Soliya

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 communicationand collaboration skills. Participants are guided through a series of group exercises to build their competencies around these skills, and develop an onlineawareness campaign, created to address a topic of current relevance and interest.Facilitation Training Program Through 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.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: In response to the growing need to address divisive issues within the US, the organization adapted its model for the international dialogue and began offering First Year Connect, a dialogue exchange program designed for first year students on US campuses.Working with university administration, the First Year Connect program is integrated part of the orientation experience of freshmen students, and provides them with the opportunity to engage in dialogue around a variety of social, cultural and political issues over the course of a four week exchange. Through this exchange, facilitators guide the learning process and equip the students with the skills and tools to engage in healthy dialogue around the issues that divide us, thereby gradually building a culture of civic discourse and greater social cohesion on US campuses.Virtual Exchange Solutions: The organization's Virtual Exchange Solutions is a fee for service program whereby the organization customizes learning and engagement opportunities through paid partnerships. Polarization and siloing exist in multiple contexts, therefore the organization decided to adapt its institutional knowledge and expertise in designing dialogue exchanges and training, over the past two decades, to support other institutions with tailored learning solutions that address divisions and conflicts.3323 Connect Program participants in Connect Program, including all its iterations + 2886 peers activated through Connect Program activities422 participants in the Facilitation Training Program, including all its iterations.1874 participants in Global Circles.1860 participants in Virtual Exchange Solutions, across 8 partnerships.