Education

“BUILDING BRIDGES, CONNECTING CULTURES”
The mission of the Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) is to promote Arabic Culture and the Arab-American experience through education and the arts
Goals
Among our goals are to:

Become the main resource on Arabic and Arab-American culture in New England for educational institutions, nonprofit and governmental agencies, and the community at large.
Open cultural exchange channels of dialogue between the Arab-American community and the greater New England community.
Empower Arab-American youth in celebrating their culture, and help its integration into the US cultural fabric including theater, music, and community service.
Encourage Arab-American and international Arab Artists by creating a forum for them on a local and national level.
Promote the Arabic Language through our Arabic School, a public school immersion program in Massachusetts, and other programs within the Center.
Acquire a facility that would house a library, a school, the arts programs, and other educational programs, to become a cultural home for the Arab American community.

Programs
Our programs are focused on four major activities:

Visual Arts: Exhibit, document, and promote art about the Arab world.
Performance Arts: organized concerts, dance, and theater productions.
Scholarly Activities: Organize lectures, conferences, and workshops focused on Arabic culture, history, and the Arab-American experience.
Arabic Language: Designed an Arabic language program that enables children and young adults to experience the beauty of the Arabic language.

CAC Arabic School
The school focuses on academic excellence and cultural empowerment. Through its language curriculum, community service, and cultural programs, the school is committed to providing a nurturing environment of diversity and respect. The school committee and teachers are qualified and dedicated to providing a strong and comprehensive curriculum. The school offers youth (ages 5-16) and adult classes; students are placed depending on age and Arabic fluency. Classes are kept small to allow for an excellent learning environment.

CAC is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax exempt.

The Middle East and North Africa together constitute a highly diverse cultural area within a world now undergoing rapid and large-scale change, particularly in the aftermath of September 11. In this context, the mission of the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) is to enhance awareness of the peoples, cultures, and languages in this vitally important region of the world. This mission is accomplished by explaining and interpreting the region in all of its historical and contemporary aspects to students at the University of Michigan, Michigan's schoolchildren and community members, and scholars seeking specialized knowledge of a region stretching from the western coast of Morocco to the eastern border of Afghanistan, with cultural influences extending into the northern Caucasus and Islamic Central Asia. In a globally interconnected world, it is equally important to explore the transregional and transnational forces at work in the Middle East, given the region's increasing central role in international affairs.