Bakehila (“In the community”) runs educational programming in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Jerusalem with the goal to raise student academic achievement, and promote personal and social growth and participation. The broader mission is to actualize the child’s potential and ability to transcend social-economic limitations in their lives. Employing a holistic approach, Bakehila staff and pre-Army, year-of-service volunteers work with the students, their teachers, principals and parents in order to reinforce the students’ success. Currently the program reaches 3,000 children in the 5th-8th grades operating in Katamon, Gilo, Neve Yaacov and Talpiot and Beit Zafafa. The programming supports the children throughout the day, in and after school.

The main projects are:

In-School Morning Program (Bakehila-Omets): The educational program helps students from 5th to 8th grade develop essential learning skills, teaching them how to study so as to narrow the learning gaps. The participating schools select the weakest students who participate in intensive, short-term, study-skills training. Developed by an educational psychologist, the method teaches students how to deconstruct information into small, easily understood components, and how to study towards a specific goal, such as an exam. At the end of the learning period, the students undergo intensive learning marathons. The program is designed to yield immediate results, the students are able to see their marks improve and this success rewards and encourages additional efforts.

In-School Social Activity: Year-of-Service volunteers initiate, and take part in, many social activities in the schools: operating the student council, school newspaper, school library, active recesses, special events such as holidays and memorial days, ceremonies, end of year parties and more. The goal of these efforts is to further engage the students in the school as well as to improve the school’s social atmosphere.

After School Learning and Enrichment centers offer students a continuation of the educational framework, with formal and informal educational opportunities and a hot meal. This activity serves to strengthen students’ in-school achievements and self-esteem through small group tutoring, to expand their fields of interest with activities such arts, sports and dance, and leadership training with group dynamics to promote social skills and values.

Youth Groups and Activities offer an alternative structured framework and work to strengthen social and leadership skills, group work and personal attitudes and motivation, as well as to create youth groups or help students connect to the existing youth movements.

Parent Empowerment Groups help parents become more aware and actively involved in their children’s lives, in their education and within the community’s activities and improvement overall. Once a week the parents are offered tools and support in facilitated discussions of the two major transitions their children are about to go through (maturing and moving to middle schools).

Year of Service Volunteers (Shinshinim) are the primary service providers for the Community Empowerment Program. These pre-army teenage volunteers live in the neighborhood; work in the schools, in after-school and evening programs. As a mutual benefit from their involvement, they receive training and support in their work as well with enrichment classes, to enhance their activism and civic responsibility as future leaders.