F rom t h e c l assroom
into the fields
CHW Nahalal Youth Village has been providing a unique educational experience to youth for over 100 years.
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ahalal is home to a variety of students, from neighbouring towns, across Israel, and youth who made Aliyah alone without their families in the Na’aleh Program. The Ruth and Fred Cooperstock Dairy Farm is central to the village, serving as both a therapeutic and educational facility for all students, and a key method of income for Nahalal. With the generous support of Ruth and Fredz”l Cooperstock, the dairy farm will now undergo a massive renovation and expansion to increase milk production, establish a cheeseproducing kitchen and a visitors center, and increase the economic stability of the village. z”l
In 2022, Nahalal saw an increase in income from milk sales, which rose from 700,000 to 1 million litres annually. With the renovation and expansion of the dairy farm, Nahalal will reach upwards of 1.2 million litres of milk annually, tending to 150 cows and calves. There are 60 students in the Nahalal Tech Program this year, the academic flagship of CHW Nahalal for the past 10 years. This program fuels STEM studies and offers elite programming for academically strong youth, through their studies at university. Students benefit from interdisciplinary studies among the sciences, music, sports, aeronautics, and robotics. 30
ORAH Magazine winter 2024
The program also focuses on developing leadership skills through community activism, agricultural and farm work, and social activities. The program has increased the standard of education at Nahalal in both mathematics and the sciences, and garnered the interest by other schools in adopting the model nationwide, adding to its prestige. CHW is deeply appreciative to an anonymous donor for their generous gift to fund the program for four years. Participants in the Nahalal Tech Program benefit from supplementary activities and enrichment programming, provided by CHW: • • • • • • •
Preparatory program for the successful completion of the psychometric exam Three-year university courses in drones, software, and general engineering Pedagogical supervisor assisting the students academically Day trips, music classes, and other extracurricular activities Therapeutic horseback riding, art therapy, and other activities by certified social workers Loaned equipment, such as computers, cell phones, bicycles, and musical instruments Post-graduate living stipends to help graduates achieve greater independence