Active Learning & Creative Expression

Overall objectives

• To develop enabling environment for interactive learning and creative expression for “marginalized” children and youth at risk.
• To benefit from the historical memory, experiences and creativity of local communities
• To invest in organizational development and staff capacity building.

Specific objectives

• To engage “marginalized” children and youth at risk, in critical thinking and creative expression on issues that concern them.
• To promote integral learning that enriches lives on all levels.
• To provide young people with safe-havens and the environment for self-discovery, fun learning and creativity.
• To promote and expand local and international network of educators and artists.
• To increase the number of network members of individuals and organizations implementing interactive learning and creative expression practices.
• To allow educators, children and other public to enhance their knowledge and creative skills.
• To provide participants of training workshops with applicable and practical skills and resources for their work with children and youth.
• To provide animators and educators with resources useful for their daily work with children and youth.
• To promote dialogue and collaboration between Palestinian and Lebanese communities.
• To mobilize local communities and build on their expertise in dealing with challenges that face children and youth.

The Janana program has been promoting these values and approaches through:

Hands-on activities with young people in marginalized communities, that engage them in expressing their concerns and issues through the creative tools of: photography, video, journalism, applied arts, music; and in the production of learning and cultural resources and manifestations

• “We exist”: Palestinian Refugee Children Record their lives & express their hopes
• Away from home again project
• Jana children’s art club
• Jana music project
• Sandouq il Ajayib “Box of Wonders”: mobile performances and screenings

Since 2002, AL-JANA center has been coordinating Janana campaign and a network of ngos centers and libraries that work with young people from marginalized community in Lebanon. The campaign has been engaging the ngos in coordinated activities for children and youth, and in capacity building workshops for librarians , animators and educators from these ngos, in how to use the creative arts with distressed children; in conflict transformation and a childhood free of violence; and in integral learning and how to promote critical thinking and creative expression.

The Janana network (80 centers and libraries) members meet five times a year to plan and evaluate joint activities; and deliberate about important challenges; and develop coping strategies.

The major activities of the campaign and network:

• The annual Janana Spring Week and mobile festival.
• The annual Janana Summer Encounter.

Supporting non-formal wholistic learning projects that integrate learning, income-generating skills, the improvement of livelihoods, and concern for a healthy environment.

• Arij: Learning while earning from recycled paper arts project for young women of Ain Il-Hilweh camp.