A group of Boston area graduate students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) founded this nonprofit, non-governmental organization in 1997 to bring about positive change in the MENA region via education.
They work to create "inclusive and egalitarian classrooms in secondary schools across the Middle East and North Africa." Their approach is based on the idea that by equipping "teachers with the skills and knowledge to broaden young peoples' perspectives and horizons" that UME alumni will pave "a sustainable path for growth and stability in the MENA region."
They train teachers from the MENA region, who then reach approximately 4,500 new students per year with schooling that emphasizes "critical and creative thinking, constructive dialogue and cross-cultural perspectives." Equally important to their mission, the students they serve are not discriminated against based on nationality, gender, ethnicity or religion. Additional programs teach civic engagement. They operate out of an office at the Somerville Armory and another in Madrid, Spain.