Students from the Chayei Olam Yeshiva in Beit Shemesh were invited to join a Skills Building & Community Challenges workshop through the United States Embassy in Jerusalem. The Year 11 students were exposed to issues of global concern and 21st century technology such as Virtual Reality, in an environment that was appropriate to their cultural sensitivities.
The boys entered an “Imagine Box” – an immersive room that empowers learning using tools that activate the senses – to explore the issue of pollution caused by plastic waste. This hands-on approach to learning allowed the students to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills and to apply them to real world problems. The workshop concluded with the group developing a practical solution that they can apply in their own community and their local environment.
The workshop was organized by America Hub Israel, a U.S. Embassy-affiliated educational and cultural institution that seeks to connect a diverse range of Israeli citizens to the values that underpin American society—democracy, diversity and inclusion, civic engagement, and innovation. The Netzach Educational Network is one of their educational partners in Israel’s Charedi sector, and there are plans to run this workshop for high school students from across the Network.