THE KATZIR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ACCESS. OPPORTUNITY. ACHIEVEMENT.

Transcription

1 THE KATZIR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ACCESS. OPPORTUNITY. ACHIEVEMENT. RASHI FOUNDATION מייסודה של קרן רש י

2 Opening the Door to College Education A college education is the gateway to options and opportunities that can last a lifetime. For bright young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds in Israel, going to college is not guaranteed. The financial, academic and social challenges can seem insurmountable and prevent even the most capable from pursuing a college degree. The Rashi Foundation s Katzir Scholarship Program is changing this. It reaches out to qualified, motivated students and makes college education accessible. It enables them to overcome the social and economic hurdles to higher education and gives them holistic support to shape their futures and turn their dreams of going to college into reality. Established in 2001, the Program was named for Israel s fourth president and one of Rashi Foundation s first board members, Ephraim Katzir. Since its inception, more than 5,000 young adults have earned an undergraduate degree and changed their lives with the support of the Katzir Scholarship Program. Today, over 1,000 Katzir Scholarship recipients receive vital financial, academic and personal support to study at universities and colleges throughout Israel. From Vulnerable to Empowered Single Mothers and Lone Youth Village Graduates The Katzir Scholarship program drives social mobility among a broad scope of vulnerable populations, from new immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union, to Druze citizens and lone soldiers. Over the past few years, the program has reached out to include two highly marginalized groups in higher education low-income single mothers and lone youth village graduates with no family support. Both these populations shoulder tremendous responsibilities. For them, a college education can seem like an impossible feat. The Katzir Scholarship Program makes the impossible possible. It offers unique holistic support that addresses financial, academic, emotional, social and personal challenges. It stands behind every student and gives them a safety net to succeed. For some, a college degree is their ticket from minimum-wage poverty to upwardly mobile wage-earner. For others, it is their way to break out of a downward cycle of despair. For all, it is their passport to economic and social advancement, and a pivotal milestone in ensuring a better future for their children. 70% of single mothers were motivated to apply to college by the Katzir Scholarship program. 2 3

3 Single Mothers There are around 140,000 single parent families in Israel; roughly 90% of them are headed by the mother. It has been found that the obstacles which block single mothers from joining the workforce, and particularly from well-paid and stable jobs, include inadequate education and lack of work experience. In the cruelest nature of vicious cycles, children that grow up in financially-deprived single-parent families are denied the educational, social and material conditions to pave their own way to higher education and stable employment. Lone Youth Village Graduates Around 6,500 teenagers (at any time) are removed from home due to their family s inability to provide an environment for normative development. They are brought up in various frameworks, usually youth villages and boarding schools. The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for them until they are drafted into the army, then the Ministry of Defense takes over (they are recognized as lone soldiers ). After discharge, there is no governmental body to support these young adults. A difficult upbringing coupled with the financial hurdles of college means that many of these young adults simply give up on higher education, preferring to take on work that pays an immediate, albeit low, wage. 4 5

4 A Springboard to College and Career The Katzir Scholarship Program embraces every recipient and provides unique assistance that includes: Full tuition scholarship (for three or four years, depending on the individual major) Living stipend Academic guidance including selecting a suitable major Tutoring assistance Social and emotional support from a Katzir college coordinator includes personal coaching and decision-making skills Enrichment seminars on topics of cultural and social interest Support and guidance in finding employment at the end of their studies. In addition to the support they receive, scholarship recipients are empowered to take an active role in society. Each student is required to pass it forward through community volunteer work with children-at-risk, the elderly, Holocaust survivors and people with special needs. Many recipients take part in a leadership program that cultivates social awareness along with a commitment to put ideals into action using the tools they acquire. From Deed to Impact Katzir s holistic support is increasingly recognized by the authorities, colleges and students themselves as the distinguishing added value of the Katzir program. In 2011, a study among 400 Katzir Scholarship graduates showed that: 85% of the respondents felt that they were able to complete their undergraduate degree as a result of the Katzir scholarship 89% were employed over 25% in management positions The income of 34% was higher than the market average 30% continued to further studies 85% of the graduates live in the north and south, with most of them also working there a vital social and economic boost to these regions 21% volunteer in their community; 7% higher than the national average. 6 7

5 Against All Odds Daniel Aronov Einat Alrahand My whole life I needed to deal with this situation and to do everything I could to break out of this cycle of despair. Daniel Aronov was seven years old when he went to live at a residential youth village. His younger sister was five. Their mother was very ill and could not care for them and their two mentally challenged brothers. With determination and perseverance Daniel graduated high school with honors. He then went on to serve with pride in an elite combat unit in the army, in which only the best and the brightest are accepted. Upon starting law school, Daniel turned to the Katzir Scholarship Program. The Katzir Scholarship gave me incredibly generous support that helped me to really focus, make Dean s list and graduate at the top of my class, says Daniel. I could not have done it without Katzir. Daniel did his law internship at one of Israel s most prestigious law firms, and recently passed his bar exam. He is the father of three young children, and he and his wife are raising them in a warm, supportive home. Life dealt those of us growing up in youth villages a hard hand, says Daniel. Katzir is there to help us turn this around, get a college education, contribute to our country and make a better future for ourselves and our children. Einat Alrahand, 25, got married when she was a student at Ben Gurion University. With the birth of her first child, Einat dropped out of college to care for him, and to give her husband the chance to finish his degree. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last and Einat s husband left her and her son with no financial support. Einat moved back in with her parents, but they were unable to help her financially. Although she was a single mother, Einat was determined to complete her undergraduate degree. With the comprehensive support of a Katzir Scholarship, Einat graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Sami Shamoon College of Engineering. I wanted to get my life back on track, and the Katzir Scholarship was key to helping me do this, says Einat. Today, Einat works as a quality controller in a cosmetics factory in the southern town of Yerucham and as a chemical engineering teaching assistant at Sami Shamoon. She also finds time to volunteer with the Magen David Adom Ambulance service. Above and beyond the challenges she faces as a single mother, Einat says that her greatest joy is seeing her son flourish in first grade, and knowing that now she is capable of providing him with a secure, balanced life. I wanted to be independent and succeed, for me and my son, and I knew that I must get a college degree to do this. 8 9

6 A Call for Partnership The Katzir Scholarship Program currently reaches 300 single mothers and 100 lone youth village graduates who do not have any family support. The Rashi Foundation believes that the potential in these two groups is far from capacity. Our three year plan is to grow the number of single mothers to 500, and to increase the number of lone youth village graduates to 250, to create a more secure future for themselves and their children. The Rashi Foundation provides core support, program management and administrative funding, as well as program monitoring and control. The scholarships have been made possible through partnership with other philanthropists and family foundations. These partners are inspired by the Katzir scholarship model as an agent of change that ensures that no qualified and motivated student is excluded from a college education because of social-economic circumstances. We invite our fellow philanthropists to join us in supporting the Katzir Scholarship Program for single mothers and lone youth village graduates. Scholarships can be targeted for students at specific colleges or in distinct geographic areas. knowledge An investment in knowledge pays the best interest Benjamin Franklin Cost of an annual scholarship per student: $6,500 Cost of a three-year scholarship per student: $19,500 Cost of a three-year scholarship for an additional 150 lone youth village graduates: $975,000 (naming opportunity available) Cost of a three-year scholarship for an additional 200 single mothers: $1,300,000 (naming opportunity available) 11

7 Partners: Aurec Humanity/Academia Agudat Sabah The Rashi Foundation The Rashi Foundation has been working since 1984 to provide Israel s citizens, and young people in particular, with tools for shaping their own future, in the belief that narrowing the opportunity and achievement gaps is essential for strengthening the country s social fabric. Our activity focuses mainly on education, from early childhood to university, as the major key to social mobility. We also offer welfare solutions to those who are at risk or have special needs, to provide them with the best chance to lead meaningful lives. Partnerships are central to Rashi s strategy. By partnering with foundations, community federations and public organizations we leverage resources to achieve significant long-term impact. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 1214A Itzik Turgeman Shira Ben-Or Shlomi Arie Director General itzikt@rashi.org.il VP of Partnerships shira@rashi.org.il Director, Katzir Scholarship Program ShlomiA@rashi.org.il