Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

House of Wisdom 2.0: Reviving Critical Thinking in the Middle East

Overview: A revived, online, and modern version of the original House of Wisdom—the great library of Baghdad. House of Wisdom 2.0 is a flagship multimedia content platform focused on making knowledge freely accessible to Arabic speakers worldwide.

    Mission & Focus

  • Goal: Foster critical thinking, trust in science, and civil rights in the MENA region
  • Method: Making previously inaccessible information freely available to Arabic speakers
  • Content Scope: Enlightenment and educational content

    Scope & Impact

  • Team: 220-strong team of translators
  • Content Production: Hundreds of original videos, thousands of translated articles and books annually
  • Reach: More than 50 million views per year
  • Translation Record: More Enlightenment and educational content translated into Arabic than any other organization
  • Access: All content is free

    Geographic Scope

  • Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
  • Primarily serves Arabic-speaking populations
  • Expanded to Afghanistan (Dari & Pashto translation programs)

Key Programs Under House of Wisdom 2.0

#### University Student Translator Program

  • Develops translation, professional, and leadership skills of university students

  • Offers full semester of extracurricular webinars

  • Focus: Translating and editing articles, critical thinking about sources, volunteer leadership

  • Winners: Best students receive prizes and advancement to leadership positions in Wikipedia Arabic community

  • Partnership: Wikipedia-backed initiative

  • Graduates: Full-semester training with in-depth translation experience
  • #### Afghanistan Translation Program

  • Expansion of core House of Wisdom 2.0 translation program

  • Languages: Dari & Pashto

  • Goal: Ensure Afghan people have unbiased, unrestricted access to knowledge
    • What They Fund/Produce

    • Translated educational content (articles, books, videos)
    • Original video content
    • Wikipedia Arabic community development
    • Leadership training for student translators
    • Knowledge accessibility initiatives

      Contact Information

    • Website: ideasbeyondborders.org
    • Address: 244 Fifth Avenue Suite 2594, New York, NY 10001
    • EIN: 82-1447974

      Organization Status

    • Nonprofit with Special Consultative Status to the United Nations
    • Platinum-level rating with Candid (formerly Guidestar)
    • Recognized on Charity Navigator

    How to Apply

    University Student Translator Program Application

    While specific detailed application procedures are not fully outlined in the website content, the program structure indicates:

      Eligibility

    • University students from Middle East and North Africa region
    • Commitment to House of Wisdom 2.0 values (critical thinking, science, civil rights)
    • Interest in translation, professional development, and volunteer leadership

      Program Components

    • Duration: Full semester
    • Format: Extracurricular webinars (online)
    • Training Includes:
    • - Translation and article editing techniques - Critical thinking about sources - Volunteer community leadership - Professional development - Leadership skills

      Advancement Opportunities

    • Best-performing students receive prizes
    • Top students advance to leadership positions in Wikipedia Arabic community
    • Generation of new Wikipedia volunteers

    To Apply: Contact Ideas Beyond Borders directly for current application deadlines and submission procedures.

    What Ideas Beyond Borders Inc actually gave

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024

    Grants in 2024
    1
    Total given
    $83K
    Median grant
    $83K
    • By dollars: District of Columbia 100%. Top recipient cities: Washington, DC.

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    • WLC Operations LLC · Washington, DC

      Fiscal Sponsorship for WLC events

      $83K

    IRS Form 990-PF, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    educationliteracyjournalismhumanitiesnonprofits

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