The education department at Project Wadi Attir has been more active than ever! Currently, an average of approximately 1,200 students visit the project every week. Education staff have been presenting the project’s unique pedagogical approach to visitors and educators, both around the project and at events and conferences throughout Israel. Here is a roundup of some educational activities at Project Wadi Attir during this past fall.
Educational staff from Project Wadi Attir attended an international education conference at nearby Kaye College in Be’er Sheva. Conference attendees included representatives from universities in Korea, Germany, Austria, Estonia, and Romania, as well as from universities throughout Israel. Project Wadi Attir staff gave a lecture about how to motivate young teachers using cultural and spiritual approaches to teaching, to help teachers bring about changes in their schools. This approach is based on The Lab’s five core principles of sustainability, which underlie all of the work done at Project Wadi Attir and the agricultural school. The conference included visits to many local schools, including the agricultural school at Project Wadi Attir.
Visit from Kaye College’s international education conference to Project Wadi Attir
Education staff represented the agricultural school at a conference related to the promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in the Bedouin society. Amran Amarni, the Director of Educational Services at Project Wadi Attir, presented the goals and approach of the agricultural school, as well as the unique needs and challenges of its students. The meeting was an opportunity for collaboration between different educational organizations to greater promote STEM education in Bedouin society.
Representatives from Project Wadi Attir’s agricultural school at a conference for STEM education in the Bedouin community
Project Wadi Attir staff went up to the north of Israel to attend a unique coexistence meeting with the Netanya School and the Yama Agricultural School. Educational staff conducted workshops about the environment and agriculture, emphasizing the importance of a multicultural educational approach.
Project Wadi Attir attends a coexistence meeting between the Netanya School and the Yama Agricultural School in the north of Israel
Students from Tal El Maleh School of Ksaife Village visited Project Wadi Attir’s agricultural school for a day-long training session. The students developed a project to implement in their community, including an herb garden, a composting system, and an irrigation system.
Students from Tal El Maleh School at Project Wadi Attir
Bedouin students from Hura and Jewish students from the community of Rishon Letzion came together to learn from one another at Project Wadi Attir’s agricultural school. The students were in the 4th through 6th grade, and spent the day learning about each others’ cultures, traditions, and villages. Together the students took a tour of Project Wadi Attir and took agriculture workshops.
Students from Hura and Rishon Letzion at Project Wadi Attir
And many more! We offer our congratulations to the education staff for all that they have achieved, and we look forward to seeing what exciting developments occur in the agricultural school in the coming year!