Sulaimani, Iraq - Sep. 11, 2011 - Student volunteers from the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani and other Sulaimani institutions wrapped up a month-long summer volunteer tutoring program for local orphans with a graduation ceremony held at the AUIS campus Sept. 11.

AUIS students run several volunteer programs during the academic year, but the Orphan’s Summer School is the first summer program organized entirely by students for local orphans.  Twice a week during the month of August, about 30 student volunteers taught English and math to approximately 20 children between the ages of 7 and 12.  Student volunteers also led art and music lessons and invited guest speakers to interact with the youth and talk about the importance of hard work and scholastic achievement.

 “Organizing this program has been challenging and amazing at the same time,” said Laylan Amir, an AUIS student and the main organizer of the Orphan’s Summer School.  “Today’s graduation proved that the summer school was a success.  The volunteers learned a lot from this experience. I believe we’ll be able to put on an even better program next summer.”

  When asked what he learned this summer, program participant Bzhar, 12 years old, replied, “I learned English.”

Amir notes that the tutoring program was a cooperative effort, with AUIS and many local businesses providing financial support, donations, and discounts so the volunteers could provide meeting space and other supplies needed to run program. 

The student volunteers collaborated on lesson plans and organized lunches for the children each session. The team of volunteers also planned and hosted the final graduation ceremony on Sept. 11, including cooking and supplying a buffet dinner for the children. Each child also received a small gift, which included a school bag for carrying books and supplies, as a reward for their hard work.  

For more information:
Kyle Long, AUIS Director of Communications, kyle.long@auis.edu.iq, +964 0770 461 5385