Applications Due: Bridges, Borders, and Migration: Middle East and African Cultures

Announced by the University of Pittsburgh

MEAC is a year-long intensive fellowship for teachers to explore Middle Eastern and African histories, cultures, and diasporas. Running from July 2025 to July 2026, this program creates a collaborative learning environment to enhance teacher expertise in Middle Eastern and African Studies to support responsible teaching in the classroom and global education. This year's theme is "Bridges, Borders, and Migration." Mainstream media often depicts migration related to the Middle East and Africa in terms of crisis, upheaval, and conflict at border zones. However, the movement of people and ideas has a long and rich history in the Middle East and Africa, shaping culture, values, and how people interact within and between divides.

MEAC has the following commitments: •Attend a two-day summer institute at UNC-Chapel Hill from July 24-25, 2025, consisting of interactive presentations and discussions on pedagogical strategies with content experts and community leaders. •3 virtual check-ins (Tuesday, August 12 from 6-7 pm, and two in the spring - TBD) on progress, challenges, and experiences teaching on the Middle East and Africa in the classroom. •Submit an open-access lesson plan at the end of the academic school year (previous examples from the 2020 cohort can be viewed here). •Give a presentation about your MEAC experience with the 2026-27 cohort at next year's summer institute

For questions, please email Laura Cox, Outreach Manager for African Studies Center, at (lauracox@live.unc.edu) or Alaa Hammouda, Outreach Manager for Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, (alaah@email.unc.edu).