HH Sheikha Moza visits QFI-partner elementary school in Brooklyn

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), visited a Qatar Foundation International (QFI) partner elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, today.

Her Highness attended a class with students at P.S. 261, a QFI-supported program that teaches Arabic language and Arab culture through art. The program aims to encourage students to think globally and critically, and to inspire meaningful connections with the Arab world. During the visit, Her Highness met with the teachers, school administrators, and parents of students enrolled in the program to discuss its progress.

QFI, a US-based member of QF, utilized its partnership with the NYC-based educational non-profit Global Language Project to enable the school to expand its Arabic-education offerings from after-school to full-day programing. The weekly class, ‘Art in Arabic’, currently serves 540 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade.

The curriculum focuses on language acquisition and proficiency, and the integration of contemporary events and culture in the Arab world. The curriculum also includes an entire unit about the culture of Qatar.

Additionally, to promote cultural exchange and understanding, the P.S. 261 school recently partnered with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to bring teaching artists into the classroom twice a semester and for students to visit the Islamic Art exhibit at the museum.

QFI is committed to providing primary and secondary students around the world with the intellectual, communicative, and cultural competencies that will enable them to become engaged global citizens. Through the Arabic Language and Arab Culture program, QFI promotes excellence in the classroom and advances the teaching of Arabic and Arab culture.