Net@, a three-year after-school program, employs a holistic approach to empower youth from Israel's geographic and socio-economic peripheries with advanced technology education, social values, and leadership skills. The technology curriculum is primarily based on Cisco Networking Academy's Information Technology Essentials and Discovery courses. Through a comprehensive educational and experiential program, Net@ fortifies academic studies in computer and network technology with practical, hands-on training. Students receive a certificate at the end of each year of study. The program's complementary social and leadership curriculum reinforces values of multiculturalism, democracy, excellence, social skills, and commitment to community. Students also connect with and contribute to their local communities through volunteer work, fostering individual growth and community development. Participants' achievements, combined with their commitment to local community leadership, make them prime candidates for elite Israeli Defense Forces units and careers in the hi-tech job market, ultimately preparing them to become tomorrow's leaders. In collaboration with Keren Hayesod, Cisco Systems, Inc., the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Appleseeds Academy, Net@ has a proven success record, changing the lives of its 1,300+ graduates from across Israel since 2003. Bridging the Ethnic Divide The project currently provides a special co-existence program between Jews, Christians and Moslems in the cities of Nazareth, Acre, Ramle and Jerusalem. While learning about systems, networks, and the intricacies of computers, participants are given the opportunity to forge meaningful relationships with their ethnically diverse peers. They are taught not only to excel in the hi-tech community, but also to become advocates for communication between cultures, promoting peaceful co-existence among diverse constituencies. |