Binational School for Jewish and Palestinian kids

This year is the Primary School’s biggest yet! Fifty-four new students have joined the school, bringing the total number of children enrolled up to 314. This is the largest that the school has
ever been. The Primary School’s growth represents both increasing interest in bilingual and multicultural education and the Primary School’s stellar academic record. To accommodate the school’s
expanding student body, seven new teachers have been hired.

As the Primary School grows and becomes more diverse, funding needs for the school have increased. The Education Ministry recently cut the amount of tuition that the Primary School was allowed to ask for, producing a $130,000 deficit last year and significantly decreasing the amount of subsidy that the Primary School was able to provide for student transportation and supply costs. Friends organizations from around the world are doing what they can to help the Primary School continue to be accessible and affordable for years to come.

As teachers and administrators at the Primary School prepared for their new students, they were also hard at work launching a project that has been in the works for the past three years. The Primary School’s groundbreaking multicultural and bilingual curricula have been collected and developed into a program that can be adapted for
use in schools throughout the country and the world.

The Primary School, with help from Israel's Center for Educational Technology, has created an educational resource with the potential to revolutionize education for thousands of students. The Primary School will be translating the material into English over the next few months and increasing their digital presence, including a website on which the curricula will be available for schools and all others interested in learning more about bilingual and multicultural education.

The Primary School is gearing up for a new school year!. Over the past five years, the Primary School has become larger and more diverse. Enrollment rates are up by twenty percent and the students come from more villages than ever. In times of instability and crisis, growing interest in the Primary School is a sign of hope for the future. This year’s incoming class, which comes from twenty-four villages and many backgrounds, is set to be our largest yet! From the moment they step on the school bus, these children become part of a brighter future. They take in the evidence that a society built on equality and justice is possible— listening to Arabic and Hebrew, seeing families of all faiths living together— and develop that reality in their villages and communities. These children truly are the future. 

We at AFNSWAS have been hard at work supporting these children. The Adopt-a-Class fundraiser, an annual donation drive, supports incoming students and their families as they learn, grow, and become advocates for peace. 

You already think that bilingual, multicultural education at the Primary School is a good idea. Now make it possible for these 24 children to become the builders of tomorrow’s shared society. Together, we can support a peaceful future!