Positioned on the cutting edge of science and technology, Israel is synonymous with daring innovation and bold achievement. Israel’s place in the global marketplace rests on a strong knowledge base, on creativity, and on the ability to communicate across cultures in English. With an alarming shortage of skilled math, technology, science, and English teachers, Israel’s entrepreneurial advantage is threatened. To address this challenge, Beit Berl College has embarked on an ambitious effort to recruit and train educators in these critical fields. Drawing on its vast experience in teacher development and 21st century educational models, the College is cultivating a whole new cadre of teachers and young professionals to bolster and sustain these vital areas.
To fuel the growth of quality teachers, the new M.Teach programs in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, environmental and computer sciences) and mathematics target talented Jewish and Arab university graduates in the relevant disciplines and offers them the opportunity to obtain a Masters of Education and a teaching certificate. These new programs, to be approved shortly by The Council of Higher Education, are forerunners in Israeli teacher education, drawing the best and the brightest, and ensuring the next generation of young women and men who will continue to lead Israel as the Start-Up Nation.
In the coming years, Beit Berl College plans to launch the integrated STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) into the Israeli education curriculum for the first time, with an M.A. in STEM education. The new program will encourage a holistic blending of academic knowledge, hands-on experiential learning, and building skills across disciplines. Given the enormous impact that these fields have on the potential of the Israeli scientific, medical, economic, and industrial sectors, these initiatives are paramount for Israel’s future.
The Center for Education for Shared Society
In 2015, Beit Berl College launched the Center for Education for Shared Society to focus on three intersecting areas: education, creating shared campus life, and building an inter-communal hub. Focused on advancing cross-cultural understanding among the College's faculty and students, this new Center has become a national incubator for change. The Center develops Israeli models and practices to: adapt international experience for teaching democracy in a conflicted society, build shared education, teach across ethnic boundaries, and implement these methods within the education system nationwide. The Center helps deepen the experience of shared campus life, enriches curricula, encourages dialogue on sensitive issues, advances the use of Arabic language in signage and web material, and assists Arab students in mastering academic Hebrew.
With additional resources, the Center will develop a national teacher training curriculum and student teaching model, engage in international research, enhance shared campus life, and go beyond the campus to the surrounding Arab and Jewish communities to become a thriving hub for cultural and educational dialogue and experiences.
The Arts:
The Faculty of Arts–HaMidrasha, now entering its 70th year, is a source of pride to Beit Berl College and infuses the campus with excitement and energy. At HaMidrasha, more than just an outlet of aesthetic creativity, the arts are a basis for nurturing the individual and expressing the myriad, sometimes muffled, voices of society. As the leading academic institution for training art teachers and a hub for burgeoning young artists, HaMidrasha inspires our teachers and students to create a deeper commitment for grappling with and healing Israel’s divided society.
The vibrant Gallery HaYarkon 19 is HaMidrasha’s window onto the community, located at the nexus of Tel Aviv’s gallery district and disadvantaged southern neighborhoods. The Gallery’s striking displays and center for social outreach host thousands of visitors a year. Through its wide array of activities, including encounters with local and international artists, contemporary art exhibitions and installations, screenings, book launches, multi-media and musical happenings, HaYarkon 19 is a dynamic catalyst in the Israeli art scene. Bringing the power of art to the community and the power of the community to the artist, the Gallery interacts with local high schools and art teachers, and offers specially tailored programs for children and senior citizens.