See also:
Social Entrepreneur Fellowship Program

Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders

By strategically investing in leadership development and volunteer training, IVN is developing a new cadre of leaders committed to improving Israeli society.

IsraCorps Action Center: IsraCorps was founded on the belief that a thriving, democratic Israel depends on caring, engaged citizens who dedicate their time, skills and resources to address the growing list of problems affecting their society. IsraCorps is a national service initiative and training center, with the mission of strengthening Israeli society through professional volunteerism in the periphery and developing the next generation of civic leaders from Israel and the US, by way of an intensive, multi-disciplinary leadership curriculum.

IsraCorps aims to:

• Supply highly-motivated, well-prepared personnel to authorities and organizations in Israel's periphery

• Build future social leadership among young adults in Israel and in Jewish communities abroad

• Change the profile of volunteers in the periphery to include youth from all socio-economic backgrounds

• Create a comprehensive nationwide platform to train, guide and support young volunteers

To achieve these goals, IsraCorps absorbs groups of Israeli youth from emissary agencies, and trains them to volunteer in formal and informal educational settings, with an emphasis on helping them impart values of good citizenship, social values & leadership. After training, volunteers are placed in accordance with the needs of local authorities.

During 2004-5, the first year of the program, IsraCorps trained and placed 17 diverse groups in the north, and 6 groups in the south - a total of 194 volunteers, including 30 Young Judaea volunteers from the States who volunteered in Tiberias, and groups of Druze and Bedouin youth. Over 400 volunteers will be part of the program in 2005-6 nationwide.

IsraCorps ensures that the daily schedule of the volunteers takes full advantage of their skills and motivation: in the morning they volunteer in schools, in the early afternoon they help with homework assistance and enrichment programs, and in the early evening they lead youth movement activities.

Volunteers from Abroad: IsraCorps is planning to recruit volunteers from the US who need the same type of training, placement, and supervision. They have the potential to make a major contribution in the area of English literacy gaps. Such training will reinforce the connection between Diaspora youth and Israeli society. This framework will also assist in opening a dialogue between volunteers from Israel and the Diaspora. The partnership will support the creation of an infrastructure that will facilitate cooperation with organizations abroad that are responsible for similar activity.

Partners:

IsraCorps is a Partnership of the Israel Venture Network, the Sacta-Rashi Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, and UIA Canada Coast to Coast Communities. Other supporters include the Pratt Foundation and the Oran Foundation. IsraCorps works in close contact with Israeli youth movements, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense.

IVN IsraCorps Israel Chairman: Benny Levin

IVN IsraCorps US Chairman: Ofer Ben-Shcahar

IsraCorps Key Staff: IsraCorps was founded by Miki Nevo and is operated by the Northern Goals Association, an independent legal non-profit organization funded by the Sacta-Rashi Foundation, directed by Mordechay Cohen.

IsraCorps Engish Website: http://www.maase.org.il/en_default.asp

Click here to view the IsraCorps Mid-Year Report

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