Program Profile

Amideast

Qisasna (“Our Stories”)

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  • High School/Grades 9-12
  • Undergraduate
  • Young Adult

Amideast’s Qisasna is a unique virtual exchange focused on podcasting that instills global leadership skills and mutual understanding among participants in the United States and Yemen. Qisasna, which means “our stories” in Arabic, provides participants with storytelling and podcasting skills to help them develop an outlet for sharing their efforts. In addition, Qisasna connects program participants with mentors from the growing podcasting field.

Activities

To prepare them to create a podcast of their own, participants engage in facilitated online dialogues and complete a series of asynchronous podcast training modules. Virtual teams of ten participants evenly divided between Americans and Yemenis engage online, along with asynchronous work, to create a pilot podcast episode. The activities are complemented by synchronous mentoring by podcast experts to support their podcast efforts.

Program Details

Number of Participants

640

U.S. States and Territories Reached
  • All U.S. States and Territories
Countries and Territories Reached
  • Yemen
Length of Exchange

12 weeks (three hours/week)

If you are interested in bringing this program to your institution, complete this form.

Qisasna is implemented by Amideast and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

JCSVEI partners with the U.S. Department of State on the Qisasna program. We are reviewing this website to ensure compliance with recent executive orders and other guidance.