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Shalom!

Leading up to Passover, we would like to wish you and your family a meaningful Passover holiday, and also update you on the latest developments at Athena Fund.

As of the beginning of April 2019, a total of 23,000 school and kindergarten teachers from 148 local authorities have received mobile computers and 120 hours of professional training in our Digital Toolbox for Every Teacher program.

Each Digital Toolbox includes a new iPad or Laptop, 120 hours of professional training, technical support, continuing education credits, and classrooms equipped with Wi-Fi and a classroom projector.

Digital Toolbox for special education teachers
Of this total number, some 7,437 special education school and kindergarten teachers from 81 local authorities have received a Digital Toolbox including iPad and training.

From the beginning of the school year (September 2018) until today, we distributed iPads to 3,094 school and kindergarten teachers in 46 local authorities including: Kiryat Yam, Merchavim Regional Council, Ofakim, Eshkol Regional Council, Bnei Shimon Regional Council, Shoham, Isfiya, Menashe Regional Council, Jordan Valley Regional Council, Katzrin, Bi’ina, Mateh Asher Regional Council, Raanana, Hod Hasharon, Rehovot, Umm al-Fahm, Haifa, Amal school network, Jerusalem, Beer Yaakov, Taibe, Netanya, Maghar, Ashdod, Ness Ziona, Tel Sheva, Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Adanim School in Hadera, Tafnit School in Beit Shemesh, Nazereth Illit, Golan Regional Council, Hatzor HaGlilit, Migdal HaEmek, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Shfar’am,Hura, Gush Etzion Regional Council, Ramat Hasharon, Har Hebron Regional Council, Gan Raveh Regional Council, Arad, Beit El, Drom HaSharon Regional Council, Alfei Menashe, Kiryat Bialik and Petach Tikva.

Digital Toolbox for general school and kindergarten teachers
We also distributed laptops to 783 teachers in Eilat, Kiryat Gat and Kfar Saba, as well as at the WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim boarding school in Haifa.

Digital Toolbox for science teachers
Moreover, we distributed Digital Toolboxes that included iPads plus Globisens Labdisc kits and 120 hours of training to science teachers at the Kiryat Noar schools in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, and the Yemin Orde Youth Village.

Over the course of the entire 2018/19 school year, we will distribute more than 4,000 mobile computing devices to teachers in over 53 local authorities in Israel.


School and kindergarten teachers with their
new laptops and iPads


We’d like to point out that the granting of Digital Toolboxes including iPads to special education teachers is made possible thanks to Athena Fund’s:
• strategic partners – the Israel Teachers Union's Professional Advancement Fund, Bank Massad and the Ministry of Education
• strategic donors – the Ted Arison Family Foundation, and the Sylvan Adams Family Foundationn
• Private and business donors


Athena Fund partners and school/kindergarten teachers


Athena Fund’s Athena Fund’s programs have become a success story in Israeli, with over 23,000 teachers in 1,909 schools and kindergartens at 148 local authorities across Israel now improving the education of over 400,000 students.

Our ongoing programs include: Digital Toolbox for Every Teacher in Israel (launched in 2007), Digital Toolbox for Every Kindergarten Teacher (launched in 2012), Digital Toolbox for Every Science Teacher (launched in 2014), Digital Toolbox for Every Special Education Teacher (launched in 2015) and Digital Toolbox for Every English Teacher (launched in 2018).

Award for Excellence in Social Activism to be Presented to Uri Ben-Ari
The Award for Excellence in Social Activism presented at the Sderot Conference for Society will be awarded later this year to Uri-Ben Ari of Athena Fund.

Award recipients were selected by a special independent committee of experts headed by Dr. Baruch Levy. The Sderot Conference for Society was scheduled to be held in early April, but was postponed until September due to security considerations.

Read more about the Sderot Conference


Sderot Conference logo


Most Inspiring Story Competition for Special Education Teachers
Athena Fund recently awarded prizes for the “Most Inspiring Story in Memory of Amos Ilani" competition for special education school and kindergarten teachers. First prize was awarded to Dorit Menashe, home room teacher, Hebrew coordinator and school trip coordinator at the Hattie Friedland School (also known as the Ki'ach School) for deaf and hearing-impaired elementary school children in Jerusalem.

The goal of the competition was to highlight how iPads provided by Athena Fund have helped students with special needs and disabilities reach extraordinary achievements. The award ceremony was held in Tel Aviv in the office of Yaffa Ben-David, General Secretary of the Israel Teachers Union.

The competition was held in honor of Amos Ilani, of blessed memory, who was one of the main activists of Athena Fund, having served as the fund's Operations & Logistics Manager from its founding until 2016.

To read additional information about the competition


From right to left: Dorit Menashe - First Prize-winning teacher from Kiah School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Jerusalem, Uri Ben-Ari - President and Founder of Athena Fund; Kathy Assayag - Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal, Yaffa Ben David - Secretary General of Israel Teachers Union, Elka Ilani - widow of the late Amos Ilani after whom the competition was named, Jacob Shuri - CEO of Bank Massad, Gad Dei - Deputy Secretary General of Israel Teachers Union, Shlomo Yishay - Director General of Israel Teachers Union’s Professional Advancement Fund, Edna David - Chairman of the Haifa Teachers Union Branch and Deputy Secretary General of the Israel Teachers Union
(Photo: Amir Alon).


Public Statement of Athena Fund Distributed by UN General Secretary
The 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York from March 11-22 2019.

Leading up to the session, Athena Fund submitted to the commission a public statement on the subject of promoting the status of female teachers and encouraging female students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Athena Fund has received Special Consultative Status from the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Athena Fund’s statement of opinion was distributed by the UN General Secretary to various bodies.

To view the public statement 


Mobile Learning Week
Focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), this year’s Mobile Learning Week conference of UNESCO was held on March 4-8 in Paris. Held annually at UNESCO’s offices in Paris, the conference brings together experts in education and technology from across the globe. This year some 1,500 participants from 130 countries attended.

Uri Ben-Ari, Athena Fund’s President and Founder, was invited to take part in the International Task Force on Teachers for 2030, a strategic working group founded by UNESCO. The goal was to explore opportunities presented by implementing AI in the field of education. Key issues discussed included ensuring universal and equal usage of AI in education, leveraging AI to improve education and learning, promoting skills development in the AI era, and more.

Read more about the conference


Uri-Ben-Ari (2nd from right) and part of the members of
the International Task Force on Teachers for 2030


New Athena Fund Website
We are pleased to announce the launch of Athena Fund’s new website. The new site offers an excellent viewing and browsing experience, with improved functionality and navigation, while featuring many photos and stunning graphics.

The bilingual (Hebrew and English) site provides extensive information and up-to-date news on Athena Fund and its activities. Providing optimal interaction, the site is easily accessible to all surfers using either computers or smartphones.

Please visit the new site at www.en.athenafund.org.



Unique Fundraising Campaign for Special Education Teachers
We thank our donors to our current campaign for the benefit of special education teachers and their students. By the end of this calendar year we will have distributed a digital toolbox to over 8,000 special education teachers. Each Digital Toolbox includes a new iPad, 120 hours of professional training, technical support, continuing education credits, and classrooms equipped with Wi-Fi and a classroom projector. Thanks again for donating and helping making this program a success.

Ways to Support Athena Fund

Please share this update with anyone who might be interested in participating in our programs – 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 donate to empower teachers in Israel, please click on this link.

If you would like to join the Athena Fund fan page on Facebook please click on this link.

Thank you for your continued support of our programs.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy Passover holiday,

Uri Ben-Ari,
President and Founder
The Athena Fund


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