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Shalom,

Over 600 people participated in Athena Fund’s annual fundraising event, which was held on November 14th in the Smolarz Auditorium of Tel Aviv University. The event marked Athena Fund’s 12-year “bat mitzvah” anniversary, as we launched our “Laptop Computer for Every Teacher” program (now called “Digital Toolbox for Every Teacher”) in 2007. At the event we granted Golden Book certificates of the Jewish National Fund to strategic partners of Athena Fund: Bank Massad, the Teachers Union, the Ministry of Education, Mafil Ltd., the Ted Arison Family Foundation, and the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation.

Proceeds from the evening are being used to purchase iPads for special education school and kindergarten teachers in Israel as part of our “Digital Toolbox for Every Special Education Teacher” program.

Athena Fund’s programs are made possible by our strategic partners, including Bank Massad, the Professional Advancement Fund of the Teachers Union, the Israeli Ministry of Education, the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation, UIA Canada, participating local municipalities, and our other program donors.
Sponsors of the evening event include Mafil Ltd., Bank Massad, the Teachers Union, Tzora Vineyards, and NICE Systems.

To read more click here

Selected photos from annual fundraising event

EdutExpo 2020

On December 3rd, 2019, the 2020 EdutExpo Conference on IT in Education was held at the Lago event hall in Rishon Lezion. The annual conference was produced by People & Computers in collaboration with Athena Fund, the Teachers Union and Bank Massad. An exhibition of advanced solutions for promoting training and teaching was held adjacent to the conference.

On the occasion of the International Day of People with Disabilities, which took place that same day, Athena Fund initiated a panel on “Special Education as a Leader of Transformation.” Panel participants included: Professor Adina Shamir, Head of Special Education Programs, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University; Racheli Avramzon, Director of Special Education Division, Ministry of Education; Rina Cohen, National Instructor for Special Education Computing, Ministry of Education; Shachar Bar-Yehuda, National Instructor for Autism Area in Special Education Division, Ministry of Education; and Dr. Orly Havel, Head of Special Education Program, Levinsky College. The panel moderator was Yehuda Konfortes, Editor of People & Computers

To read more  
click here

Selected photos from EdutExpo 2020

Athena Joins International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Athena Fund was appointed as a member of UNESCO’s International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030. Athena Fund is the first non-governmental organization in Israel to become a member of the task force. Following Athena’s joining the task force, Uri Ben-Ari, President and Founder of Athena Fund, was invited to the task force’s annual meeting, which was held December 8-11 in Dubai. Ben-Ari participated in discussions, and presented Athena Fund and its activities to fellow participants from other countries and member organizations.

The task force, which operates within UNESCO, was founded in 2008 following the UN’s Oslo Declaration. The declaration called for governments to map their short- and medium-term needs for recruitment, deployment, training and retention of quality teachers. The recommendations called for supporting national efforts to deal with the shortage of teachers, and for providing support to cover associated costs. Toward that end, the Oslo Declaration approved the establishment of an international task force for teachers and the education of all.

To read more click here.

Athena Reaches Milestone of 24,000 Teachers

I am happy to share with you the various activities that took place during the outgoing year and our plans for the coming year. We thank you and all of our other partners and donors who have contributed to the success of Athena Fund's programs.

Towards the end of the year 2019, Athena Fund reached the milestone of over 24,000 school and kindergarten teachers who have received mobile computers of various types – laptops, iPads and tablets. In addition to the computer, other components of the digital toolbox provided by our various programs include: 120 hours of professional training, a printer, three-year warranty, three-year technical support, education credits, a classroom projector, wireless internet in the classroom, and a carrying case for the computing device. These teachers can be found across Israel in 2,114 schools and kindergartens in 163 local authorities.
Over 500,000 students are benefitting from an increased level in their studies.
To read more click here.

Teachers and program partners at local authorities that have received digital toolboxes

Sample Media Coverage in 2019

“Athena Fund concludes 12 years: 24,000 computers for teachers in 162 communities.”
To read more (in Hebrew), click here
For additional media coverage (in Hebrew and English), click here

Please share this update with anyone who might be interested in participating in our programs that empower teachers, such as mayors, managers and directors of education departments, school principals and teachers, as well as donors, volunteers and others who would like to help contribute to our continued success.

If you would like to contribute to the empowerment of teachers in Israel, please click here
Every donation in any amount is welcome.

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Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and a healthy new year 

Uri Ben Ari
President and Founder

Athena Fund

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