Source: Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF)
Fifty Seven top Teach For America corps members are meeting with their Teach First Israel counterparts to learn from one another how best to inspire students in disadvantaged areas to succeed in school and to work on a communal vision of educational equality. The encounter is just one stop for Teach For America corps members on the REALITY Israel Experience. The 10-day trip is designed to introduce corps members to Israel’s education and social justice systems, give them exposure to top Israeli leaders and thinkers, and help them uncover and recommit to the values that drive their passion for public service.
Both Teach For America and Teach First Israel are based on a simple but powerful concept: Enlist top college graduates to become lifelong champions for educational equity by first recruiting them to teach for two years with students from low-income backgrounds.
They are both part of the Teach For All network—a collection of independent social enterprises working to expand educational opportunities in their respective countries.
The REALITY Israel Experience introduces corps members, leaders in their own right, to key Israeli figures in the education and social action movements, and to trailblazing Israeli initiatives.
Not only are participants examining the values that drive their commitment to public service, they are also exploring the connection between Jewish values, public service and how the two reinforce each other.
REALITY trips for Teach for America corps members were also conducted in the summers of 2009 and 2010, and the impact of the visit to Israel is profound. According to The REALITY Israel Experience: An Impact Study, it strengthens the link between participants’ Jewish identity and passion for service while deepening their commitment to social justice and the Teach For America mission.