Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

CCA teacher helps raise money to support schooling for Afghan girls

A Canyon Crest Academy teacher has raised money through a GoFundme page to support girls in Afghanistan who want to continue their education in the country under Taliban rule.

“The girls still want to be educated and I’m doing everything I can to make sure that happens,” said Tim Stiven, a history teacher who connected his class to Afghan students through Zoom earlier this school year.

Since the new Taliban-led government banned many of them from schools, girls have been discreetly attending post-school academies for several months. The New York Times reported in October that middle and high school girls were able to resume schooling in one of the northern regions of the country while others across Afghanistan were less fortunate.

Stiven said the fundraising goal is $ 2,000 to continue her schooling over the winter. Sixteen donors have raised approximately $ 1,000 to date.

When the CCA started their school year in August, students in Stiven’s class heard from their fellow students in Afghanistan who described life after the US troops withdrew.

“It’s just amazing how similar these children are and at the same time live in a different world,” said Stiven at the time.

He added, “Studying history is one thing, being part of history is another”.

“I think the established thing is that history doesn’t appear in textbooks, but happens all the time around us,” said Stiven, reflecting on the impact the subject has had on his class over the past few months. “When 16 year olds become aware of this, they will become better citizens. It’s not a job, it’s personal. “

There have been no Zoom meetings with Afghan students since August, said Stivens, because it was too dangerous. But he has contact with a professor in Afghanistan who is committed to ensuring that girls can continue their education.

“He’s really depressed that the girls are starting to quit their education and so he wants to give them a reason to continue their education,” said Stiven. “So I’m working with another group of students called Women in STEM, which is an international organization. We’re trying to see if we can create a certificate that we can send to the girls in Afghanistan that gives them something to work for, to strive for. “

You can find more information about the fundraising campaign at gofundme.com/f/friends-of-the-learning-academy.

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