Mentor Arabia, with funding from the OPEC fund for International Development (OFID), launched a training workshop for the educational program Unplugged, which is directed towards students between the ages of 12 and 14.
Unplugged is an international program approved by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and which the results of its evaluation have defined it as one of the most successful programs targeting teachers, pupils and parents and where its implementation is based on the methodology of integrated training which includes the following elements:
- Interactive and innovative approaches
- Focusing on personal and social skills
- Enabling the trainees, through the activation of their ability, to resist risky and harmful behavior
- Training, in partnership with teachers and parents, following up with them and supporting them on an ongoing basis
- Involving parents and the community at large through intensive educational and awareness programs focusing on life skills
The main objectives of this program are:
- Improving knowledge on risk and protective factors
- Focusing on personal and social skills.
- Enhance skills, especially those associated with the ability to respond to crises and making the right decisions
In cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC) and Crime and the European Program for the Prevention of Drug Addiction (EU-DAP) , the Foundation has been working intensely for the past year and a half to translate the program and adapt it in line with the cultural and social values of the Arab region. Moreover, the program underwent development and refinement procedures carried out by experts, teachers, pupils, parents and trainers in a number of Arab countries.
The workshop was attended by 30 participants from 6 Arab countries, including: Palestine, Libya, Iraq, Kuwait, Mauritania and Lebanon.
The workshop’s training team consisted of master trainer Mr. Nadi Sfeir, an international expert certified to implement the program in the Arab world, Ms. Denise Fares, a specialist in clinical psychology and a guide to rehabilitation and treatment of addiction, as well as Ms. Chantal Kallas, a specialist in the development and evaluation of training programs in the field of public health.
On the final day of the workshop, certificates were presented to the participating trainers.
