hope flowers school
bethlehem, west bank
About Hope Flowers SchoolHope Flowers School in Bethlehem, West Bank advertises itself as “a school working for peace-building, trauma reduction, democratic development, community and the furthering of human rights.” It is designed for children living in conflict and refugees specifically and for the learning difficulties that can arise from these circumstances. The school has also branched out into community development as well, with educational and counselling assistance for a wide variety of community members in need. The school considers itself politically and religiously neutral, and therefore only accepts donations from funding sources it deems appropriate; it does not receive substantial funding from specific political, religious or governmental organizations.
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Physical Composition & Location
The school is located in the Al Khader district of Bethlehem, overlooking a valley with Palestinian farms, but within sight of Israeli watchtowers on the separation wall between Bethlehem and the Israeli settlement of Efrat. The school is composed of several buildings containing mostly simple traditional classrooms as well as boarding dormitories, a “mini-farm” garden and an area for outdoor physical activities.
Demographics & Staff
The school reached a peak enrolment of around 500 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 in the late 1990s, but circumstances including violence and increased regulation have reduced the number of students and scope of the school to 350 pupils from kindergarten to Grade 8 since then.
The majority of students at Hope Flowers are from refugee camps nearby. The school’s website stresses the diversity of its student body, stating that “Christian, Muslim and secular children attend the school.”
Teachers at Hope Flowers have been trained in trauma recovery and receive specific counselling to minimize the effects trauma on themselves and their students.
The majority of students at Hope Flowers are from refugee camps nearby. The school’s website stresses the diversity of its student body, stating that “Christian, Muslim and secular children attend the school.”
Teachers at Hope Flowers have been trained in trauma recovery and receive specific counselling to minimize the effects trauma on themselves and their students.
Holistic Curriculum
Hope Flowers’ curriculum is based on the standard Palestinian curriculum, with an additional emphasis on “the whole person.” The school’s website states that “academic attainment is not Hope Flowers’ priority” — other elements take precedence.
There is a focus on trauma recovery, with the “Listen to my Voice” program “involving counselling and creative and educational methods, applied uniquely to each child . . . with a view to helping the child overcome psychological damage arising from conflict and horror.” The school emphasizes that trauma leads to learning difficulties, which are addressed through teaching and counselling. The curriculum stresses “rights-based education” and “peace education”:
We don’t give special lessons in ‘peace education’ at Hope Flowers, even though the whole orientation of the school’s educational approach is geared that way. Instead, all of the subjects we cover, as well as extra-mural activities, are built around the core aim of building a culture of peace, a strong society and robust self-development, particularly dealing with problems arising from disadvantage, special needs and conflict-related trauma, as we find them in Palestine.
We also found ourselves drawn to this statement: “It’s not a matter of drilling children with peace-propaganda, but more a matter of giving them the tools to become self-defining, intelligent, inclusive citizens capable of making their own decisions, making something of their lives and contributing to their communities.”
There is a focus on trauma recovery, with the “Listen to my Voice” program “involving counselling and creative and educational methods, applied uniquely to each child . . . with a view to helping the child overcome psychological damage arising from conflict and horror.” The school emphasizes that trauma leads to learning difficulties, which are addressed through teaching and counselling. The curriculum stresses “rights-based education” and “peace education”:
We don’t give special lessons in ‘peace education’ at Hope Flowers, even though the whole orientation of the school’s educational approach is geared that way. Instead, all of the subjects we cover, as well as extra-mural activities, are built around the core aim of building a culture of peace, a strong society and robust self-development, particularly dealing with problems arising from disadvantage, special needs and conflict-related trauma, as we find them in Palestine.
We also found ourselves drawn to this statement: “It’s not a matter of drilling children with peace-propaganda, but more a matter of giving them the tools to become self-defining, intelligent, inclusive citizens capable of making their own decisions, making something of their lives and contributing to their communities.”
Personal and Leadership Development
In addition to the school’s focus on democratic citizenship education, it has also branched out to include a separate Center for Education and Community Development in Deheisheh, Bethlehem, with a focus on working with adults in the community. This facility offers teacher training in trauma-recovery as well as special counseling for the teachers themselves in order that they can better serve their students while often suffering from the same trauma. Parents of students at the school are also welcome to participate in counseling and educational programs. There is a particular focus as well on what is referred to as “Women’s Empowerment”, where female-specific programs teach marketable skills, business techniques, and job- or skill-specific training as needed, along with providing group support. There are also programs for other professionals such as police officers, social workers, and nurses, as well as families in general, who are dealing with the trauma of living in a conflict-heavy zone.