Giving young children the best educational start in life

THE BACKGROUND 

The Shapira neighborhood is a low socio-economic area in south Tel Aviv with a diverse population. The population comprises a mix of longtime residents and new residents. In recent years, asylum seekers and migrant workers have also settled in the neighborhood. The new kindergarten complex will cater to all segments of the population and, in doing so, help to connect and integrate them.

THE NEED

When Israeli law changed to mandate education from age three instead of age five, this resulted in a dramatic 39% increase in the number of children enrolled in the municipal education system, which naturally required a significant increase in the number and capacity of early childhood facilities within the Municipality. Further, as Tel Aviv-Yafo expanded and its population grew, developing early education facilities became even more pressing. From 2009 to 2019, the number of kindergarten classrooms in Tel Aviv-Yafo almost doubled. In the 2018-2019 school year, the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo is building 58 new kindergarten classrooms
and planning an additional 53 kindergarten classrooms for 2019-2020. The provision of safe, clean, and high-quality early childhood educational facilitates enables both parents to work and supports early childhood development. Evidence suggests that children benefit from participating in kindergarten programs by developing early reading skills, richer vocabularies, stronger mathematics skills, and more developed social skills.

THE PROJECT 

The new ‘Hativonim’ kindergarten complex comprises six classes and will cater to a total of 210 children. The children will range from ages 3-6, providing a seamless transition from each year of pre-school until the children commence elementary school. The three-story complex is designed to support the kindergarten’s educational activities as well as build community in and around the complex.

The complex includes:
– Six large state-of-the-art classrooms with their own kitchen and bathrooms;
– Outdoor playground equipment and green spaces;
– Annex rooms for enrichment activities;
– Large shared spaces for inter-class activities and community activities with parents and families.

This is enhanced by the location of the complex next to a public park.

THE INVESTMENT 

Project Cost $5,255,000
Contribution from the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and Israel Ministry of Education $3,880,000

Requested Donation $1,375,000