Binational School for Jewish and Palestinian kids

The Student’s Campaign and the Democratic Process

The new Primary School Library and Digital Learning Center grew out of studying democracy! Students had to identify a project that they could “do” from start to finish. They wrote letters, marched with placards, held meetings and presented a petition to their Primary School Board of Directors. Adults took notice and the miracle of the democratic process became visible. The Library and Digital Learning Center is the outcome of patient and persistent democracy in action.

Renewing the spirit through music!

The Music Program continues to reach out, thanks to the Max and Sunny Howard Foundation. Traditional
and classical instruments were purchased and two classrooms completely renovated for learning music.
Between 3rd and 4th grade, the children try options- an oud, a recorder, perhaps a guitar- and then
choose the one they want to learn to play well. Plenty of practice space, school and community performances,
and visiting Palestinian and Jewish musicians offer a taste of what might lie ahead.

Curriculum Development- Renewing our commitment to making an impact beyond the school

The Primary School’s new curriculum uses an interdisciplinary approach, developing young scholars
connected to their own identities and respectful of world cultures. With the comprehensive teacher - training
workshop for mixed groups of Jewish and Arab teachers, the curriculum will become available to teachers in
other bilingual/binational schools and in separate Jewish and Arab schools.
The Primary School was selected for a pilot program- an incubator for new pedagogical approaches.
Five other leading educational institutions were also chosen, but Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam is the only
primary school! The program enables the curriculum to become applicable to schools internationally.

In February 2017 the school opened the new school library, the library has been designed to be particularly inviting and inclusive for all children of the school and has become a favorite place for many of the children. In addition a new state of the art computer room with 28 workstations is now fully operational. The computer room was actualized from the determination of the school children, who started a campaign for improved computer facilities, as part of a process of understanding democratic processes.

The Primary School library and computer center are essential elements in the Primary School’s education program - a place where children from nursery age through to the primary school can learn to enjoy literature, watch films, do research, or simply relax with a book. The innovative planning, with a soft-covered central stage, four computer workstations, cushions on the floor, a screen and video projector, and intelligent use of space, provides for all of these functions and more