Gaza
- Collaboration with internet hubs for connectivity and electricity when needed
- eSIMs
- Providing survival aid as needed — food, tents, medical resources when possible
- Virtual mental health support
About Us
SPOCs (small, private, online courses) for Gaza is a grassroots, student-led initiative connecting volunteers in the US and around the world with the academic and student community in Gaza.
We curate MIT and non-MIT courses and programs for students facing internet and device constraints and who are cut off from resources, with Arabic-based recitations, office hours, and Q&A sessions.
Our students are active and key members of our broader community, where they form strong connections with everyone on our team—from volunteers (student-support members) to teaching assistants (TAs). We all learn from one another.
We commit to educational reparations from the West while acknowledging institutional complicity in the deliberate destruction of educational infrastructure in Gaza as it remains cut off from learning and academic resources.
We build both 1:1 and group support spaces. We also provide spaces for collaborative application of learning in course projects so students have flexibility to apply what they’ve learned without necessarily having access to powerful technologies.
SPOCS in Numbers *
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* All our team members are volunteers. No one is paid unless they are students in Gaza serving as TAs.
How our program works
Accessible learning
Accessible learning
MIT and non-MIT course materials adapted for device and internet constraints including assessments, lectures, and project support.
Arabic-based support
Arabic-based support
Volunteer-led recitations, office hours, and Q&A are provided in Arabic as needed to transcend language barriers.
Community built on care
Community built on care
Students are collaborators, not passive recipients. We actively care for both academic and non-academic needs.
Across Gaza and Egypt
Egypt
American University in Cairo in-classroom support, with dedicated volunteer teams running courses and curriculum among student groups to provide personalized support and care.
Student support and wellbeing:
Courses & milestones
Oct 2024 → Jan 2025
Semester I
Courses- MITx Intro to CS & Python
- MITx Calculus I
- MITx Calculus II
- MITx Data Analysis for Social Scientists
Students completed these courses in both Gaza and Egypt; some were accepted into the MIT Emerging Talent Program (8-month career development program).
Apr 2025 → Oct 2025
Semester II
Courses- MITx Intro to CS & Python
- MITx The Challenges of Global Poverty
- Prof. Ahlam Muhtaseb: Media, Culture & Society
- Prof. Ahlam Muhtaseb: Film Studies
Students worked on projects applying concepts to real-life problems.
Community in Practice
We enable 1:1 support and group collaboration so students apply learning together and collaborate with peers across borders.
Students who complete courses and demonstrate excellence, and a commitment to support their peers, join as Teaching Assistants and can become active researchers by collaborating with PalUROP at MIT.
1:1 support
Weekly check-ins and tailored guidance.
Group collaboration
Co-learning spaces across Gaza & Egypt.
TA pathway
Outstanding students return as TAs.
Research with PalUROP
TAs collaborate as active researchers.