Harlem school students welcome Sheikha Moza

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, visited elementary school students studying Arabic at a public school in Harlem yesterday. Just two weeks into the new school year, the students of P.S. 368 were able to welcome Her Highness to the classroom in Arabic. “I enjoyed hearing the children speak in Arabic so enthusiastically,” said HH Sheikha Moza adding, “and it was lovely to see that most of them are not of Arab origin, which means the language reaches families and communities who have not been exposed to our culture previously.” She also joined an interactive cultural programme put on by Al Bustan Seeds of Culture, which gave students the opportunity to sing in Arabic while accompanied by a group of professional musicians playing traditional Arabic instruments. HH Sheikha Moza is in New York in her capacity as a global education advocate and will be attending and launching a number of high-level meetings and initiatives respectively during the week of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly. Qatar Foundation International (QFI) sponsors the Arabic language and culture programme in Harlem, which is managed by the NYC-based educational non-profit Global Language Project (GLP). Harlem’s P.S. 368 is the first public elementary school in New York City to offer Arabic language classes that reach more than 200 students, in grades K-5. QFI is a US-based member of Qatar Foundation. Founded by HH Sheikha Moza, QFI’s mission is to promote education as a force that facilitates collaboration across geographic, social, and cultural boundaries. QFI’s partner Al Bustan Seeds of Culture is a non-profit based in Philadelphia dedicated to presenting and teaching Arabic language, arts, and culture. This year, a QFI grant to the Al Bustan Digital Education programme supports the development of online resources with interactive learning and playing to further elementary and secondary educators’ and students’ understanding and appreciation of the Arabic language, arts, culture, and history.