Source: Kosher OC
A new cohort of iFellows graduated from the iCenter’s iFellows Master’s Concentration in Israel Education (iFellows) with fresh approaches and skills to bring dynamic Israel experiences to their learners. Including students from eight leading academic institutions across 12 campuses, members of the fifth cohort work in varied settings, from camp, to university to day schools. Now certified as Israel educators, they employ a learner-focused approach to Israel education in which they help build authentic, personally meaningful connections between the learners and the land, the people and the State of Israel.
The 37 students in the fifth cohort are in education, rabbinical and cantorial studies, representing the spectrum of Jewish denominations and a diversity of opinions. They come together as a cohesive group within this unique institutional collaboration, based on a shared commitment to and passion for Jewish education and to Israel. The program integrates rigorous academic study, ongoing mentorship, learning opportunities in Israel and creation of a final Israel education project, which students presented at the seminar. Throughout the year, over the course of three seminars, the students are given the opportunity to examine the core issues of the field, including various approaches to Israel education and its fundamental principles. There are now a total of 152 iFellows.
The program was initiated in 2010 and has been growing exponentially every year. Through the current creation of an alumni community, the iCenter is ensuring an ongoing framework in which graduates share ideas, resources, experiences and work in the field over the years to come. The iFellows program offers students unprecedented access to a national network of experts in the field. For students who have spent years studying the work of these leading thinkers—many of whom are pioneers in the field—the opportunity to engage with them directly is a key component of the educational experience.
Read the whole story at Kosher OC.