The Youth Futures program attempts to meet these needs, based on a strong partnership between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. By 2010, the program will operate in some 50 localities in Jerusalem, the Negev and Galilee with the goal of generating change among children and youth at risk in the geographic and social periphery of Israel.

Youth Futures is intended to provide at least a partial response to the growing need for investment in the population defined as children and youth at risk. This is accomplished through "the creation of opportunities for children and youth that will allow them to fully exploit their potential while removing educational and social barriers that stand in their way to success."

Basic Assumptions

• The more a child is at-risk, the more he/she needs the support of social services. however, the more at-risk the child is, the less likely he/she is to succeed in accessing them (The Social Services Paradox)
• Education does not occur in school alone. Family, friends and environment all have important roles to play in shaping a child's identity.
• Every child has unique strong points, which need to be used to reinforce his sense of worth and his motivation.
• Support for the child requires a combination of individual and group components. Each component strengthens different aspects of the child's abilities.
• Educational involvement requires in-depth work over time.

Goals Of The Program

• To provide children at risk of elementary school to middle school age an equal opportunity to succeed and the chance of exploiting their individual potential through the development of motivation, self-esteem and self-confidence, the improvement of scholastic achievement and the development of the ability to set goals for oneself and achieve them.
• To ensure that the youth complete 12 years of school and achieve a high-quality matriculation diploma that will enable them to continue on to higher education and escape the cycle of poverty. This will be accomplished by the development of individual potential, personal abilities and the strengthening of self-confidence.
• To expand the existing enrichment activities in the community with the goal of strengthening the capabilities and skills among local children and youth and among those at risk in particular.
   

Target Population

• Children of elementary school and middle school age (9-14):
• Children who have been identified by the education and welfare services in the locality as being appropriate candidates for the program and who, with the program's assistance, have a good chance of success.
• These children will be chosen according to the definition set by the Law for Children at Risk: "A child whose situation is harming, or is liable to harm, his chances for integrating within the mainstream education system, within family life or within society or a situation in which there is a real concern for his normal development whether it be the result of the child himself, his family or his environment."
• Children in grades 9-12 (aged 14 to 18) who have graduated from the Trustee stage: after a child completes the 3 first years with his/her Trustee, we believe that that child will have progressed to a completely different stage - in terms of self confidence and ability to cope with extreme situations he/she might need to deal with in the future. However, we are aware that even after 3 years intensive work with a Trustee, the Youth Futures children will need some support. This support is called "Programs for Graduates", which will be developed according to the personal and unique needs of these children and aim to help them complete 12 years of school and/or fulfill the requirements for matriculation.