Soliya Inc

SOLIYAS CURRENT FOCUS IS ON STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTERING COOPERATION BETWEEN YOUTH FROM WESTERN AND PREDOMINATELY MUSLIM SOCIETIES.

CONNECT PROGRAM SOLIYAS FLAGSHIP VIRTUAL EXCHANGE INITIATIVE IS AN ONLINE CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES YOUNG ADULTS WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING FOR THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD ON IMPORTANT SOCIOPOLITICAL ISSUES AND DEVELOP 21ST CENTURY SKILLS SUCH AS CRITICAL THINKING, CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION, AND COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING. THE CONNECT PROGRAM HAS THREE DISTINCT ITERATIONS THAT CATER TO THE NEEDS AND LEARNING GOALS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF YOUNG ADULTS AND PARTNER INSTITUTIONS: CONNECT GLOBAL, CONNECT EXPRESS AND CONNECT COLLABORATE.CONNECT GLOBAL IS AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS EXPLORE KEY GLOBAL ISSUES WITH FELLOW GROUP MEMBERS THROUGH A SERIES OF GUIDED DISCUSSIONS, READINGS, AND AN INDEPENDENT PROJECT. THE PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER PARTICIPANTS FROM MYRIAD DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE HUMANITIES, SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND BUSINESS. WITHIN CONNECT GLOBAL, WE HAVE A SPECIALIZED TRACK CONNECT GLOBAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAT FOCUSES ON THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WESTERN AND PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM SOCIETIES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE LARGER GLOBAL SETTING.CONNECT EXPRESS IS A 4-WEEK PROGRAM IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN AN EXPLORATION OF THEIR IDENTITY, ANALYZE HOW THEIR IDENTITY IMPACTS THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHERS IN THEIR PERSONAL CONTEXT AND THE CONTEXT OF THE DIGITAL WORLD, AND BUILD COMPETENCIES TO FOSTER CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION. IT IS PRESENTED AS AN OPTION FOR THOSE PARTICIPANTS OR COURSES WITH GREATER TIME CONSTRAINTS.CONNECT COLLABORATE IS A 5-WEEK PROGRAM IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH PEERS AROUND THE WORLD ON DEVELOPING AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON A CRITICAL SOCIAL ISSUE, AND, THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUILD THEIR COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION SKILLS. PARTICIPANTS ARE GUIDED THROUGH A SERIES OF GROUP EXERCISES TO BUILD THEIR COMPETENCIES AROUND THESE SKILLS, AND DEVELOP AN ONLINE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, CREATED TO ADDRESS A TOPIC OF CURRENT RELEVANCE AND INTEREST.FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM TROUGH THE FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM, SOLIYA TEACHES FACILITATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO A VARIETY OF CONFLICT SITUATIONS IN ADDITION TO THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE THAT VIRTUAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS OFFER. TRAININGS CONSIST OF A MIXTURE OF LIVE ONLINE SESSIONS, READINGS, AND MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES. ONLINE SESSIONS INCLUDE INTERACTIVE DISCUSSIONS, SIMULATED FACILITATION PRACTICES, PERSONALIZED COACHING, AND FEEDBACK.THE ORGANIZATION RUNS SEVERAL MODULES OF THE FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDING A 4 WEEK PACED ASYNCHRONOUS INTERACTIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE "INTRODUCTION TO DIALOGUE FACILITATION", A 20 HOUR ADVANCED FACILITATION TRAINING CONSISTING OF LIVE ONLINE VIDEOCONFERENCING TRAINING SESSIONS SUPPORTED BY WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS AS WELL AS, AND AN ARABIC-LANGUAGE TRAINING, ALL OF WHICH RUN SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.GLOBAL CIRCLES THIS SHORT, THEMATIC DIALOGUE PROGRAM IS AIMED AT INTRODUCING YOUNG PEOPLE TO A MEANINGFUL CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH VIRTUAL EXCHANGE, AS WELL AS SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT THE FIELD. THE PROGRAM OFFERS SHORT-TERM CROSS-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT ON TOPICAL ISSUES IN SMALL GROUPS, AS WELL AS OPEN ENROLLMENT TO REMOVE ANY BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION. ROUNDS ARE OFFERED EVERY TWO MONTHS, AND EACH ROUND LASTS FOR 12 DAYS AND INCLUDES 2 ONLINE LIVE GROUP MEETINGS IN ADDITION TO INDEPENDENT ASSIGNMENTS. LIVE SESSIONS ARE 2 HOURS IN LENGTH AND LED BY TRAINED FACILITATORS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS LEARN FROM AND WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH DISCUSSION-BASED ACTIVITIES. FIRST YEAR CONNECT (1YC) THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO EQUIP INCOMING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGE IN DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS. 1YC IS BUILT TO BE INTEGRATED INTO AN EXISTING ORIENTATION PROGRAM OR A REQUIRED COURSE AND USES A PROPRIETARY ONLINE FACILITATED DIALOGUE MODEL THAT CONNECTS YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE SAME COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS MEET FOR 8 HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS ENGAGEMENT THROUGH AN ONLINE VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM. EACH GROUP HAS TWO TRAINED FACILITATORS TO GUIDE THE PROCESS. THE CURRICULUM FEATURES A COMBINATION OF STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES AND OPEN DISCUSSION, ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER ON A DEEPER LEVEL AND ENGAGE ACROSS DIFFERENCE. VIRTUAL EXCHANGE SOLUTIONS SOLIYA PARTNERS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE ALIGNED MISSIONS, AND DEVELOPS CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMMING AIMED AT SHARING THE ORGANIZATIONS EXPERTISE IN VIRTUAL EXCHANGE.4063 CONNECT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN CONNECT PROGRAM, INCLUDING ALL ITS ITERATIONS + 4664 PEERS ACTIVATED THROUGH CONNECT PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.714 PARTICIPANTS IN THE FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM, INCLUDING ALL ITS ITERATIONS.741 PARTICIPANTS IN GLOBAL CIRCLES .616 PARTICIPANTS IN FIRST YEAR CONNECT.628 PARTICIPANTS IN VIRTUAL EXCHANGE SOLUTIONS, ACROSS MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS.