Empowering Tel Aviv – Yafo teens through magic of summer camp

Backround:

Middle school students were particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to the lockdowns and social distancing, students did not practice social-emotional skills such as emotional regulation, conflict management, emotional expression and more. Moreover, researchers found that educational gaps are widening and at-risk behavior among students is on the rise.

In a period characterized by emotional upheavals alongside the peak years of development of identity and social skills, these pre-teenagers had to abstain from school; they were disconnection from peers and lost their sense of belonging. These students, who have been disconnected from learning processes and their peer group may be more vulnerable to emotional and social challenges (such as addiction and violence) during the summer.

The Project:

During the past four summers, the Tel Aviv Foundation and the Tel Aviv Municipality ran a leadership summer camp for ninth graders, starting with a pilot program in 2021 with 166 participants.

During their time at the camp, teens from Tel Aviv – Yafo spent ten days in a designated site  away from home, their families, and most importantly, their screens.

They enjoyed ODT and leadership activities, strengthened their belief in their social skills and formed strong friendships.

Teenagers from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had a rare opportunity to experience the many benefits of informal education, typically seen as an expensive after-school activity they can’t afford to participate in.

Impact:

To assess the impact of the camp, a questionnaire was distributed to graduates in January 2022. The camp graduates were asked to describe their significant experience at the summer camp, and provided here is a sample of their answers: “The most significant experience I had at the camp was expanding my circle of friends and connecting with people I didn’t believe I would meet outside the camp.”, “I am in touch with the friends I met to this day.”, “The camp gave me a wonderful sense of independence.”, “Self-improvement“.

It is evident from these quotes that the camp had a significant impact on its participants: the experience strengthened their self-esteem, expanded their friendship circle and empowered them to use the critical life skills they learned.

The success of this program is very significant and we are therefore continuing to provide a summer camp experience for some 1000 teenagers in Tel Aviv.

In order to be able to provide the experience for ALL the ninth graders in the City, including those who come from less advantaged homes that can not pay for it, we are seeking philanthropic support for scholarships.