JERICHO, September 1, 2010 (WAFA)-  Alumni of the English Access Microscholarship program (“Access”) and the Youth Exchange and Study program (“YES”) organized a spelling bee, to provide the youth of Jericho an opportunity to improve their English-language skills, and to encourage more young people in the community to visit the American Corner. 

Three groups of students from Jericho, Jerusalem and Ramallah competed in the spelling bee.  The competition was intense, and the winning group received a special plaque in recognition of its accomplishment.  The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem partnered with AMIDEAST to host the spelling competition followed by an Iftar at the American Corner in Jericho. 

In remarks given to open the Iftar, Ms. Cynthia Harvey, Cultural Affairs Officer for the U.S. Consulate, thanked AMIDEAST and the youth volunteers, stating, “During the holy month of Ramadan, the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, in partnership with local organizations like AMIDEAST, is hosting more than 30 Ramadan activities, including Iftars, umsiyyas, book donations, and cultural exchange activities.  During this special time of year, we celebrate the values of compassion and service, which are shared by Americans and Palestinians.”  Fidah Mousa, Program Officer at AMIDEAST noted that, 'The contest provided an excellent opportunity for cultural exchange.  What better way of bringing two cultures together than through a traditional American Spelling Bee as a youth activity during the holy month of Ramadan.” 

The American Corner in Jericho was established in November 2005 by the U.S. Consulate and the Jericho Municipality, to provide informational resources and cultural programs to the people of Jericho and to build bridges of understanding between Palestinians and Americans.  Past events at the American Corner have included an environmental clean-up campaign, a Mother’s day celebration, English-language training for language-instructors, and movie screenings and book clubs for youth.  The YES and Access programs have developed a generation of Palestinian students focused on intellectual development and academic achievement.  There are nearly 200 alumni of the YES program in the Palestinian Territories, along with several thousand alumni of the Access program.   The Access and YES youth education and cross-cultural programs are funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered locally by AMIDEAST.