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November 2003

SAF Launches the Mohebbi Blind Institute’s Computer Center

The Science and Arts Foundation, working in collaboration with the Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation, has opened its fifth computer training center for the visually impaired at the Mohebbi Institute for the Blind.  The Mohebbi School is one of the largest schools for the visually impaired in Iran and serves over 230 students from across the nation.  This fully furnished computer site boasts of 7 computer stations, including a server station, a scanner and a Braille printer.  SAF has also provided the school with computer training courses for both students and teachers.  The opening of this center took place on November 30, 2003 and was broadcast live at the SAF UK fundraising event.  Students, parents, teachers and administrators attended the opening ceremony along with officials from both the Science and Arts Foundation and the Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation.  Events at the opening included musical performances by Mohebbi students.  To view pictures and learn more about SAF programs for the visually impaired please visit (http://vip.saf.ir).

Iranian High Schools Establish Robotics Groups

Robotics groups have been established at Roshd, Al Zahra, Danesh and Shohadaye Karegar High Schools in Tehran and Mohtashemi High School in Kashan.  Each school has received the components for two School Robot machines and received the necessary training for operating these robots through various workshops.  Currently, students are vigorously working to make these robots operational.  The Science and Arts Foundation has also designed the School Robot website and
is presently working towards its completion (http://robot.schoolnet.ir).

SAF Actively Pursues Biotechnology Education among Iranian Students

SAF’s first biotechnology competition, part of the SchoolNet e-Club, is underway and receiving enthusiastic responses from students across Iran (http://biotech.schoolnet.ir).  A group of university students, all previously medal winning members of the Biology Olympiads and currently pursuing degrees in medicine and biotechnology, have supported the Biotech e-Club and its competition by conducting workshops at AlZahra and Nezam Mafi High Schools.  These students have also established a group called Sharyan that focuses on topics pertaining to environmental issues and is planning for additional workshops to be held in other high schools.

The Chabahar IT Center Established and Running

With funding from SAF-Sweden and with the cooperation of the City of Chabahar and the Zahedan IT Center, SAF has established its second IT Center in the province of Sistan va Baluchestan in the port city of Chabahar.  Today, Sistan va Baluchestan ranks as the least developed province in Iran, making IT education imperative for its economic and academic growth.  This most recent IT center includes both a computer laboratory and a classroom where community members can receive training in both computer use and theory for a minimal fee.  With IT training, community members can gain the skills necessary to participate and actively compete in the national and international economy, as has been indicated by the remarkable results achieved by the Zahedan IT Center.

Software Entrepreneurship Group Established at the Zahedan IT Center

A team of advanced students from the Zahedan IT Center have joined together to form a software entrepreneurship group.  These students have all successfully completed a series of computer programming training sessions using JAVA and J2EE technology.  With the support of the technical staff at Sharif University of Technology’s Computing Center via the Internet, this team’s current
assignment aims to prepare it for future projects.  The ultimate objective of this group is for members to become entrepreneurs in the field of software development using advanced technologies.

SchoolNet Launched in Isfahan

Isfahan SchoolNet has been launched with assistance from the Isfahan Math House with a number of SAF equipped schools linking to the new network (http://isfahan.schoolnet.ir).  In addition to the schools listed on the website, Shahid Hanaie Nejad, Hamedanian and Kashefi High Schools have also joined.  Furthermore, with SAF cooperation, the “Isfahan Math School” has become operational on the network.  This electronic school incorporates the components for an e-Learning platform and open courseware as well as forums, a competition division and a project center.  The Isfahan Math House has also placed its educational programs, aimed at promoting problem solving skills and
empowerment, on the World Wide Web.

Preparation for the Sixth and Seventh SchoolNet Conference Underway

The sixth SchoolNet conference will be held in December 2003 at Tehran’s Shohadaye Karegar High School (http://www.schoolnet.ir/~shohada).  During this conference, a series of workshops will be conducted along with the presentation of a diverse range of projects.  The Science and Arts Foundation is also collaborating with the Isfahan Math House (http://www.mathhouse.org/), Isfahan’s Department of Education and Isfahan University of Technology to prepare for the seventh SchoolNet conference to be held in July 2004.  Educational workshops will be administered and participating students will have the opportunity to become familiar with new and challenging projects for
the summer months.  In addition, invitations for educational specialists from neighboring nations along with UNESCO and iEARN staff are being considered.  Organizers are also hoping to arrange for the participation of students from across the globe living in cities considered to be sister cities with Isfahan (currently 13 cities are identified as Isfahan’s sister cities).
 

September-October 2003

SAF LAUNCHES BIO-TECH E-CLUB

The development of educational content, in the form of e-clubs, accessible on the SchoolNet site, is designed to further SAF commitment to creating innovation in Iran's educational system.  To this end, SAF has recently launched the Bio-Tech e-Club on the SchoolNet website
<http://biotech.schoolnet.ir>, which includes introductory materials to bio-technology, a discussion forum for students, as well as 12 competitive projects. Only student groups are eligible to participate in these competitions, a mechanism designed to promote collaboration and cooperation between students, while engaging them in friendly and productive competitions.  These groups must respond to the questions by conducting research on the Internet and applying the information found to the concepts addressed by the questions on the competition. SAF is working with a team of graduates from Allameh Helli boys' and Farzanegan girls' high schools to promote this program.  The graduates will design and implement workshops at participating schools for interested students throughout the Fall.  This project hopes to promote the development of biotechnology laboratories in
schools as one of its long term goals.

THE SCIENCE AND ARTS FOUNDATION AND PARTNERING SCHOOLS TEST THE SCHOOLROBOT PROGRAM

Last year, as part of the School Robot Program, SAF initiated work on the School Robot platform, intended to promote the development of robotics in Iranian high schools. As part of its Robotics team, SAF has recruited a number of university students, who were active participants in past RoboCup events from Sharif University of Technology, to spearhead the development of this
program. This group has initiated work through the development of a pathfinder robot named SchoolRobot. SAF provided the first of these models to AlZahra Girls High School and Roshd Boys High School in a workshop designed to train students in the field of robotics. Most recently, these students gathered at a meeting where they discussed the platform with the program developers and made the following decisions:
- Students will be allowed to register in SAF's Robotics e-Club, which will be launched in the next few months.  Graduates at each school will be in charge of these clubs and will actively engage students in the program.  
- In the initial phase of this program, 3 girls and 3 boys high schools will be provided with 2 robots each, as well as training workshops, spearheaded by students at AlZahra and Roshd high schools.
- Competitions between the pathfinder robots, the re-factoring of SchoolRobot and the development of robotics laboratories in Iranian high schools is planned as the next phase of this project.

SAF PARTICIPATES IN THE REGIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM ON THE INFORMATION
SOCIETY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, WEST AND CENTRAL ASIA

Four members of the Science and Arts Foundation participated in the Regional Civil Society Forum on the Information Society for the Middle East, West and Central Asia held on Kish Island from August 26-28. This forum was set up as a preliminary meeting for the World Summit on the Information Society to be held in Geneva this winter. SAF was responsible for two presentations in the area of ICT in the developing world. The first day's events were highlighted by Dr. Yahya Tabesh in a presentation on the digital gap found between developed and developing nations which was well-received by participants, who mostly represented civil society organizations.  SAF members also actively participated in the working group on cultural and linguistic diversity in information and communication technologies held on the second day of the seminar. After discussions with participants representing different sectors of civil society, SAF members developed a report which will be used to provide comment into the WSIS proceedings.

IEARN IRAN PREPARES FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

iEARN Iran, Iran's local member of the International Education and Resource Network supported by the Science and Arts Foundation, has been actively preparing for the new school year.  Several meetings and discussions forums between iEARN Iran coordinators and educators were held over the summer.  These meetings were designed to develop a work plan for the coming school
year. Currently, iEARN Iran coordinators are preparing educational material describing the activities of iEARN and the benefits it offers to both students and teachers in the field of collaborative educational projects.  These materials will be distributed to schools in Tehran and the provinces.  
Additionally, individual schools are appointing facilitators who will aid in the implementation of projects within the schools while encouraging iEARN activities in neighboring schools. iEARN Iran coordinators hope to create a close network of students and educators striving to realize the mission of iEARN:  Youth Making a Difference!
 

August 2003

IRANIAN DELEGATION STRENGTHENS COLLABORATIONS AT THE IEARN CONFERENCE IN
HYOGO, JAPAN

SAF supported the participation of a 52 member delegation from Iran at the 10th Annual iEARN Conference/7th Youth Summit in Japan, in July 2003. The conference boasted the participation of over 1,000 participants from 60 countries.  The Iranian delegation was selected by a group of their own peers, through a competitive merit-based process, which included applications from 300
educators representing 100 schools.  The Iranian delegation provided 22 presentations and hosted a popular cultural exhibit on Iran.  The presentations addressed a wide range of educational and technical topics, including several aimed at education for the disabled, such as  “ICT for the blind,” presented by Mr. Nassrollah Rezaey of Isfahan, and “ICT for Deaf Students,” presented by Ms.
Fereshteh Valamanesh of Rasht. For the first time, the Iranian delegation included two youth, Elham Delzendeh and Afra Abnar, who serve as coordinators of one of the most active iEARN projects“Proverbs and Idioms.”  The professional and cultural impact of participating in an international conference of this magnitude for Iranian participants has been profound.
Besides gaining technical know-how and meeting and networking with counterparts from across the world, the team has returned to Iran ready to implement new ideas and teaching techniques and is committed to strengthening their collaborations with colleagues in Iran and internationally.  The Iranian team will now be introducing some new iEARN projects, including one for visually
impaired and blind students and several scientifically oriented projects.  Currently, Iranian teachers and students coordinate 15 projects for iEARN <http://iearn.saf.ir> and participate actively in dozens of other projects, a list of which can be found on the iEARN website.  

IRANIAN TEAMS EXCEL IN ROBOCUP COMPETITIONS IN PADOVA

Sharif University of Technology took 1st place in the “Rescue Simulation League” competitions at the RoboCup event in Padova, Italy in July 2003.  Sharif also ranked 2nd in the “Rescue Robot League”, while Isfahan placed 3rd “Rescue Robot League” and the “Middle-Size Robot League” competitions.  Another highlight for Iran was the naming of the Isfahan University of
Technology by the organizing committee as the `Team of RoboCup 2003' with 5.2 points for superior design, advanced control, and unique performance. The Science and Arts Foundation for the third year in a row, provided support to some of the most exceptional Iranian teams, including Isfahan
University of Technology, Sharif University of Technology, Elm-o-Sana’t, Amir Kabir Polytechnic University, Tehran University of Science, and Alaame Helli High School, which participated in junior competitions.  Local competitions, held by SAF, identified teams for support.   The Science and Arts Foundation also launched a flying robot during this year’s RoboCup competitions.  Developed by the SAF Robotics team, this robot will be distributed to select Iranian high schools in the coming academic year as part of the school robot program. In addition, SAF has appointed a committee
to clarify certain recommendations to Iranian universities in order to overcome the challenges they face as a result of the unusually large number of Iranians participating in RoboCup events and to help manage the talented young students in order to achieve maximum results.  The committee will also deliver certain recommendations to SAF for its future support of RoboCup.
Other Iranian teams participating in this event included, Ghazvin Azad University, Tehran Azad University, Mashad’s Ferdowsi University, and Shahid Beheshti University.  Besides China, Iran is the only developing country participating in this distinguished international competition.

KASHAN SCHOOLNET HOSTS ITS FIRST SEMINAR

The first ever SchoolNet Seminar <http://kashan.schoolnet.ir/> hosted by Kashan’s SchoolNet program took place in the month of July with support from the Science and Arts Foundation and the local ministry of education.  This gathering, with over 400 participants, was the first large-scale educational seminar of its kind to be held in the city of Kashan.   The day-long gathering
provided an opportunity for over 40 presenters to share their knowledge on Information and Communications Technology (ICT).  The presentations addressed a range of topics including the use of ICT in classroom settings, mathematics software, website design and the positive impact of ICT on society.  Collaborative projects such as those carried out under the auspices of iEARN
were also highlighted during this event.  Seventy-five percent of the presentations at this seminar were provided by students, who are always eager to share information about new methods of using ICT to enhance the educational experience. With SAF present in 15 provinces, provincial level SchoolNet conferences are part of a growing trend, exhibiting both interest and expertise
in the field ICT among educators and learners living outside the capital.  Kashan’s SchoolNet program has been one of the most active of SAF’s SchoolNet programs, training thousands of students in ICT through extracurricular summer training programs.

July 2003