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PEOPLE TO PEOPLE DIPLOMACY IN TODAY'S GLOBAL WORLD Winter/Spring 2022-23 Rabat, Morocco (date TBD) Thank you for your interest! Tour Details Quick Overview Our 14-day study tour explores the agriculture, rich cultural heritage, biodiversity, and regional gastronomy of Morocco, including visits to the Atlantic coast, the Atlas Mountains, and the Mediterranean Sea. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy in Morocco, with over half the active labor force working in farming. During this program you will visit large commercial farms and local smallholder farms as well as subsistence operations, markets and value-added operations, along with institutions of higher education in agronomy, rural development and scientific research. The program combines these visits with cultural exchange, recreation, music, culinary delights, and many more adventures. What it costs Convenient Pay Plan What's not included Additional info Itinerary Your Study Tour Hosts Melissa Hendrickson Elaine Obenshain Ahmed Yanouri American Moroccan Alliance offers study tours that build intercultural bridges for global understanding and opportunity.

Say Hello We want you to learn about the many faces of Morocco. Find out how you can discover the modernity and tradition of this country. Whether you are looking for a topic-specific learning adventure like agricultural trends in Morocco, a hands-on, service-focused project working with women entrepreneurs, or just interested in broadening your knowledge of North African history, politics or culture, we have a study tour that will fit your needs. Let's say hello! American Moroccan Alliance Arlington, Texas, USA Email AMA@americanmoroccanalliance.com First Name Last Name Email Message I want to subscribe to the newsletter and receive email updates from AMA Subscribe Thanks for reaching out. We'll be in touch as quickly as possible!

< Back Melissa Hendrickson Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director As Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director, Melissa's primary responsibility is to promote, organize, administer and lead AMA's exchange programs. She is based in the US and will be the primary USA liaison for our programs. Melissa has 12 years of experience developing and delivering faculty-led, agriculture-based study abroad programs for university students, faculty, and administrators. She taught agribusiness at North Carolina State University for 20 years and was the owner/operator of Farmer Mac's Berries blueberry farm for over 35 years. She has worked with AMA on virtual exchanges for the past 2 years and has joined AMA to expand her past faculty-lead program success to include in-country teacher programs targeted to specific academic interests and disciplines. Melissa earned her Doctorate of Education in Agricultural and Extension Education from North Carolina State University, Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from New Mexico State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management from North Carolina State University. Most recently she held the position of Coordinator and Senior Lecturer of Agribusiness Management at NCSU where, among her other responsibilities, she created, developed, led, and evaluated international programs in the United Kingdom, Italy, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Descriptions of these study tours can be found in the attached file. International Programs .pdf Download PDF • 75KB . americanmoroccanalliance@gmail.com

< Back Ahmed Yanouri Founder, President & Executive Director Based in Arlington, Texas just outside of Dallas, Ahmed is the visionary and founder behind American Moroccan Alliance, a US nonprofit organization focused on education and fostering intercultural understanding between the US and Morocco. As a world traveler with a lifetime of international experience and service, Ahmed envisioned study programs allowing collaboration and exchange between teachers in the U.S. and Morocco, as well as joint projects with leading academic institutions and Moroccan civil society. Ahmed was born in Berkane, Morocco and after completing his undergraduate studies at Mohammed V University in Rabat, he earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology in the USA. He settled in Arlington, Texas where he has remained active in the local community for the past 25 years. Ahmed was among the few Muslim leaders to be invited by President George Bush to the 2008 Iftar dinner at the White House. He was also a guest of the State Department to President Obama’s inauguration ceremony and a guest of President and Mrs. Obama to a reception at the White House in 2009. Local recognition includes the DFW International Community Alliance Award for “African Businessman of the Year” for North Texas. As a past board member of DFW World Affairs Council, Ahmed actively promotes economic and social development while "wearing two hats" - one American and one Moroccan. Currently, he has several entrepreneurial ventures in Morocco and the USA including a carob processing factory in Morocco that is generating jobs and opening international markets within the Moroccan agrobusiness field. Texas is home to his two hotels including the Hampton Inn at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX. Always on the go, whether the hospitality sector, international business development, or as a community volunteer, Ahmed has a passion for humanity and is an activist working for peace and awareness in the global world we live in. americanmoroccanalliance@gmailcom

Faces of Our Organization Since our founding in 2012, American Moroccan Alliance has developed and grown in a positive direction. We’re very proud of the diversity of our staff, and their abilities to contribute their own unique experience and skills to our success. Find out more about some of our team members below. Ahmed Yanouri Founder, President & Executive Director As the visionary behind AMA, Ahmed leads its mission to build cultural and economic connections between Morocco and the US through dialogue, advocacy, collaborative service, and education. His efforts have also produced business opportunities in both the US & Morocco. Read more Elaine Obenshain Marketing & Development Director Elaine is responsible for marketing, promotional materials, graphic design, website development, and training plan development. She co-creates the program's itineraries and is responsible for site arrangements and in-country travel. She focuses on strategic planning, program development, and quality control, and she is the liaison to the US Study Tour Director for all AMA programs. Read more Melissa Hendrickson Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director Melissa has significant agribusiness teaching experience, virtual exchange facilitation, and international program development and delivery. Her academic training and her hands-on classroom experience uniquely qualifies her for the role of directing AMA exchange programs. She is a solution-focused team player with a detailed and organized approach to planning. Be sure to click to read more about her previous faculty-lead study tours. Read more

Faces of Our Organization Since our founding in 2012, American Moroccan Alliance has developed and grown in a positive direction. We’re very proud of the diversity of our staff, and their abilities to contribute their own unique experience and skills to our success. Find out more about some of our team members below. Ahmed Yanouri Founder, President & Executive Director As the visionary behind AMA, Ahmed leads its mission to build cultural and economic connections between Morocco and the US through dialogue, advocacy, collaborative service, and education. His efforts have also produced business opportunities in both the US & Morocco. Read more Elaine Obenshain Marketing & Development Director Elaine is responsible for marketing, promotional materials, graphic design, website development, and training plan development. She co-creates the program's itineraries and is responsible for site arrangements and in-country travel. She focuses on strategic planning, program development, and quality control, and she is the liaison to the US Study Tour Director for all AMA programs. Read more Melissa Hendrickson Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director Melissa has significant agribusiness teaching experience, virtual exchange facilitation, and international program development and delivery. Her academic training and her hands-on classroom experience uniquely qualifies her for the role of directing AMA exchange programs. She is a solution-focused team player with a detailed and organized approach to planning. Be sure to click to read more about her previous faculty-lead study tours. Read more

< Back Elaine Obenshain Marketing & Development Director Elaine’s retail and wholesale background spans 35+ years working with international and national brands and retailers including JCPenney, Sears, Petrie Corp. and Williamson-Dickies Workwear. She has collaborated on associate customer training programs with leading international brands including Nike, Addis, Dockers, Levi, Dickies, and more. Her roles include brand marketing, visual design, and corporate training. Her life focus has shifted to teaching and social entrepreneurialism with emphasis on empowering local artisans. The virtual exchange program, ENGAGE, was conceived and designed by Elaine and sponsored by the Mohammed VI Polytechnique University's agricultural department, ESAFE. Stevens Initiative was the grantor for this program. Through facilitated dialogues and intentional activities, students develop critical cultural awareness skills that are relevant in today’s global workforce while helping students develop a true #worldclassconnection. In addition to her teaching activities, Elaine co-founded a start-up export company, AMCO to facilitate a growing artisan wholesale export business. She is passionate about her work with American Moroccan Alliance. Elaine possesses a lifelong enthusiasm for exploring the cultures, religions, histories and politics of the world with a focus on Morocco where she has resided for the past six years. americanmoroccanalliance@gmail.com

< Back Melissa Hendrickson Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director As Study Tour & Virtual Exchange Director, Melissa's primary responsibility is to promote, organize, administer and lead AMA's exchange programs. She is based in the US and will be the primary USA liaison for our programs. Melissa has 12 years of experience developing and delivering faculty-led, agriculture-based study abroad programs for university students, faculty, and administrators. She taught agribusiness at North Carolina State University for 20 years and was the owner/operator of Farmer Mac's Berries blueberry farm for over 35 years. She has worked with AMA on virtual exchanges for the past 2 years and has joined AMA to expand her past faculty-lead program success to include in-country teacher programs targeted to specific academic interests and disciplines. Melissa earned her Doctorate of Education in Agricultural and Extension Education from North Carolina State University, Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from New Mexico State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management from North Carolina State University. Most recently she held the position of Coordinator and Senior Lecturer of Agribusiness Management at NCSU where, among her other responsibilities, she created, developed, led, and evaluated international programs in the United Kingdom, Italy, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Descriptions of these study tours can be found in the attached file. International Programs .pdf Download PDF • 75KB . americanmoroccanalliance@gmail.com

< Back Ahmed Yanouri Founder, President & Executive Director Based in Arlington, Texas just outside of Dallas, Ahmed is the visionary and founder behind American Moroccan Alliance, a US nonprofit organization focused on education and fostering intercultural understanding between the US and Morocco. As a world traveler with a lifetime of international experience and service, Ahmed envisioned study programs allowing collaboration and exchange between teachers in the U.S. and Morocco, as well as joint projects with leading academic institutions and Moroccan civil society. Ahmed was born in Berkane, Morocco and after completing his undergraduate studies at Mohammed V University in Rabat, he earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology in the USA. He settled in Arlington, Texas where he has remained active in the local community for the past 25 years. Ahmed was among the few Muslim leaders to be invited by President George Bush to the 2008 Iftar dinner at the White House. He was also a guest of the State Department to President Obama’s inauguration ceremony and a guest of President and Mrs. Obama to a reception at the White House in 2009. Local recognition includes the DFW International Community Alliance Award for “African Businessman of the Year” for North Texas. As a past board member of DFW World Affairs Council, Ahmed actively promotes economic and social development while "wearing two hats" - one American and one Moroccan. Currently, he has several entrepreneurial ventures in Morocco and the USA including a carob processing factory in Morocco that is generating jobs and opening international markets within the Moroccan agrobusiness field. Texas is home to his two hotels including the Hampton Inn at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX. Always on the go, whether the hospitality sector, international business development, or as a community volunteer, Ahmed has a passion for humanity and is an activist working for peace and awareness in the global world we live in. americanmoroccanalliance@gmailcom

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