Our Story
We know what educators want. We've been there! We know what students want. We'd been there too! Mostly we know how traveling and exploring new cultures and meeting new people is an unparalleled learning experience that transcends classrooms and textbooks.
That is why we set out to start EduStride to create fun authentic learning opportunities for students on summer trips to major destinations such as UK, France, Greece, and Spain.
EduStride is an educational stride beyond traditional learning contexts. It is an invitation to explore the world, embrace the other, celebrate the culture.
Our Approach
EduStride is a Lebanon-based group that offers educational and cultural trips to various locations around the world.
Our mission is to provide participants with opportunities to:
- explore new places and cultures first hand (through language, music and the arts, literature, heritage, gastronomy, sports, social activities)
- experience the value of interacting with and embracing the other
Through our customized trips, we ultimately aim to offer participants the chance to become well-rounded individuals who are culturally and socially engaged.
Marcelle Ziade Al Jamal has had extensive experience in business and education. In addition to her work in the banking field, she has taught civics and etiquette and was the Public Relation Director at Saint Joseph School, Cornet Chahwan, Lebanon. She would plan formal events, summer activities, and sports meets. For the past 9 years, Marcelle has organized and monitored trips to the UK involving students in the region. The trips have proved to be highly successful; both students and parents having had memorable experiences and having learned a lot.
Marcelle is passionate about cultures and travelling but also about experiencing first-hand the joy of finding the right opportunities to expose others to new cultures and challenges.
Rita N. Abdelnour is an MA holder in English Language and Literature and has been teaching English as a foreign language since 1997. She is a firm believer in communication and the value of exposing students to different cultures and engaging them first-hand in authentic situations. Very early in her career, Rita got the chance to benefit from a teacher training course in Oxford, UK, and since then, she travels extensively there to explore the country's literary and cultural heritage. One of her passions is helping others have similar experiences.
Rita has helped monitor students' cultural and leadership trips in the past 8 years and contributed to customizing these trips to participants' needs.