In collaboration with Creative Associates Inc. (CAI), AST&R, CDM and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ChangeAgent for Arab Development and Education Reform (CADER), and as part of Education Reform Support Program (ERSP), is undertaking the Jordan Schools Project (JSP).

Through JSP, CADER offers a comprehensive customized professional development model that targets the involvement of all school stakeholders who are part in JSP to enable them to best utilize the new school model to create better educational opportunities.

CADER took part in the three-day planning sessions held in Aqaba. These planning sessions were organized by USAID, ERSP, ATS&R, CDM and CADER. The aim of these planning sessions is to provide an opportunity for all partners of JSP to get to know the new school model, understand the rationale behind this new model, compare between the new schools and the traditional schools, and to realize the relation between this school model and creating a student-centered learning environment. The sessions also aimed at exploring the effective utilization of this model in order to provide a customized professional development training program that targets all school stakeholders (administrative staff, teachers, students, parents and the community) and aims at enabling them to maximize the utilization of the new space and all the new resources to carry out their future roles more effectively.

The planning sessions were conducted at one of the newly-designed schools in Aqaba. CADER will assume a major role in training the teams in charge of managing such schools.

On the first day, all JSP partners stated the objectives behind the new design of schools in Jordan. Moreover, the company carrying out the new design presented its vision of the project, along with the methods of planning and developing the project. Afterwards, the participants took a short tour around the school. This was followed by a session that aimed at discussing the idea behind each space in the school and the best way of utilizing it in order to create an effective learning environment.

The second day included different visits to other newly constructed schools in Aqaba and another renovated school there. The visits were followed by a session that discussed the expected behaviors of students, teachers, principals, administration staff, parents and the local community in the newly-designed schools. This session was followed by planning for the third day.

The third day included a brainstorming session that involved 16 of Aqaba teachers and principals along with the director of Aqaba Directorate, Dr. Jameel Shgerat. The aim of this day was to introduce this group to the newly-designed schools and to share opinions and suggestions on the best utilization of the new spaces and resources to provide best learning environment. At the end of these three days CADER and the planning team came up with the framework of the professional development training program that targets the stakeholders of these schools.

It's worth mentioning that Jordan Schools Project (JSP) is part of Education Reform and Support Program (ERSP). USAID/ Jordan initiated a major School Construction and Rehabilitation Program which intends to construct about 28 new schools and renovate/extend an additional 100 schools throughout Jordan.

CADER, as part of ERSP, will develop a specially customized school professional development program that builds on the capabilities of the school stakeholders and enable them to effectively utilize the new architectural and functional layout.

This program aims at creating leaders who are owners of their new schools and owners of the change process with the right attitude and tools for institutionalizing it and sustaining the change after the conclusion the program. The scope of the project is to reach a level with the school stakeholders to have the ability to plan, identify the points of weakness and strengths, utilize available resources and tools and work according to clear school plan that falls within its overall vision and mission.

The provided professional development program will focus on empowering the school staff with best educational practices to be able to utilize the available spaces and resources to provide better education. It will also focus on the involvement of the local community.