Programs

Rudolph Steiner Education Program

This program is designed to adapt the Waldorf Curriculum, which is based on guidelines formulated by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who believed in educating the whole child with an equal attention to the physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual needs of the child.

The curriculum reflects the balance between the head, heart and hands, representing thoughts, feelings and will. It functions in a rhythmic manner that balances academic, artistic, and practical activities. The curriculum is based and structured to meet the three phases of child development.

The Capacity Building Program

FISTA focuses on strengthening the skills and competencies of the staffs through the capacity building program through many ways ranging from peer-to-peer learning to the partnership with broad stakeholders.

FISTA has built a partnership with Hans Müller-Wiedemann Schule; a German school.

• FISTA staffs participated in a number of trainings concerning Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiner Anthroposophy.

• Selected staff members participated in the day-to-day operations to develop new perspectives, skills, and knowledge about Rudolf Steiner Anthroposophy. This new understanding is shared through undertaking visits to German schools.

The Diagnostic Assessment Center – Tripoli.

The Diagnostic Center provides all aspects of assessment to meet the needs of each individual, whether registered as FISTA student or not, and conduct the appropriate referral even to other schools and NGOs.

Services are provided by a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including educational specialists, speech therapists, school psychologists, clinical psychologists, child psychiatrist, and pediatricians who address the needs of students enrolled in special education programs.

The Vocational Center (Beginning age, 15 years old)

The vocational Training Center aims to assist youths and adults with disabilities to learn valuable vocational skills in order to enhance their self-sufficiency and improve the labor market integration of people with disabilities. This program is based on three different levels designed to meet the capacities of students.

1- The primary level, where students learn vocational skills such as sewing, carpentry, computer skills, artwork and handicraft,

2- The advanced level, which prepares students for entry into the labor market.

3- The final stage, where students participate into the labor market and productivity and earn pocket money.

FISTA North Lebanon is in the process of developing new vocational skills with an equal participation of parents and students in the decision making process.

Parental Guidance Program

A greater parental involvement contributes to a higher academic achievement of the child. The parental guidance program provides intense individual and group parents’ sessions, trainings, workshops, awareness sessions, and regular class visits. This program is designed to:

• Assist parents to learn methods to manage the child’s behavior.

• Educate parents about their child’s unique needs and effective strategies that enhance learning at home.

• Improve school-parent communication

• Involve parents in home-based learning

• Engage parents in school decision-making

d practical activities. The curriculum is based and structured to meet the three phases of child development.

The Special Education Program (Tripoli & Akkar) – (5 to 15 years old)

The Special Program is committed to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities. A wide range of services is individually designed based on the specific needs of each student as identified by our specialists.

FISTA North Lebanon provides an Individualized Education Program which is designed to meet the child’s unique needs. The IEP is based on:

• Statements of the child’s Present Levels of Educational Performance

• Statements of Measurable Annual Goals

• List of Progress Measurement indicators

• Description of Special Education Services

• Statement Describing Adaptations and Modifications criteria

• Statement of Length and Duration of Services

• Preparation for Adult Life and future plans

The following participants must be at the meeting:

• A representative of the school system who is qualified to administer the provision of special education;

• The student’s teacher;

• One or both of the student’s parents;

• The student, if appropriate;

• And other individuals at the discretion of the parent or school system-for example, therapists from the school system.

Qualified students with learning difficulties, who are registered in our regular educational program, apply for the Lebanese official exam.

The Early Intervention Program (Birth to 5 years old)

The Early Intervention program is designed to meet the needs of infants and toddlers (from birth to age 5), who are “at risk” of developing a delay or special need that may affect their development. It also enhances the capacity of families to meet their child’s needs.

Emotional and Sexual Education Program

This program is designed in collaboration with Michel Mercier, Professor at the University of Louvain and University of Notre-Dame de la paix- Namur, Belgium, to help educators and family members assist individuals with disabilities in their exploration of self and sexuality through:

• Building a unit of specialized multidisciplinary team and educators at FISTA schools that are trained to intervene in case of any sexual harassment, and provide emotional and sexual education for students with special needs.

• Training FISTA staff to learn teaching methodologies and techniques that work well for conducting sexuality education programs with students with special needs through the provision of regular meetings, and seminars.

• Supporting parents and FISTA staff by creating a forum where they can ask questions, exchange experiences and learn from each other as well as from guest speakers.

• Raising awareness towards sexual abuse and other kind of ill-treatment.