SEEING THE PROMISE - A STORY FROM BETHLEHEM: Insight into our new in-school program in the West Bank

JPB's Program Director, Adj Marshall, reflects on a day in the life of teaching JPB's new in-school leadership program at the Jerusalem School of Bethlehem in Beit Jala:

"I watch from afar like a proud parent observing my students from the edge of the stone classroom. Today, my students will be the teachers and I will be the fly on the wall. I have been working with the students of JSB for about six weeks now and this week they will be testing out their new leadership skills.

Five students have been selected to serve as this week's facilitators. They are excited and nervous as they begin to guide their peers in icebreaker games including the Human Knot, Ribbit Ribbit, Croak and the Hula Hoop Pass.

The student facilitators have prepared for the day by going over the rules of the game, the order they will present them in, as well as writing up reflection questions to ask their peers about the experience of the activity. The room at first is a buzz of activity that slowly calms as the student facilitators transition their participants from the activities towards reflection. My vantage point from the edge of the classroom allows me to see the group's successes and struggles. What I want to know is can the students also see these?

JSB Teens participate in a youth-led team-building activity

In the large group reflection that closes out the day, a variety of important points and moments of growth are shared. Students share their experience of being leaders, and the participants give feedback for their facilitators. The students are thoughtful, respectful, and yet able to laugh in their reflections. I cannot be more proud of them! They took on the difficult challenge of being group facilitators or group participants and have come to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a responsible leaders and members of a group."

~Adj