Ana Aqra Association is founded under the name Iqra Association by Yildiz Diab, Amal Saab, Terese Rayess, Saleh Farroukh and Nayla Nader. Classroom libraries, with books in English, French, and Arabic, are set-up/ in elementary public schools throughout Lebanon. Volunteers visit the schools regularly to help activate better reading habits.

Iqra Association is officially recognized by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.

The first annual “Short Story Competition” for grade 6 students is launched. Winners are awarded cholarships and other prizes. The successful initiative continues for a decade

“National Reading Week” was recognized with reading activities and celebrations in participating schools. Activities included inviting famous authors to visit with students.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Iqra Association holds its first annual award ceremony at UNESCO Palace, recognizing schools with successful program implementation. Iqra Association launches a children’s book competition to create more variety in available children’s literature and to engage a greater Lebanese audience. Two new children’s books were published.

Iqra Association partners with students, school officials and other NGOs to successfully lobby for an officially mandated weekly reading hour. Reading requirements are integrated into the national curriculum and rolled-out in public schools across the country.

Iqra’ Association received funding from multiple international organizations which initiated a fivefold increase in project budgets. Iqra Association grows its volunteer base and increases community awareness by facilitating private school participation in reading promotion programs. High school students from Lebanese private schools visit public schools to read to elementary classes. “Atfaluna” (Our Children) was the first emergency psychosocial project implemented to support children of public schools traumatized by the Israeli bombing of Lebanon. Arrangements were made for public school students to attend the “Beirut Book Exhibition” for the first time.

“Read to Succeed” was the first project to address literacy challenges of children in the first cycle (grades 1 to 3) of elementary public schools. “Evaluate Children’s Literature” was a project where participants received training in Alexandria and Beirut and evaluated 100 books in an effort to promote quality literature for children.

“Beirut, World Book Capital” activities were held in five public schools to recognize the year. “Atfaluna Yaktuboon” (Our Children Write) was a project where children were coached on story writing and 20 of the best stories were published. “Kitab w Mishwar” (Book and a Trip) became an opportunity for Iqra’ volunteers to embark on a reading journey to schools in Lebanon and regularly read to children in their classrooms.

Iqra Association launches the association’s first illiteracy alleviation summer reading program, “I Also Can Read”, for struggling public school learners.

The “School Spirit” reading project was developed and superseded the “Read to Succeed” project. Four “I Also Can Read” summer projects were implemented by public school teachers.

Iqra Association presents field research and strategies at UNESCO conference, “Enhancing Teacher Policy and Practice in the Arab States”. Iqra Association responds to the influx of refugees from Syria by providing remediation, basic literacy, and numeration Education in Emergency programs.

Iqra’ Association implemented emergency programs following INEE standards and trained teachers on the responsive classroom approach for active learning. Iqra’ Association became involved with the regional refugee crisis by providing classes to reintegrate displaced Syrians and at-risk Lebanese students into the public school system. Project budgets increased tenfold and our professional team expanded considerably.

Iqra Association becomes ANA AQRA on its 20th anniversary in order to emphasize its commitment to empowering independent learners. ANA AQRA partners with World Learning to initiate the first component of the QITABI project, adapting proven literacy proficiency strategies for the Arabic language curriculum in 260 Lebanese public schools.

ANA AQRA, in partnership with Al Madad Foundation, establishes “The Children Literacy Center” (CLC) in Baalbek, and launches two “Classroom on a Bus”, mobile classrooms. The CLC is home to ANA AQRA’s first non-formal early childhood education program, which is an adaptation of the Lebanese national curriculum.

ANA AQRA partners with the Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD) and other international (I)NGOs to develop two official and unified programs: a Community Based Early Childhood Education program and a unified Retention Support program.

Ana Aqra signs a memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in educational affairs with the Center for Educational Research and Development, represented by the President Dr. Nada Awegan.

Ana Aqra, 2018 has been a pivotal year. Where the circumstances of the recent years have called upon us to respond to a crisis situation, the experience that we gained in the implementation of education programs has resulted in deeper understanding of what it takes to deliver quality education for children. As quality education goes hand in hand with overall education systems strengthening and community awareness, we have continued to offer holistic services to cover the learners’ entire ecosystem. These services included professional development of teachers, trainers, coaches, and parents to foster a supportive learning environment for the learners in all settings. In 2018, we succeeded in reaching 48,668 Children, 894 Teachers and 4,350 Parents as part of Ten Partner Projects and Six Independent Ana Aqra Projects.

Marked Ana Aqra 25th annerversary. Our renewed promise to “learn more about learning” was a pledge taken by all Ana Aqra members including staff, volunteers and board members. On this occasion, AA launched its 5-year strategy aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of education for Lebanon. Advocating on behalf of early childhood education while leading a reading campaign inside the ECE public classrooms in collaboration with MEHE reached over 220 schools. Ana Aqra documented its quality teaching and learning model (QTL). The QTL is endorsed by MEHE, CERD, LU with the technical support provided by the teacher college PhZug university where the model was presented in September, 2019. The QTL is generously funded through a partnership with Caritas Switzerland. Ana Aqra renew its partnership with World Learning on another 5 years of QITABI 2 project funded by the USAID to serve all public schools in 4 regions including Bekaa, Baalbak/AlHermal, Norht and Akkar.

During a time of multiple crises, pause, reflect, adapt and learn were common

practice all through the year responding to the challenges in the education sector arising from the pandemic, economic and financial crises. Ana Aqra Hafila Hafila application is offered free of charge to give chance to children to practice Arabic in a fun way as a complement to the ‘I play and learn’ gaming kit. The digital resources became a necessity at the onset of the pandemic and during the economic crisis and the Beirut Port Blast. The Ana Aqra expert team participate in the workshop “Silver lining of Saving Brains” in Kenya. Saving Brains supports innovators from grassroots with a promising idea, in the field of Early Childhood Development, focused on children in adversity. Teacher capacity building was adapted to fit remote learning. Parents became more engaged and responsible partners through the remote “I can also teach” program supported with the Kids Life Coaching and homeschooling kit materials designed particularly to improve the home learning environment. In collaboration with CERD, the wellbeing department digitized its content to fit the needs of our learning community through distance learning. The “Just Right Start Kit-Anytime Anywhere” and ECE gaming kit was published and distributed over 808 public schools.

During 2021, Ana Aqra collaborated closely with all partners to reduce duplication as the socioeconomic crisis continued to impact the education sector. Blended learning proved to be more affordable while maintain the required quality of education of the children. New partnerships were the highlight of this year. Ana Aqra is a partner on the 3-year Nataf3al project through a consortium led by NRC and funded by AFD. Through the community school model, Ana Aqra leads on the capacity building of educators based on the QTL model. Another partnership was made with Their World and Lebanese Alternative Learning to digitize the Just Right Start kit’s resources to enrich the digital resources as they became a necessity due to the multiple school interruptions. With Luminos Fund, Ana Aqra parents empowering and self-sufficiency programs “Wrap me” a knitting workshop and “Planting” projects were launched. With the generous funds from Next Philanthropy Foundation-Wise Philanthropy Advisors, Ana Aqra facilitates the three-year partnership aimed at preserving access and quality education within a functional and successful public school through the “Save one school at a time” project.

During 2021, Ana Aqra collaborated closely with all partners to reduce duplication as the socioeconomic crisis continued to impact the education sector. Blended learning proved to be more affordable while maintain the required quality of education of the children. New partnerships were the highlight of this year. Ana Aqra is a partner on the 3-year Nataf3al project through a consortium led by NRC and funded by AFD. Through the community school model, Ana Aqra leads on the capacity building of educators based on the QTL model. Another partnership was made with Their World and Lebanese Alternative Learning to digitize the Just Right Start kit’s resources to enrich the digital resources as they became a necessity due to the multiple school interruptions. With Luminos Fund, Ana Aqra parents empowering and self-sufficiency programs “Wrap me” a knitting workshop and “Planting” projects were launched. With the generous funds from Next Philanthropy Foundation-Wise Philanthropy Advisors, Ana Aqra facilitates the three-year partnership aimed at preserving access and quality education within a functional and successful public school through the “Save one school at a time” project.