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Shalom, Happy New Year to you and yours,

As we approach the end 2018, I am pleased to announce that we have reached a significant milestone. Some 21,000  school and kindergarten teachers have received mobile computers of various kinds – laptops, tablets and iPads – via our various Athena Fund programs. These teachers have also received 120 hours of professional training, along with technical support and a three-year warranty for their computers. Participating teachers instruct over 750,000 students at more than 1,700 schools and kindergartens in 139 local authorities across Israel.

To read an article (in English) about reaching the 20,000 teacher milestone, click on
Further Education News.

I am happy to update you about the various activities that took place during the past year, as well as our plans for the upcoming year.

Before doing so, we would like to thank all of our partners and donors who have contributed to the success of Athena Fund's programs.

Athena Fund Program Overview

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

Within the framework of the programs, Athena Fund, together with the Israel Teachers Union and Bank Massad, is distributing mobile computers of various types (according to the various programs), alongside 120-hour training courses. Led by instructors from the Education Ministry, the training includes basic knowledge in computer operations, as well as instruction in digital skills, computer integration in frontal teaching, use of accessible Internet information, and more.

Athena's programs have become a success story, and additional local authorities are waiting for donations that will enable our programs to be integrated into their schools for the benefit of their teachers and students.


In 2018 we distributed laptops, tablets and iPads to almost 4,000 school and kindergarten teachers throughout Israel, with the biggest focus on iPads for special education teachers.

iPad for Every Special Education Teacher

Over 6,000 school and kindergarten teachers in 65 communities have already joined the iPad for Every Special Education Teacher program.

In the course of 2018 alone, almost 3,000 special education teachers from 39 local authorities throughout Israel joined the program. These 38 participating local authorities include Jerusalem, Netanya, Haifa, Raanana, Beer Yaakov, Bat Yam, Efrat, Golan Regional Council, Tiberias, Daliyat al-Karmel, Sderot, Umm al-Fahm, Nahariya, Bir al-Maksur, Zevulun Regional Council, Kiryat Motzkin, Tirat Carmel, Hura, Neve Midbar Regional Council, Rahat, 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, Hod Hasharon, Rehovot, Taibe, Maghar, Ashdod, Ness Ziona and Tel Sheva.

The goal is to provide an iPad to each of the 10,000 special education teachers in Israel. It has been proven in Israel and abroad that the iPad significantly improves the teaching and learning of special education students, and strengthens their connection with the environment, including their school and family.

I would like to invite you to watch an amazing video that shows the change in the lives of families with special needs children thanks to the iPad and the training they receive from their school and kindergarten teachers. To view the video, click here 

At present, selected inspirational stories are being uploaded to our Facebook page from among dozens of stories sent to us by special education teachers about the success they have achieved using the iPad (please read more about this below).


Special education teachers with their new iPads


Special education school and kindergarten teachers with
program partners


Tablet for Every Science Teacher

During the past year, additional science teachers received an iPad, a Labdisc wireless lab device from Globisens, and 120 hours of training in the framework of the Tablet for Every Science Teacher program. Recipients included science teachers at the Jerusalem Youth Village, Beit Shemesh Youth Village and Yemin Orde Youth Village.


Science teachers with their new iPads and Labdiscs


Science teachers with program partners


Science teachers working with their iPads and Labdiscs


Laptop for Every English Teacher

Approximately 100 additional English teachers received a laptop and 120 hours of training as part of the Laptop for Every English Teacher program in 2018. Recipients included English teachers in Ramle, Lod and Dimona.


English teachers with their new laptops

Laptop for Every Teacher in Israel

During 2018, we continued distributing laptops and 120 hours of professional training to teachers within the framework of the Laptop for Every Teacher in Israel program. Participating schools included: the Mitzpe Hayamim school in Ashkelon; the Ort Technological Education Center in Beit Shean; schools in the “Opening the Future” program in Eilat; and elementary and junior high schools in Kfar Sava.

Teachers with their new laptops

Teachers with program partners

Athena Fund Receives Special Consultative Status from UN ECOSOC

In June 2018, Athena Fund received an officiant announcement from the United Nations that it had received special consultative status from the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Thus, the recommendation of the UN NGO Committee from the end of 2017 to grant this special status to Athena was approved.

ECOSOC is the main body for coordinating the UN's economic and social activities, and for formulating policy and recommendations in these fields.

Athena Fund’s new status will allow our representatives to participate in meetings of ECOSOC and its committees, and to submit proposals and work papers to the council and its committees. Our representatives will also be able to meet official government delegations and representatives of other NGOs, as well as participate in various discussions, dialogs and unofficial meetings.

Excerpt from ECOSOC letter granting Athena Fund special
consultative status

International Education Conference in Jamaica

During November, I attended an international conference on education in Jamaica, where I was invited to present Athena Fund.

The conference was organized by the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, UNESCO, and the Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. The main topic of the conference was strengthening teacher training as a precondition for quality teaching, training and learning.

The conference discussed issues related to the required skills of teachers and instructors to meet the needs of students, improve teacher quality and performance, and enhance quality learning. The conference's recommendations included, among others, increased efforts to develop definitions and classifications of qualified and trained teachers. The organizers also called upon governments around the world to ensure adequate funding for the teaching labor force through the mobilization of local resources and supplementary external resources.

Conference organizers noted that the future of education will be characterized by rapid changes in globalization, migration, demographics and technological progress, creating opportunities and challenges for students and teachers alike. The organizers also noted that teachers share the enormous responsibility of preparing future generations to cope with the various challenges.

Teacher training, from the selection of candidates through early training to ongoing professional development, is essential for the preparation of a trained, highly motivated and qualified teaching staff. Quality training of teachers also is an effective means of increasing the attractiveness of the profession and its status.

During the conference, I met with education ministers, heads of the organizations that initiated the conference, educational experts and many others, and presented to them Athena’s activities. Our various initiatives aroused great interest, and individuals that I met from Africa expressed their desire to consider implementing similar initiatives in their own countries.

Group photo of participants at conference in Jamaica

Most Inspiring Story Competition in Memory of Amos Ilani

In September 2018, Amos Ilani passed away. Amos was one of the main activists of Athena Fund, having served as the fund's Operations & Logistics Manager from its founding until 2016.

To honor Amos, Athena Fund has initiated an award-granting competition among special education school and kindergarten teachers in Israel for writing "The Most Inspiring Story in memory of Amos Ilani." The goal of the competition is to hear how iPads provided by Athena Fund have helped students with special needs and disabilities reach extraordinary achievements.

Thousands of special education teachers were asked to prepare a short story about their experience using their iPads. Submissions were examined by a panel of judges who ranked the various stories. The top ten stories will be uploaded to Facebook soon, and Facebook users will be asked to choose the best story, which will win a prize of 10,000 NIS. The authors of the nine other stories will receive gift cards worth 150 NIS.

Amos Ilani, of blessed memory, was a man of many talents, He held senior managerial positions in the business sector. At the same time, he was a key activist in the Israeli Scouts youth movement, and was one of the founders and board members of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts (IFJS). Among other things, he received the most important honorary award from the World Organization of the Scout Movement. To read more about Amos (in Hebrew), click here.

Amos Ilani, of blessed memory


“A Chorus Line” Tribute Evening for Special Education Teachers

In May 2018, Athena Fund organized an evening program in honor of special-ed teachers in Israel. At the event, the musical "A Chorus Line" was performed by actors of the Cameri Theater. The evening’s proceeds are being used to purchase additional iPads for special education teachers. The event took place at Tel Aviv’s Cameri Theater, in cooperation with Bank Massad and the Israel Teachers Union.

Athena Fund’s iPad for Every Special Education Teacher program is made possible thanks to the donations of Athena’s partners, including the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation, the Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA, Bank Massad, the Israel Teachers Union's Professional Advancement Fund, and the local authorities where the iPads are distributed. Additional assistance for the special evening event was provided by Mafil, Tzora Vineyards, Altshuler Shaham Investment House, and the Amal educational network.

16 special education teachers who received a certificate of excellence at the President of Israel house last November, were the guests of honor and they got a standing ovation from 900 guests.

Participants at the event, among others, included: Uri Ben-Ari, President & Founder of Athena Fund; Daphna Tamir, Program Director of Athena Fund; Jacob Shuri, CEO of Bank Massad; Yaffa Ben-David, General Secretary of the Israel Teachers Union; Udi Rubinstein, Chairman of the subsidiary companies of Mivtach Simon Insurance Agencies, and Chairman of the Board of Athena Fund; Major General (Res.) Elyezer Shkedy, former Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force, former President and CEO of El Al Israel Airlines, and current member of Athena Fund’s Advisory Board; Shlomit de Vries, CEO of the Ted Arison Family Foundation; Eran Zmora, CEO of Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir Publishing House; and Rafi Suede, CEO of Moked Emun.

To view photos from the event click here

Media Coverage in Israel and Abroad

During the past year, Athena Fund gained extensive media coverage in Israel and abroad. Here are a number of examples:

20,000 teacher milestone: Further Education News

Distribution of iPads to 3,000 special education teachers: Disabled World

Distribution of laptops to English teachers: EFL Magazine

Distribution of iPads to 500 special education teachers in Jerusalem (in Hebrew): עיתון כל העיר

Distribution of iPads to special education teachers in Haifa (in Hebrew): חדשות חיפה והצפון

Special education teachers in Daliyat al-Karmel join iPad for Every Special Education Teacher program (in Hebrew): חדשות חיפה והצפון

Improving the learning experience with iPads in the South (in Hebrew): ידיעות הנגב

iPads for special education in the Golan (in Hebrew): שישי בגולן

Continuing Programs in Framework of Laptop for Every Teacher

We are working on preparing additional teacher empowerment programs, including a laptop for math teachers program, and a tablet for agricultural teachers program. We are preparing these programs in cooperation with the Chief Supervisor of Mathematics, the Chief Supervisor of Agriculture and Environmental Studies, and the Science and Technology Administration of the Education Ministry, as well as with our strategic partners the Israel Teachers Union and Bank Massad.

Ways to Support Athena Fund

Please share this update with anyone who might be interested in participating in the Laptop Computer for Every Teacher in Israel program, 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 us and contribute to the program’s 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 very much for your continued support of our work to empower teachers in Israel.

Uri Ben-Ari,
President and Founder
The Athena Fund


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