countries and around the world.

iEARN is:

• An inclusive and culturally diverse community • A safe and structured environment in which young people can communicate • An opportunity to apply knowledge in service-learning projects • A community of educators and learners making a difference as part of the educational process

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 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, 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."

Activities

Online Projects

300 thematic-based projects designed and facilitated by teachers and students.

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, Academy for Educational Development, AMIDEAST, UN Cyberschoolbus, EDC, Elluminate, Global Teenager Project, Intel Teach, Microsoft Partners in Learning, Open Society Institute, Schlumberger SEED Program, Sister Cities International, and the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of State.

At the request of the United States Department of Education, iEARN-USA created the Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet

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' Prize for Excellence in International Education with the Asia Society. • iEARN is a Partnership for 21st Century Learning Editor's Pick. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php

External links

• iEARN Organization
• iEARN Collaboration Centre
• Teachers Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet
• Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education
• iEARN BRIDGE Program
• PEARL Program
• [ http://www.edutopia.org/new-technologies-link-ancient-cultures Ellis, Ken, "New Technologies Link Ancient Cultures." Edutopia. A Publication of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. June 6, 2002.]
• Chicago Public Schools, "Chicago Schools in iEARN," January 2009.