Homework - At Home! 

Homework - at Home! is a unique academic assistance program that aims to boost children's achievements by creating a supportive learning environment at home. During the 2008-2009 school year, the program includes approximately 95 students and is operated in cooperation with the high schools, while also not being affected by the recent War in the south of Israel.

"There are no studying conditions at home"??
This is exactly the way to create them, for the present and for the long run.

Homework - at Home! has succeeded in affording entire families with habits regarding studies during the afternoon hours, doing homework, and involvement of the parents in the children's studies. When the parents actually see their children doing homework, they realize how to enable this process happen also outside the program; they allocate the necessary time and place in the house for both the students and their siblings to do their homework. The students do not "skip" classes, since the teacher comes to their houses.

The teaching staff consists of highly motivated professional teachers and volunteers who maintain a close connection with the children' parents. The group of teachers includes both Ethiopian- and veteran-Israelis.

Homework - at Home! has helped bring school drop-out among Ethiopian-Israelis in Gedera High School to zero (before, approximately 25 Ethiopian Israelis entered 7th grade each year, while only ~5 students completed 12th grade).

The program begins with a professional assessment of what academic subjects the students should focus on and which students are most in need of support. Individual evaluations of the children's ages, grade levels, and educational capacity helps to divide the participants into groups of 3-5 participants. Each group receives academic support in two school subjects, two hours weekly each, in the students' homes and teachers devote an additional 30 minutes per session to get to know the students' parents on an informal and social level. In addition, students, parents and teachers go together on field trips, to help create friendly relations among all. 

Teachers undergo training in lesson development and educational pedagogy, as well as in multiculturalism and positive interaction with the students and their families. In addition, some of our older youth participants have become involved in the program as tutors for the younger children.

The program focuses on English, Mathematics and Hebrew Grammar. The teachers build the educational curriculum together with the Youth Centers' counselors, to make it relevant to the Jewish calendar and the other educational programs. In this way, English lessons before Passover can draw from texts about Passover in Ethiopian Judaism, and so on.

In 2009, the program is operating in Gedera, Yavne, Kiryat Gat and Be'er Sheva; with additional funds, we will also be able to expand it to other Community Gar'inim.