Students fund first school for Syrian children in refugee camp

Four students have set up the first school in an Iraqi refugee camp after meeting on the online course ‘Social Learning for Social Impact’ at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Canada.

The students, from Morocco, the UK, Iraq, and Canada, established the Heart ELT school to educate children left with nothing in a camp near the Iraqi city of Dohuk. To help some of the four million Syrian refugees forced to flee their country, their efforts follow the aim of the world’s first massive open online course (MOOC) specifically for group-learning, known as a group MOOC or GROOC.

Leslie Breitner, GROOC co-creator, says: “We wanted people to connect from any country and commit to making the world a better place. The participants experience a new way of learning that takes their unique experiences, combined with conceptual material and frameworks, and turns them into initiatives with impact.”

Efforts by teacher Julie Pratten, one of the online students, and her team crowdfunded the Heart ELT mobile classroom and furnished it with school supplies. They’re planning a second campaign to set up a charity that creates mobile safe learning spaces in other refugee camps.

Julie says: “Input from team members has been crucial for success, the study materials assisted me throughout planning the project, and being part of the course has enabled me to reach out for global support. What’s needed now is funding and long term assistance.

“If people feel that you’re coming from the heart, they’ll be happy to assist. The GROOC has made me realise that people are willing to contribute; but need to know what they can do and how.”

For more information or to speak to a course co-ordinator, contact Leilani Ku at leilani.ku [at] mcgill.ca or 514-398-7131.