A Bridge to Academia was developed with the support and collaboration of Yad Hanadiv Foundation and the Klarman Foundation to identify and support excelling students from the Bedouin community, to help them fulfill their potential while meeting their unique needs due to language difficulties and the academic entry level.
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A Bridge to Academia
A program for excelling and gifted students from the Bedouin community in the south of Israel that exposes them to STEM – studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
מנהל התוכנית
Asaf Shalev
University Phone: 074-7795412
Program Coordinator for the Bedouin Community
Husam Khatib
Mobile 050-9730357 academy.jscy@bgu.ac.il
Program Social Coordinator
Ibtisam Abu Hamed
University Phone: 055-8868856
Encouraging the integration of young people from the Bedouin community in southern Israel into STEM fields by strengthening their skills and increasing their exposure to technology-related disciplines. Building a future pipeline of talent in science and high-tech through professional guidance and support.
The program includes academic courses that allow students to earn university credits while still in high school. In addition, our program operates across five key areas:
1. Enrichment in science:The STEM program is taught by Ben Gurion University. In addition to lab visits, students will get the opportunity to receive the highest level of exposure to relevant research.
2. Professional role models: Experts and professionals from academia and industry spend time with the students, to both illustrate and demonstrate professional success in the various industries in which students can integrate in the future.
3. Learning Hebrew: Lessons are conducted in Hebrew, providing participants with an opportunity to improve their language skills with the aim of placing them on a par with native Hebrew speakers ahead of entering the Israeli job market in the future.
4. Soft skills: The program aims, in part, to help participants acquire 21st century skills such as public speaking, self-confidence, team work, complex problem solving, and more.
5. Networking: The combination of all activities helps participants create a social and professional circle that will assist them in the future, as they apply to higher-education institutions and quality employment in senior positions in the hi-tech industry.
More about the program
More about the program
The program exposes students to the academic world in the STEM fields and the opportunities and possibilities that it offers. Over the course of the three-year program, students acquire 21st century learning tools and skills through theoretical and practical learning of the fields of exact sciences, technology, and engineering.
Audience:
Outstanding 9th grade students from the Bedouin community in the south of Israel, who are passing to the 10th grade, and are studying mathematics on a 5-point level and have chosen or intend to choose 5-point level physics or chemistry or any other scientific field as an expanded subject.
Time:
The program takes place over the course of three years, until the end of 12th grade. Studies begin at the start of the academic year and take place every Tuesday afternoon for four hours. Additional concentrated study days take place during holidays over the course of the year.
- Tuesday | 15:00–19:30
Studies in Mathematics, Introduction to Computer Science (Java), and Academic Skills / Spoken Hebrew.
Friday | 08:30–12:00
Hebrew language class focused on strengthening speaking, comprehension, and writing skills.
The program takes place at the Husidman Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Place:
Studies usually take place at Ben Gurion University, at the Jusidman Center building, with visits to hi-tech companies and research universities.
Tuition: Covered by Scholarship
The annual participation fee for the “Bridge to Academia” program is NIS 750.
Students who meet the eligibility criteria are entitled to a scholarship to participate in the program.
How:
Stage 1 – Entrance Exams
The exams will take place at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and will include two parts:
- חלק ראשון – מתמטיקה: בשפה הערבית, ברמת חטיבת ביניים (חומר היקפי).
- Part One – Mathematics: Conducted in Arabic, at the middle-school level, covering a broad range of topics.
Stage 2 – Personal Interview
Candidates who successfully pass the entrance exams will be invited to an individual admissions interview.
Stage 3 – Summer Preparatory Program
Participation fee: NIS 250.
To apply, click the registration button.
Steering Committee Members – “Bridge to Academia” Program
Committee Member – Professor Sarab Abu Rabia, Vice President, Ben Gurion University.
Committee Member: Prof. Jihad Al-Sana, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Committee Member – Dr. Osama Swidan, Program of Science and Technology Education, Ben Gurion University.
Committee Member – Professor Mohammed Bashouti, Faculty of Environmental Physics, Ben Gurion University.
Committee Member – Shahar Abramovich, Director, Jusidman Science Center for Youth, Ben Gurion University.
Committee Member: Irit Barzin, Deputy Director of the Husidman Center for Science-Oriented Youth, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Committee Member, Dr. Asher Ragen, Program Director, Academic Excellence, Yad Hanadiv Foundation.
Committee Member, Dr. Talya Steiner, Senior Project Manager, Yad Hanadiv Foundation.
Committee Member, Lauren Fogel, Manager, Klarman Foundation.
