Presenting...Cultural Crossroads: Jordan. Monday, February 23rd marked the official debut of our newest educational programming.

Our third series, Jordan, features a catalogue of more than 50 short films, dozens of lesson plans, and several hundred text-based materials that serve as a gateway for students to explore and discuss topics as varied as: archaeology, religion, Middle Eastern cuisine, government and politics, chemistry and physics, and arts and culture.

The Monastery of Petra. Photo by Adam Sewall

Choosing to do a project in the Middle East brought us numerous challenges. For the first time in ProjectExplorer’s history, we chose a location where English was not the predominant language. (Translators and subtitling our films became a must!) Steeped in religious history, this program would need to provide learners with a cursory understanding of three monotheistic world religions – Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. With this series, we also hoped to introduce students to geopolitical issues and discussions about gender roles; timely and important issues to address in a world where global education is becoming increasingly important.

Tackling these, and other challenges, we’ve created a broad and diverse program that aims to address stereotypes and misconceptions that many people may have about the region.

Jordan series highlights include:

• Following in the footsteps of Indiana Jones at Petra, one of the New Wonders of the World.
• Presenter Ilana Fayerman bringing humor to science class by demonstrating the formation of the Dead Sea with her chewing gum.
• Learning to “talk the talk” with an introduction to the Arabic Language.
• An insider’s tour of the king’s throne room and the Royal Court Compound.
• And, of course, the obligatory camel ride with all-you-need-to-know about these desert-dwelling animals.

On the evening of February 23rd, we celebrated the arrival of our newest program with a cocktail reception and a brief screening in NYC. Our generous friends at Absolute Travel, once again, hosted our launch party. Word about our work has definitely spread; the room was at capacity!

The night also included a silent auction of four prints (courtesy of Duggal Visual Solutions), which featured our photographic work from Jordan.

The Jordan program was directed & produced by Jenny M Buccos. The program is hosted by Ilana Fayerman and Adam Sewall. (Ilana was also a producer.) Ben Vishnu Mandell was a cinematographer.

On Thursday, March 12th, ProjectExplorer was invited to share our Jordan films and materials to a library full of 6th grade students at the School of the Blessed Sacrament in Manhattan. The school’s students have been studying various regions of the Middle East in preparation of their International Passport Day. The 6th grade has been focusing on Jordan.

Ilana and Jenny at the School of the Blessed Sacrament (Manhattan)

Jordan team members Jenny Buccos and Ilana Fayerman shared travel stories and fielded every type of question imaginable -- What flavor potato chip is popular in the region? Would a refrigerator float in the Dead Sea? How do people living in the desert take a shower?

The student’s enthusiasm and myriad of questions are precisely why we love visiting schools around the world!

ProjectExplorer is pleased to announce our next project: Malayasia. In conjunction with the Malaysian Tourism Board, we have already begun in-depth research on this magical destination. Jenny Buccos (director/producer) and Ilana Fayerman (producer/presenter) have been invited to Malaysia this May as guests of the Tourism Board. During this 10-day, fact-finding trip, they will map-out the journey for the fall expedition.

On location work in Malaysia is slated to begin in late August. The series, once completed (next winter) will take our viewers from the modern city of Kuala Lumpur, to the untouched wilderness of Borneo, and to every notable spot in between!

Currently, we are looking for a key member of team Malaysia. We seek a talented cinematographer to capture the rain forests, orangutans, the smelly durian, the massive Rafflasia, shadow puppets, and more.

Applications are currently being accepted. For more information, please contact us via email.

ProjectExplorer is preparing to head deep into the rainforests of Borneo! More than ever before, we will be faced with the challenges of filming and photographing in unpredictable weather. We are currently outfitting the equipment we have with camera rain-jackets. However, there are still a few items needed to make our on-location work possible.

So, please reach deep into your pockets and donate toward one of the integral items from our production wish list.

• A New Laptop. This is our most pressing need and biggest wish. Earlier this year, ProjectExplorer lost a dear friend and valuable team member, our production laptop. Read about our old mac and its adventures around the world. Total amount needed: $1,348
 
• A Sennheiser Wireless Lav Microphone. The better our projects get, the more we notice the little things that could make them even more amazing. This year, we are determined to enhance our sound! Total amount need: $549
 
• Staff Salary for 1 month. It’s going to be a busy month for us. We have several school visits scheduled, final editing of the Student-to-Student series, grant writing and planning for our Malaysia project, and much more on our to-do list. So, please help us keep our staff together through the month of April. Total amount needed: $4,000
 
• A Sony Cybershot Camera. This still camera will be responsible for capturing every moment of our Malaysian adventure. It has a big role to fill and little 3” LCD screen to capture it all on! Total amount needed: $309
 
• 100 Sony Mini-DV Tapes. For those of you who have yet to receive your tax refunds, we have a modestly priced donation option. Since we need 100 of these small guys, a little spare change will go a long way! Total amount needed: $249 (At only $2.49 per tape, that’s less than your soy latte or venti macchiato!)

Online donations can be made by credit card via JustGive. You can even designate how we use your generous donation.

Bonus! Now through April 30 2009, ProjectExplorer will select one donor per week at random to receive a free copy of “500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up” provided by Frommer’s.

There were numerous challenges with the Jordan series. I am exceedingly proud of the variety and quality of content we have produced. This, of course, is due largely to the many cultural and educational collaborators who worked closely with us.

Jenny M Buccos snaps a photo in the Jordanian desert of Wadi Rum.

This project was also a huge challenge for me personally. Those who are close to me know that I am not the ‘out-doors’ type. Naturally, exploring Jordan meant considerable time in the desert, hiking, travelling by donkeys, and spending more time than imaginable under the hot sun. Along the way, there were many bumps, bruises, scrapes, sunburns, spider and other unidentifiable bug bites. I must say “Shukran” to my very small crew whose great patience and sense of humor are appreciated more than they know!

With the recent debut of the Jordan series, we are hard at work to increase our reach and impact. I am pleased to report that we have enlisted the help of inventive publicists - Erin Wilk and Christopher Winfield of Betty Networks - who are taking ProjectExplorer to a larger audience every day. Their efforts include meetings with the NYC Board of Education, radio appearances, and both print and online media. Be sure to check-in with us in a few months as we roll out an exciting new worldwide, online dialogue for students and adults alike.

I’m thrilled that we have chosen our next project and look forward to sharing more of Malaysia following a fact-finding tour this May. Jordan has certainly toughened me up a bit and I’m ready to take on the humidity and the giant ants of Malaysia.

Finally, once again, I appeal to your generous nature and ask that you make a donation. It’s just now tax-refund time, and a contribution in any amount will enable ProjectExplorer to continue to foster the next generation of the world’s citizens.

Happy Exploring!

Jenny (Mbali) Buccos
Executive Director & Founder

P.S. Like what you have seen and read? Then, please forward this on to your friends, colleagues, and child’s teacher!