Our MISSION
Friends of Ofanim supports Ofanim in Israel. Ofanim comes to towns and villages to deliver a wealth of STEM educational activities to 3rd-8th grade children in Israel’s periphery, using fully equipped mobile labs from retrofitted school buses that focus on science & technology.
Friends of Ofanim supports Ofanim by increasing awareness of Ofanim throughout the U.S., bringing Americans to Israel to see Ofanim at work, and raising funds for Ofanim to continue its ongoing work and growth.
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Founded in 2005, Friends of Ofanim is in close contact with Ofanim and maintains a strategic partnership on program design and development. Friends of Ofanim regularly visit Ofanim in the Negev and Northern Israel to see first-hand how Ofanim’s buses motivate and enrich children’s lives.
Ofanim's Vision
Ofanim’s mission is to promote educational opportunities for children living in Israel’s periphery, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds or do not have access to educational enrichment activities. Our beneficiaries are elementary school pupils from all Israeli society sectors—Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, native-born and new immigrants. Our goals include nurturing the children’s critical-thinking skills and igniting their imaginations, developing their social and leadership skills, and motivating them to succeed in school and to pursue higher education in STEM fields.
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In addition, Ofanim works to build the children’s self-confidence by exposing them to valuable role models. Ofanim aims to give every child in the periphery the opportunity to reach his/her potential.
The secret to our success
Ofanim’s instructors! Each activity is delivered by two instructors - students with a social orientation who are carefully selected and undergo comprehensive professional training that extends throughout the school year. The instructors serve as role models, and in addition to teaching the kids, they also form a strong personal bond with them.
Our children - Our future
While Israel is a worldwide hub for high tech entrepreneurism and is widely known as the “Start-up Nation,” disadvantaged children living in Israel’s northern and southern periphery do not have access to high quality educational or after school activities. Most of them live in small communities that offer few or no opportunities for education enrichment. Ofanim is the only organization using this unique model to reach children in remote areas and encourage them to aim for higher education and a career in the world of science, medicine, and high tech.
This creates equal opportunity throughout the country;
enriching students’ lives in the short-term while overcoming Israel's critical shortage of engineers. Early STEM intervention is key to securing a safe and prosperous future for Israel.