Promote 30 Gifted Jewish Ethiopian Students

Dear freinds and supporters

I am pleased to submit a Project Report   for the  project:Promote 30 Gifted Jewish Ethiopian Students"

During this quarter we have  continued working on direction, growth and personal development of the participants.

Within the framework of the Foundation  two flagship programs "Vision" and "Star", we have continued to provide a range of empowerment activities, extra classes and exposure in the path to excellence and breakthrough.

During this quarter we have also introduced workshops and new and exciting activities as in the example of the debate workshop, the development of product technology workshops and other special activities.

In this opportunity in would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your commitment to us, for being at our side and assisting us in making the change we wish to generate within the Israeli society.

The Vision program:

 The Visionprogram is a national program for promoting excellence among youth and teenagers with unique talent in various fields, based on individual tutoring and long term personal mentorship. The program's goals are to enable the participants to successfully join the field in which they excel or other quality fields of their choice, by providing the tools and resources that each student needs.

 The Ariela foundation  supports 31 students within the framework of the program (academics, students, high school and middle school pupils) from all over Israel, with unique talents and potential to excel in a wide variety of fields.

The program provides every student with special and personal support including counseling, educational direction, personal mentoring, enrichment courses, scholarships, assistance in purchasing educational equipment and support based upon the social and extended professional network.

New educational coordinator for the project:

Congratulations to Tirisit an educationalist in the Ariela foundation , upon her return from maternity leave and following her appointment as the Vision Program Coordinator. Tirisit has accumulated varied professional experience both in the private sector and in the field of education.  Inter alia she has gained great knowledge in fields such as coaching education teams, presenting seminars and building study programs, within the framework of her work as Director of Settlement Education at the Ministry of Education and AliyatHaNoar.  Tirsit has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, both of them from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Within the framework of the social responsibility and commitment activity some of the Vision students took part in leading activities and workshops for young students including a music   workshop, orientation for higher education, and giving private lessons.

New students  who joined  the project since our last report:

 Erez:  a bachelor degree student in the fields of law (Bar-Ilan University)

 Kumlatzeo:  a bachelor degree student in the fields of computers (The Holon Technology Institute)

 Yesimbat:  a bachelor degree student in the fields of politic and government (The Ben Gurion University)

 Yossi: a bachelor degree student in the fields of pharmacy (The Hebrew University)

 Yael:  a bachelor degree student in the fields of nursing (The Tel Aviv University)

David:  a Master's degree   student in the fields of nursing (Bar Ilan University)

Within the framework of the social responsibility and commitment activity some of the Vision students took part in leading activities and workshops for young students including a music  workshop, orientation for higher education, and giving private lessons.Continuation of the army preparation workshop for the program’s high school students who are expected to go into the army during the next two years.

Update form the project:

In this quarter we continue  the  series of meetings for students in the 10th – 12thgrades, whose goal was preparing for military service.  In the meetings the students learn about the military sorting process, the recruiting possibilities and preparing together for the interviews and various exams that  take place in their first  visit to the military.

The students have been received tens of hours of additional study hours over the last quarter, and l support in quality private schools such as theThe Jerusalem Academy High School for Music and Dance in Jerusalem,and also  enrichment activities, such as  science workshop and  Music lessons.

Counseling and Mentoring:

The counseling and individual guidance done by the coordinators.During the first  quarter  of 2014 the students enjoyed tens of hours of personal consulting on several  areas of life, continuous support over the telephone and in one-on-one meetings, and tutoring with the help of social/professional networks. 

Success Stories:

We pleased to introduce you Sagi& Elizabeth:

Sagi  immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia at the age of 3 with his grandmother and uncle.  His mother passed away in Sudan on her way to Israel.  At that time his father had been conscripted into the Ethiopian army and he has had no contact with him since then.  First they lived in the “HatserotYosef” absorption center in the city of Nahariya and afterwards they lived in Ashkelon. His grandmother died when he was 12 years old and he went to live with his aunt who assumed responsibility for bringing him up together with her five other children.  He completed high school with distinction and enrolled for a preparatory course on behalf of the “Atidim” program at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  As part of the academic reserves he was accepted for a Bachelor’s degree studies in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Technion.  He went into the army a year ago and was placed in the Combat Engineering Corps. At the beginning of this year he began studying for a Master’s degree in the same faculty and he intends to complete his degree during his compulsory  military service,  At the same time Sagi successfully completed an officers’ course.

This year the Ariela foundation helped Sagi in the purchase of a professional computer for his work as an engineer and also in a residence scholarship thus enabling him to devote his time to his demanding studies.  Furthermore, the Ariela foundation  provides him with close support including personal and group mentoring and also assists him in making decisions connected to his course and career and economic behavior.

Elizabeth , a 7th grade student, has been studying piano playing at the Conservatory for three years, as part of the “From Risk to Chance” program.  Elizabeth was sent to the Conservatory by a   teacher at the experimental school where she studied, who told them about a small sweet girl who for a whole year had asked to receive the key to the music room at the school during every long break, in order to play on the piano. She practiced by herself, without teaching, since her parents were not able to pay for piano lessons for her. Elizabeth plays in a jazz ensemble and in several concerts, she is studying theory and three days a week she  is in a workshop.  Since Elizabeth's family lived in a small house where there was no room for a piano, she received special permission to practice every day at her school in the evening.  Just this year the family moved to a larger apartment and so the Conservatory gave her a piano. Last year Elizabeth went up a step from playing and was accepted into the Academy of Music High School in Jerusalem.  Elizabeth’s the parents support and invest great efforts in promoting their children’s education, but the family has the most basic resources.  Elizabeth is a friendly child with great learning ability. The Ariela foundation  is assisting Elizabeth with a scholarship for the Academy of Music, extra lessons as necessary and with close support including personal and group mentoring

Once again, I would like to thank you for being at our side and assisting us in making the change we wish to generate within the Israeli society.

Links:

• The Vision Assistance Program for Gifted Students
• The Story of Ethiopian Jews