Informal education

Personal tuition  Programs 

For a variety of reasons. asylum seeker children enter the school system with an educational, social, and linguistic deficit.  We have developed a mentoring program that reaches out to children in their own homes on a one to one basis. The program will continue during 2023-2024 with the help of our dedicated volunteers, both students and retirees, who also liaise with the schools to support the children’s social and educational needs.

The mentoring program not only helps the children – volunteers testify to the enriching experience:

“People think that educating someone is just about teaching. Only after getting involved with mentoring did I realize that it’s much more than that: I was enriched myself and learned a lot.”  Limor G. 2022

Youth Club

A youth club for youngsters aged 10-13. The group meets once a week for enrichment and fun activities that address issues such as identity, self-confidence and leadership development. On a lighter note, we organize visits to museums, a football match, art classes, and a climbing club.  In 2023-4 we will be working with the Margaliot Community Center in Be’er Sheva to offer our youngsters an optimal after-school experience.

Photo-Voice workshop (9-12 year olds)

Photo-Voice is a therapeutic program in which participants photograph their daily lives and document their feelings about what they have photographed. The program is designed to empower participants and sharpen their sense of identity, their ability to focus and strengthen their orientation in society. This technique has been widely used with marginalized communities. Dr Manny Malkar of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Photo Voice at Ben Gurion University of the Negev will lead and monitor the project which will culminate in an exhibition of the photographs taken.  We thank the Embassy of Switzerland for the generous donation that has enabled us to run the project. 

Language Classes 

Acquisition of Hebrew is essential for the integration of asylum seekers in Israel. NRC conducts weekly lessons in Hebrew and English for adults from the asylum seekers community. Volunteers run the classes and here too friendships are formed that last for years.

Classes for 2023-24 will begin in November: Watch this spot for a detailed timetable! We will once again be offering individual or on-line lessons for women in their homes.