Problems that this Program Addresses: Promising youth from Israel's disadvantaged areas have little opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Environmental awareness is particularly lacking in these economically hard hit areas of Israel.
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About Derech Hateva:
Derech Hateva is a program that integrates outdoor skills, ecology, Leave No Trace ethics and Jewish learning using an original outdoor Jewish curriculum and customized sourcebooks. |
The Kehillat Natan Youth Leadership Fellowship was created to honor
the memory of J.J. Greenberg (Natan Yosef Greenberg), a leader in the Jewish community, a lover of the outdoors and an advocate for the environment. |
Goals: Derech Hateva's Kehillat Natan Youth Leadership Fellowship aims:
- To provide leadership opportunities for promising youth from underprivileged areas
- To empower these youth leaders to conduct community social action projects
- To develop a nationwide network of youth committed to environmental issues
Program: The Kehillat Natan Youth Leadership Fellowship has four primary components:
Summer Youth Experience - Eight disadvantaged youth from disadvantaged areas will participate in Derech Hateva's Israel Trail Teen Adventure during the summer. During this month-long and intensive backpacking and hiking outdoor adventure, the youth will:
1) learn valuable leadership and team-building skills with American & Israeli peers while focusing on issues of Jewish Peoplehood;
2) understand, respect, and experience Israel's environmental and Judaic heritage;
3) be taught outdoor skills and "leave no trace" ethics; and
4) be educated on the pressing environmental issues facing Israel and ways they can make a difference within their communities.
The program includes activities such as: Hiking, camping, navigation, desert trekking, rock climbing, biking, volunteering, Jewish text study and Shabbat in nature.
Community Social Action Projects - Following their participation in the Summer Program, the Fellows will implement an educationally focused social action project in their communities. They will be provided a small budget to be able to execute their projects. Examples of campaigns they may undertake include: leadership activities for at-risk youth, anti-littering efforts, water conservation awareness, community garden and recycling projects. A Derech Hateva coordinator will supervise these projects.
Continuing Education Meetings - The Fellows will meet as a group several times throughout the school year with one another and Derech Hateva staff to track progress and discuss ongoing challenges.
Reporting - Each fellow will prepare a summary document about their project detailing the challenges, strategies, successes and future plans. The reports will be published at the end of program and shared with other communities.
Selecting Fellows for 2010: Derech Hateva will work with coordinators at our partner organizations - the Yemin Orde Youth Village, Acharai and a Netivot school - to identify likely candidates who will be encouraged to apply for the Kehillat Natan Fellowship.
We appreciate your support for the Kehillat Natan Fellowship Program. Your donation is tax-deductible (501c3) in the U.S. and in Israel.
Please contact us for donation information.
