August 23, 2010 / 13 Elul 5770

This summer, the Jewish Agency's Meron Absorption Center in Safed prepared its gan aged (nursery school) children for the first grade thanks to YESODOT, a Jewish Agency program that helps Ethiopian youngsters succeed through educational and social intervention.

The youth participated in a YESODOT educational summer program whose curriculum included learning basic computer skills and becoming familiar with letters and numbers. The children also worked on other basic educational and social skills. For fun, there were day trips and outings outside the absorption center. The program was enhanced through structured workshops where the parents were invited to learn alongside their children.

The results from the YESODOT programs are tangible. Already the current first graders who participated in last summer's program have shown tremendous progress. They have integrated into their classrooms without any educational gaps. The teachers expect the same results for this year's first graders.

At the end of the program, all the participants received backpacks full of school supplies, courtesy of an Israeli company.