2. Homework Assistance
This aspect of the program is essential both because a long school day must allot time for homework preparation and because many children may require assistance. Some assistance will be provided in small groups, some as one-on-one tutoring. The aspect of the program will maximize available resources by utilizing northern Israel college students that receive Jewish Agency for Israel scholarships, as tutors and personal mentors. We estimate the number of scholarship recipients at 20,000. This service will be provided free of charge as part of the students’ mandatory voluntary community services. This element of A New Tomorrow does not require additional funding. Complete outline of Scholarships for Students in Northern Israel Colleges program will follow.
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3. Values Education
The undermining effect of the recent hostilities has magnified many undercurrent negative feelings throughout society in general, among Northern Israel’s citizens in particular and, as always because of their youth, at a greater magnitude among school children.
Tensions that have for years been evident throughout Israeli society are now more pronounced and require investigation and clarification. Issues such as feelings regarding the tensions between different groups like Central Israel residents and residents of the periphery; immigrants and veteran Israelis; observant and secular Jews; Jews and non-Jews (Muslims, Christians, Druze etc.); personal inter-conflicts and seeking a common platform for national unity are all being challenged. Additional issues currently high on the Israeli discourse are issues concerning: sharing the burden; national valor; the strength of society’s social tapestry; our future in this land; democratic values in the face of a fundamental threat on both a national and international level and the growing weight of NGO’s in providing for society where the government’s ability has come up short.
This component of A New Tomorrow
will provide values orientated programming in cooperation with national and community professionals. Some programs will be incorporated during school hours. Others for which we seek funding will be implemented in the afternoon hours or as seminars and/or long weekends for either one class at a time or for an entire grade (by schools).
Sample topics for investigation may include:*
- “Talking about It” - Giving participants a chance to examine and explore their feelings regarding the war and the manner in which they are dealing with these feelings.
- “A Strong Home Front” - Going beyond the slogan to explore the meaning of this phrase as an internal command for solidarity and social responsibility.
- “What’s War” - Examining the rational for going to war, the moral responsibility to protect ourselves and our commitment to human life.
- “Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah” - Learning about the war in Lebanon, Israel’s retreat from Lebanon, the Hezbollah and current powers in Lebanon.
- “Peace is Better than War” - Examining the meaning of war and peace and the need to fight terror while striving for peace with moderate forces.
*Sample subjects from the Kibbutz Ravid educational library for teachers
This program aims to utilize the Jewish Agency partnership with assorted youth movements and to develop programs that can be used within the movements including volunteer programs in which participants volunteer to promote their local community thus widening our impact while fortifying the youth movements and most importantly – the overall community.
Estimated annual cost per child: $150
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4. Providing essential school supplies
The financial beating taken by many of northern Israel’s residents is severe. Parents struggling to put their lives together lack funds necessary to equip children with essential school supplies. Utilizing the existing partnership developed with Office Depot, an office supply chain store, we will be able to provide children and youth with “gift cards” to purchase school supplies. The gift cards are subsidized by Office Depot at the level of 25%.
Estimated annual cost per child: $50
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5. “Children Paint War”
One of the most common therapeutic methods for dealing with the aftermath of trauma is through art – in particular by drawing. This component of A New Tomorrow will offer children the opportunity to express their feelings regarding the war on a central wall mural at school. Children will be asked to express feelings like: What happened during the war? What did it mean to you? How do you feel when you think about it?
Production of the mural will be overseen by a professional artist that comes to the school for this specific purpose. At each school, children and a professional artist facilitator will prepare the concept and draw an outline on paper including a sketch, the use of materials, different textures, and color. Once approved, the group will work together in painting their mural. This short term program will last up to three months in each school.
The artist facilitators will be either an Israeli artist or a Jewish artist from abroad. Once murals are complete, they will be photographed and printed on paper and or/cloth (decision pending). All photographs will be displayed at a mega-exhibition. The festive opening of this exhibition will be in the presence of either the President or the Prime Minister of Israel.
Assorted ideas for “selling” copies of the murals to help fund additional activities in the schools are under development. An additional idea to be cultivated is to utilize these pictures as public relations materials to promote Israel. The cost of this program is per school regardless of the number of children participating in the project.
Estimated annual cost per school: $13,000
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Partners
The Jewish Agency for Israel, Israeli Ministry of Education, local municipality representatives from departments of education (formal and informal) and social welfare, Tapuach, SPNI, local community centers, schools and assorted youth movements.
Timetable for implementation
Development and coordination is currently underway. Implementation of programs will commence in October (after the high holidays) and will continue throughout the school year (in some cases, programming will continue during summer vacation).
Evaluating Success
Attendance records, examination of scholastic achievements and the extent of homework preparation, enrollment in youth movement activities, and implementation of volunteer activities (by participants) will provide objective quantitative information regarding the programs success.
Feedback questioners and spot interviews with participants, parents, facilitators, home room teachers and other school staff will provide qualitative information for evaluation. Parameters to be examined will include: level of satisfaction, level of enjoyment, the impact that the program had in alleviating feelings of anxiety (based upon children’s ability to concentrate in school and behavior patterns), level of scholastic achievement, improvement in computer use abilities and desire to continue studying in this field, fortification of personal self esteem and an improved connection to Israel, increased level of commitment to the State (the desire to serve in the IDF, to volunteer etc.), and a desire to be an active member in a youth movement.
Photo Credit: Naftali Hilger/ Yehoshua Halevi