Study abroad in the USA with NESA UGRAD!
NESA UGRAD, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides outstanding Moroccan students ages 18-25 with the opportunity to pursue one academic year of undergraduate studies at an American university. NESA UGRAD is not a degree program. It is an academic challenge, a cultural immersion and the perfect stepping stone to future graduate studies in the USA. Download the NESA UGRAD flyer <http://morocco.usembassy.gov/> from U.S. Embassy Rabat, contact us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/usembassyrabat> with any Morocco-specific questions and visit www.nesaugrad.org <http://www.nesaugrad.org> for more information and to apply online. ***The application deadline for Morocco is Sunday, January 22nd.*** What are you waiting for? Apply today!

Etudier aux Etats-Unis avec le programme NESA UGRAD !
NESA UGRAD est un programme financ par le Dpartement dEtat amricain. Cest une opportunit pour des tudiants marocains brillants, ayant entre 18 et 25 ans, de faire une anne dtudes de premier cycle dans une universit amricaine. NESA UGRAD est un programme dtudes qui ne donne pas accs un diplme. Cest une exprience acadmique, une immersion culturelle et le tremplin parfait pour de futures tudes de troisime cycle aux Etats-Unis. Tlchargez le formulaire NESA UGRAD du site de lU.S. Embassy Rabat, contactez-nous sur Facebook pour toute question spcifique la comptition au Maroc, et visitez www.nesaugrad.org <http://www.nesaugrad.org> pour plus dinformation et pour vous inscrire en ligne. ***Le dernier dlai pour sinscrire est le Dimanche 22 janvier 2012. Quattendez-vous ? Inscrivez-vous ds maintenant !

NESA UGRAD!
NESA UGRAD 18 25 . NESA UGRAD . NESA UGRAD <http://morocco.usembassy.gov/> ء <http://www.facebook.com/#!/USEmbassyRabat> . www.nesaugrad.org <http://www.nesaugrad.org> .*** 22 *** !

NESA UGRAD Morocco 2012-13.pdf

Songs for Fez – Free Concert

Posted on November 29, 2011

Jesse Mandell, Hosna el Hadi and Noureddine Ismag

At first glance, a keyboard player, an African drummer and an oud player from Fez may not appear to have much in common – until you hear them play together. The result is magical.

The three musicians – Jesse Mandell from Minnesota, Nourredine Ismag from Cornwall in Canada and Hosna el Hadi from Fez – combine their talents to create original and enchanting sounds this Saturday December 3 at 7pm in a free concert at a new venue in the old Medina.

The concert Songs for Fez features the three playing together and solo, while photographer Omar Chennafi and members of the ALC-ALIF Photography Club provide a series of images as visual metaphors for what is happening on stage.

“We play together at the beginning and end of the hour long concert, and in the middle we will play solo pieces,” says Nourredine.”We start with a piece Jesse wrote.”

Jesse’s opening piece is influenced by Brasilian Bossa Nova, and later they play an Andalusian style piece of he wrote. The twenty-two year old is currently a student at the Arabic Language Institute in Fez. “I’ve played the piano since I was five,” Jesse says. “I grew up learning classical and jazz and then really got into ragtime when I was fourteen…All the styles reflect different emotions and have a really different feel.” Nowadays Jesse meshes ragtime, rock and hip hop to create his own unique style of playing.

Nourredine, 30, is also in Fez temporarily, accompanying his wife who is studying at ALIF. “I originally come from Marrakesh and I’ve been living in Canada for four years,” he says. Nourredine started playing djembe and conga drums at school and later joined a band called General Electric, which has become well known around Ottowa and Toronto for their upbeat mix of blues, jazz and funk. “The first time I played with Jesse and Hosna it sounded really good, so we decided to do something together,” he says.

Hosna, 27, is a music teacher based in Fez. She has been a soloist on the oud and guitar since she was thirteen. “I love it…I’ve done a lot of concerts,” she said. While Hosna often performs classical oud, she is enjoying the musical collaboration with Jesse and Nourredine. “I like playing jazz and lots of other types of music,” she says. “It feels more free.”

Photos will be projected behind the musicians as they play. “Everyone has selected photos they want to play with (when they do their solo pieces), says photographer and concert organiser Omar Chennafi. “They help to create an atmosphere; a feeling. The elements come together to create harmony.”

Songs for Fez is sponsored by the AmericanLanguageCenter and Arabic Language Institute in Fez & Cafe Clock.

The concert will be held in the newly renovated riad which is the Sidi Muhammad ben Yousef cultural complex, in Layounne in the Fes Medina. To get there, go down the hill beyond Riad Alkantara and keep turning left. Go via Oued Souafine and left onto Akbat El Firane. The complex is on the left, just down the hill from the College Sidi Muhammad El Fassi.

Who: Open to all
When: Saturday December 3 at 7pm
Where: Sidi Muhammad ben Yousef cultural complex (open air)
Getting there: Meet in front of Hotel Batha at 6:30 and a guide will show you.
Cost: Free

Job opportunity for those interested.

Just a reminder that registration is taking place for our Fall Session 2011. Classes begin Friday, September 30. Registration hours are 8:30-4:30 Tuesday to Friday, and Saturday 8:30-3pm. See more info about hours and placement test times here.

For those who are interested, we will begin registration for our SEPTEMBER INTENSIVE SESSION next Monday, Sept 5, 8:30-4:30. The For those who are interested, we will begin registration for our SEPTEMBER INTENSIVE SESSION next Monday, Sept 5, 8:30-4:30. The intensive session is offered from September 7-17 (first week Wednesday to Friday, second week Monday to Saturday). It’s a ten day session, 3 hours per day offered from 9-12:00 or 17-20:00. Hope to see you soon. Thank you.intensive session is offered from September 7-17 (first week Wednesday to Friday, second week Monday to Saturday). It’s a ten day session, 3 hours per day offered from 9-12:00 or 17-20:00. Hope to see you soon. Thank you.

« Zineb, How do I… ? »

 

Those four words have defined my experience in this wonderful and challenging country. As a first year teacher, traveler to Morocco and Africa at large, speaker of Arabic, etc., I have found my time incredibly exhilarating and the most profoundly difficult. Looking back on the time I spent planning and calculating for this year, I have realized that so much of what I prepared myself for couldn’t have been predicted. Of course, this is typical of any life changing adventure, but I have been more aware of each unforeseen event this past year than in any other. These events have been the catalyst for growth in ways I could have only previously imagined. And each little step forward always started with four little words to my most patient roommate…

 

When I first arrived in Rabat, I stayed with a host family which definitely eased my transition into this foreign land. For two weeks I thought that having to eat different food, find my way around a new city, adapt to a completely new culture that had different views on everything, and missing my family, friends and fiance in a way that I never thought possible before, would be enough to make me go crazy. Then I had to find an apartment. And teach English. And lesson plan. And learn survival Arabic. And figure out where to get money before my first paycheck. And start the paperwork for my carte de sejour and work papers. And teach English. And learn how to handwash clothes. And learn how to cook. And teach English. And learn how to rent an apartment in a new country. And learn how and where to open an account for our electricity and water bills. And figure out how to talk to my loved ones. And choose which internet company was the best. And purchase a phone. And learn how not to get swindled. And try not to look so American. And find out where to purchase cleaning supplies. And meat. And fruits and vegetables. And learn how to wash and clean them properly. And thus, « Zineb, How do I… ? »

 

These all sound like trivial problems now that I’ve been here for 8 months and have adapted remarkably well given my « beyond stressed out » state at the beginning. I owe most of that to my wonderful roommate Zineb, who has helped me understand how to work a « buta gaz » propane tank, how to handwash clothes and sheets, how to cook something better than rice and tuna and how to ask Redal employees about a spurious bill calculation. She also helped me to know if I should tip taxi drivers, waiters, hair stylists and how to talk with and understand homeless people’s stories when they ask for money. Zineb, along with others, taught me basic Arabic words for « parsley », « oregano », « half a kilo », « milk », « sugar », etc. to help me in my quests for basic necessities. Without such thorough and helpful answers to my questions, it would have taken me much longer to navigate the train/bus systems. In addition, I might not have pushed myself as much to walk to Bokrone in the medina to buy food and attempt communication in darija. I probably wouldn’t have bought fabric for sheets and had them sown by a friendly tailor or gotten holes in my clothes fixed. I might have succumbed to the depression and stress that accompanied an absolute missing of the most beloved people in my life. I might have stopped trying when I felt that teaching wasn’t as easy as I had expected it to be. Finally, after hitting many low points, without the knowledge that I acquired from those simple questions, my confidence might not have been bolstered up to where I could gain some footing and eventually come around.

 

Because of Zineb and my wonderful friends and associates at the ALC and in the Rabat community, I have become an utterly different person than the « Shelley » who arrived so many months ago. I no longer stress out (as much) when one little thing goes wrong or when a class doesn’t go as smoothly as I would have hoped. I don’t make (as much of) a fuss when I am falling behind on my cleaning or when I am harrassed on the street. I am able to laugh openly and freely and enjoy a bright, sunny day like someone who has achieved a sense of balance. I cannot adequately describe how much my friends’ and colleagues’ support has meant to me. I think of it often, and I feel very thankful to be able to express a piece of my gratitude in this article. It is my hope that as life takes me and those I’m closest to here in other directions, these words will serve as a reminder of the importance of community solidarity, hope, love and encouragement. Without these, we all fail. Without answers to my « Zineb, How do I…. » questions, I would have failed.

 

As Gregory David Roberts ends his partly fictional memoir, Shantaram, I want to leave you, dear readers, with some beautifully worded advice :

 

For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.

Dear students,

We’re announcing an end of year show featuring ALC student performances to be held at the Salle Bahnini in downtown Rabat.

Date and time: Sunday, June 19, starting at 3pm.

Tickets are now on sale for 10 dhs each, and all proceeds will benefit community service projects with local orphanages and handicapped associations. Seating is limited. Please purchase tickets in advance at the ALC reception.

Thank you!

2011 SPACE CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS for Moroccan teenagers

Sponsored by the Embassy of the United States of America in Rabat
and the American Language Centers across Morocco

Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Your abilities in math and science and your English language skills
may help make your dream come true! Applications are due by Friday, June 3 for the second edition of the
Moroccan Space Camp Scholarship.

Space Camp is an interactive educational experience which brings theory to life through simulated training as a
pilot or mission specialist aboard the NASA Space Shuttle. Twelve youth scholarship winners—boys and girls ages
15-17 who excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics—will enroll in Advanced Space Academy: a
challenging mental, emotional and physical experience for high school students.

Space Camp will take place in at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, USA from July 3-July 8,
2011. All participant costs including air and ground transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses will be
paid by the U.S. Department of State and the American Language Centers.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

A Moroccan citizen residing in Morocco and born between August 1, 1993 and July 30, 1996
A 14/20 average on your most recent report card including strong grades in science and math
Demonstrated interest and ability in math, science (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) or technology inside
and outside the classroom
Strong English language skills (program is conducted entirely in English)

APPLICATION

To apply, simply review the eligibility criteria above and, if you qualify, complete the online application
form by Friday, June 3 and start gathering the necessary supporting materials listed in the application.
If selected for the next step, you will be contacted for an interview during the week of June 6-10. If
chosen for the program, you will be notified on Monday, June 13.
For more information about Space Camp, visit www.spacecamp.com.
If you have any questions, visit rabat.usembassy.gov or www.facebook.com/USEmbassyRabat or contact
the U.S. Embassy at rabatyouth@state.gov or 0537-66-80-45.

Have you got what it takes to be an astronaut?