Tanger Med and ALC

When I first saw on our itinerary that we were visiting a port, I admit to wondering about what relationship it would have to our collective goal of gaining a greater understanding of education in Morocco. Luckily for me, the connection was immediately apparent. Tanger Med, a new and impressive port in the Strait of Gibraltar which is a point of entry for visitors to Morocco via the ferry system from Spain and a point of exit for Morocco's export industry, 50% of which is agricultural, managed to be both an actual place as well as a symbolic encapsulation of some of the goals we have been hearing about during our short time in Morocco. These goals include job creation for the many educated citizens who cannot find jobs after graduation as well as the desire for more people to learn English as the country seeks additional partnerships and connections. Indeed, it was observed by one of the teachers in our group that all of the text on the beautiful displays and signage during our tour of Tanger Med was written in English. These goals are part of Morocco's Vision 2030 strategic development plan, which has four main priorities. The first priority is "A productive and diversified economy that creates added value and quality jobs" and the second is "Enhanced human capital that is better prepared for the future" (https://www.csmd.ma/documents/CSMD_Report_EN.pdf). This is why we found ourselves visiting a port on a sunny Monday morning.

After yet another amazing lunch, we headed to the American Language Center in Tangier, where we got to meet Moroccan English teachers whose efforts create a point of entry into another language and culture for their students as well as potential opportunities for jobs and other connections. We had a choice of several workshops to help us understand the languages of Morocco and some of the interests of students, including journalism and cinema. It was delightful to be in the company of Moroccan educators and to enjoy their enthusiasm and dynamism for teaching us about their languages and culture(s) as we attempted to digest our huge lunch before heading to the school's lovely garden for pastries, both savory and sweet, mint tea, coffee, and a glimpse of some visiting kittens and their mom.