About Us

Layali Eshqaidef is the Founder and President of Kalimah Programs for Arabic Culture and Arts (KalimahPrograms.org). She is passionate about spreading the love for Arabic among diverse audiences from babies to adults globally. She has been teaching Arabic in different capacities for over twenty years in schools and colleges. She has designed and directed various integrated, play-based lessons, units, and programs, including Kalimah's Arabic immersion STEAM summer camps in the DMV area. As an Arabic Education Consultant, she has developed a multi-layer language program evaluation process that helps schools and organizations make the shift to interactive, hands-on, fun learning. She believes in empowering students to find their voice and exercise their agency as they develop skills to become lifelong learners and responsible global citizens.

Noor is originally from Salamiyah, Syria. She lives in Milan, Italy. Previously, she earned a Bachelor of Science and worked as a biology teacher. Currently, Noor teaches Arabic with Kalimah and other programs at a university in Italy. During her teaching sessions, she keeps her students engaged and encourages them to express themselves freely. She likes to share tidbits about herself and her culture, which brings her together with her students, most of whom become her friends! She enjoys drinking yerba mate, playing chess, and riding bikes in her free time.

Zain Abuhatab is a senior at Poolesville High School’s Global Ecology magnet program. He enjoys everything relating to technology and applies his skills to support growth and learning among children at Kalimah.