Hasan Karableyeh is an English supervisor in the Ministry of Education in Hebron, Palestine. He obtained his B.A. in English Literature from Bethlehem University and his Master’s degree in teaching English from Birzeit University. Mr. Karableyeh has taught English in Palestinian schools for more than nine years. In 2002, he became the English Language Supervisor in the Ministry of Education. Mr. Karableyeh has trained hundreds of Palestinian English teachers. He has helped to build and enhance their didactic skills in teaching English to the Palestinian community. Furthermore, Mr. Karableyeh has participated in many local and international workshops and conferences on community engagement, community development and education, with particular emphasis on teaching methods for English.

Lora Beseler has obtained a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Albuquerque (NM), a J.D. from the University of Dayton Law School (OH), and an M.A. from Winona State University (MN). After almost two decades of practicing Family Law, Lora returned to university to acquire her M.A. in TESOL. She spent the summer of 2013 teaching at the Excellence Center in Hebron. She has participated in giving presentations at Minnesota TESOL, Bloomington, MN, and at the International TESOL Arabia Conference, Dubai. She has co-authored an article on a collaborative writing study, which has been published by the University of Bahrain (2014). In 2015, TESOL Arabia Publications published her article on automaticity in language learning. She resides in Wisconsin in the United States of America.

Elisa Kohl-Garrity is from Germany. She received her Master’s degree from the Free University of Berlin, and, in 2019, received her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. She lived in Mongolia for one and a half years conducting research, and participating in many workshops, conferences, and training sessions involving a variety of culturally related topics. While there, Ms. Kohl-Garrity demonstrated her abilities by creating new projects for the benefit of Mongolian children. She has also aided in helping a Mongolian NGO to receive funds to build various local alliances and partnerships. Ms. Kohl-Garrity is well-informed as to Palestinian culture and its political realities. She is strongly committed to work in Palestinian community development.

“Mohammad Najeeb” Alshareef hails from Hebron, Palestine. He currently works as a consultant to civil engineers and fellow civil engineering consultants. Mr. Alshareef holds a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Alshareef has worked in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as a team leader and supervisor for several years. He was one of the first Palestinian engineers in Palestine, and he is a member of the Palestinian Engineer’s Association. Mr. Alshareef possesses numerous community development and leadership skills. Within Hebron alone, he has participated in many community development programs. He holds a strong belief in the empowerment of youth in the community and has assisted and advised Palestinian youth on such development and the enhancement of their futures.

Grace Atkinson is from the United Kingdom, and received her BA in International Studies, specialising in the Middle East. Ms. Atkinson previously lived, worked and studied Arabic in Cairo, Egypt and studied for a semester in Istanbul Turkey. She brings knowledge of language education and the advantages of cultural exchange. In 2013 Ms. Atkinson volunteered at the Excellence Center in Palestine to help Palestinians improve their English skills; she also organized many workshops for Palestinian university students offering them employability skills. Ms. Atkinson is dedicated to finding new initiatives to reach the wider Palestinian community promoting empowerment through education and employment opportunities.

Cristina Violante obtained her B.A. from Boston University in Philosophy and Religion, and her M.A. from Columbia University in Middle Eastern Studies. At Columbia, her research focused on colonialism, water management, agriculture, and corporate governance in the Middle East and America. She volunteered with Excellence Center for five months in 2011, and has lived and studied Arabic in both Palestine and Jordan. In Palestine, Cristina also worked in civil society development, and conducted research on water distribution. She currently lives in New York in the United States of America.