Maha Abumonshar

Maha Abumonshar, a pioneering Palestinian educator, has transformed the landscape of secondary education in geography through innovation, resilience, and a deep commitment to her students and community. Working from a small classroom in a school facing threats of illegal takeover by Israeli settlers and surrounded by an Israeli military checkpoint with armed soldiers, Maha persisted in delivering high-quality education despite the constant danger to students and teachers. The Israeli Occupational forces turned the school from a place of safety into an environment of daily risk, yet Maha continued to implement impactful initiatives that inspired and empowered her students. 

Over her nine-year teaching career at Yasser Amr Secondary School for Girls in Hebron, Maha has implemented 16 groundbreaking initiatives, including "My Book is My Tool," "Towards a Greener Future," "A Journey into the Depths of the Universe," "A Tour of the Treasures of the Arab World," "Augmented Reality to Enhance Geography Teaching," and "A continent and a story." Her projects seamlessly integrate technology, augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and project-based learning to make geography, science, and environmental studies interactive, practical, and inspiring. 

Maha’s educational philosophy centres on providing quality education grounded in love and aligned with 21st-century skills. She moves beyond traditional textbooks, notably authoring the book "A Journey into the Depths of the Universe," which transforms topics related to the cosmos into 3D models and virtual experiences. This work presents information in a captivating and stimulating way that enhances critical, creative, and imaginative thinking, supported by diverse student-led projects that reinforce experiential learning. 

Her innovations have earned national and international recognition, including the Best Teacher in Palestine Award (2022), the Achievement and Excellence Award for "My Book is My Tool" (2019), the Blackboard and Chalk Online Initiative Award (2020), and the Distinguished Teacher Award 2020 from the Cooperation Foundation across Palestine and Lebanese refugee camps, alongside accolades from the Bader Award for Continuing Education. 

Maha has transformed classrooms into immersive learning environments, creating over 50 handmade educational models and utilizing interactive platforms, social media, and over 98 digital tools to engage students, especially during crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges resulting from the ongoing occupation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. She converted her home into a remote learning platform, installing a blackboard in her kitchen to continue teaching, and produced over 180 educational videos on YouTube and her educational page. This effort ensures equitable learning opportunities for students across different regions and political circumstances, driven by her belief that education should continue without spatial or temporal boundaries. 

Maha has also championed student empowerment and global citizenship, establishing initiatives that connect students to their heritage, community, and the wider world. She led the Arab Programming Week project "A Tour of the Treasures of the Arab World and Palestine," which strengthens Palestinian identity in students’ minds through designing digital games and AI-powered websites, while also teaching the heritage of other Arab countries, instilling respect for cultural diversity. Her environmental initiatives, like "Towards a Greener Future," cultivate sustainability awareness, food security, and practical agricultural skills. 

Beyond her classroom, Maha contributes significantly to professional development and community empowerment. She trains teachers in digital technologies and artificial intelligence, provides lectures to university students on modern teaching methods, participates in educational conferences, and exhibits her teaching tools for fellow educators to inspire new approaches to geography education. Her mentorship encourages teachers to innovate, presenting geography as an exciting, immersive journey that transcends written texts, classroom walls, and traditional approaches, while raising awareness of quality education to equip students with essential skills and AI competencies. 

Her vision for the future includes establishing a sustainable education centre in Palestine, providing continuous learning during crises, training teachers, funding innovative projects, and nurturing creative students. Through her dedication, Maha Abumonshar exemplifies the profound impact one teacher can have on transforming education, shaping resilient students, and building a global and socially responsible generation.Shape