Dr. Rania Ismail is a theater and television actress as well as a theater director. She holds a PhD in psychological counseling and mental health which she employs while working in the field of youth development in Jordan. She works in Amman as well as in other governates, providing courses in emotional intelligence and leadership skills. Additionally, she has directed a number of youth projects sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Amman. Dr. Ismail is proud to have been nominated to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Beautiful Minds

This project created interactive workshops to support orphans and help them build life and social skills through the performing arts. Dr. Ismail reached 30 participants through her workshop series focused on self-development and life skills. Participants included both children and foster mothers. Through Facebook and LinkedIn, Dr. Ismail engaged an additional 7,000 individuals. The participants worked on becoming more adaptable, more understanding of others, and more capable of relying on themselves.

The children who participated in the project improved their awareness of socioemotional needs and concrete skills for school and life. For example, one foster mother reported that the four children in her house had improved their relationships with each other since the workshop enabled them to be more understanding of each other’s stressors. Four other students reported higher grades in school because of the increased self-esteem they developed during the project. Three participants also reported that they learned about time management which allowed them to rearrange their priorities and include physical activity in their routine.

"Paying attention to less fortunate groups, empowering and supporting them to take their natural place and be influential will lead to sustainable development in our Jordanian society because this group will be confident, effective and ready for any radical change." - Dr. Rania Ismail

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Dr. Ismail was a participant in the IVLP Project Engaging Youth through Performing Arts, organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning.

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; New York City, NY; Akron, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Dallas, TX

Country: Jordan 

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