By Racheli Shabtai, Megiddo Region YF Trustee

During the Pesach school vacation on April 14, 2008, 100 Youth Futures kids from Yokneam and Megiddo, their 6 trustees and the Youth Futures project director Orit Lin, got up early in the morning to travel to Bnai Brak – their destination – the Israel Coca Cola facility.  Here the kids would learn the "secrets" of one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.  For many of these kids, this was their first trip to the Tel Aviv area.

The decision to visit Coca Cola was part of group activities relating to "protecting our environment".  Before the visit, they collected cans and bottles and visited a recycling station.

The kids toured the Coca Cola facility, learned about the history of the famous drink and saw how the dark-sweet drink is produced and bottled.  The visit was especially exciting for the kids as they saw first hand the production of a product that is totally machine made.  They also learned the importance of recycling bottles, cans and other objects.

One of the special attractions included interactive activities relating to the "human senses"– including "how does it feel to be a bubble in a bottle".  They took part in simulation activities such as bike riding in a forest, visit to a planetarium and more.  Each child received a special "souvenir" to take home and share with their family and friends.

After the visit to Coca Cola, the kids visited the Ra'anana City Park and petting farm. They had a picnic lunch and were treated to their favorite ice-cream.

It was a most enjoyable day.