Askwith Essentials: Who is Hanan Al Hroub?

At the Askwith Forum on Thursday, September 22, "Education as a Human Right," Hanan Al Hroub, winner of the 2016 Global Teacher Prize, will speak about her experiences as a Palestinian educator and her unique approach to instruction. What you should know before the event:

1. The Palestinian teacher’s slogan is “No to Violence,” undoubtedly influenced by her own experience growing up in a refugee camp in Bethlehem, where she was exposed to acts of violence.
2. As the second recipient of the Global Teacher Prize (awarded by the Varkey Foundation), which acknowledges one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and transforming young people’s lives, she was chosen out of 8,000 candidates and 10 finalists from around the world.
3. Hroub, 43, the mother of five children, dedicated her life to teaching following a shooting incident witnessed by two of her children. She told The Guardian in April 2016, “This incident changed my life. We were in shock. My children were suffering, and the teachers were not trained to deal with trauma. At that point, I decided to commit my life to teaching.”
4. She published the book, We Play We Learn, sharing teaching methods she developed using play as a means to resolve violence. In her teaching, she uses games to get children to work together, learn to build trust and respect, and rewards positive behavior. Her teaching has led to a decline in violence at schools, and also influenced colleagues to review their own teaching methods.
5. The $1 million prize (distributed over 10 years) will be put toward helping young people studying to become teachers, and to train in Hroub’s teaching methods.

Event details:

Thursday, September 22, at 5:30 p.m.
Askwith Hall, Longfellow Hall
13 Appian Way
Cambridge, MA, 02138

NOTE: Seating is first-come, first-seated.