We are in a very complex period in Israel, and particularly in the field of education. Above all, we see that the emotional needs of youth and educators are the most pressing matter at this moment in time.
The crisis situation has put most of the youth in Israel in at-risk situations. The expertise of our staff and educators at Village Way Educational Initiatives (VWEI) in youth-at-risk education is particularly relevant at this point in time. We are continuing our hallmark programs including the 3 year program for educational communities and our men’s pre-military gap year program, mechina. At the same time, we are developing new programs to respond to the additional needs arising from the field. These include:
Conferences for educational teams: Bringing together school and city leaders to discuss topics including education during wartime and how to support communities in the South.
Pathfinders- “My Victory Album”: A new program initiated by Dr. Chaim Peri encourages teens from evacuated communities to keep a “personal victory” album to empower them and help shape their narrative from this time period.
Feeling the Way: Providing tools and resources for educators to help students develop resilience. We are now working on opening a new second cohort specifically for educators in the South.
Training for the Defense Forces (Education Corps) that is currently working with the evacuees.
Disbursement of emergency aid grants to VWEI educational communities.
Disbursement of 409 emergency scholarships have been given to graduates of our mechina who have served in the war. As time goes on, we are planning to provide therapy and emotional support for mechina graduates.
TORAPY: A new program developed to support students studying for their matriculation high school exam in Torah. We provide 5 days of significant learning for 100 teens evacuated from the South while also using this time to strengthen emotional resilience
One-year abbreviated program: Based on feedback from the field, we are offering a one-year program for schools that need our support immediately to help their students cope with the trauma from the war.
As part of strengthening the self-esteem of teens as well as their feelings of capability, solidarity, and belonging to Israeli society, VWEI is working with its communities to provide tikkun olam volunteer opportunities for students and mechina participants.
VWEI is fulfilling a critical role in providing educational and therapeutic needs for both educators and students, and will continue to listen, adapt, and instill a sense of resilience for the next generation of youth in Israel.
Learn more about how ImpactIsrael supports VWEI at https://www.impact-israel.org/our-impact