San Diego - Sha'ar HaNegev Teacher Exchange

This unique project of the San Diego Jewish Federation, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional College, and the United Israel Appeal aims to provide a new model of support between world communities and Israel, by forging personal ties and commitment with a specific project, thereby providing a living bridge between them and Israel.

The goals of the San Diego - Sha'ar HaNegev Educational Exchange are:

• Create and implement an intensive educational exchange between educators in Israel and San Diego.
• Send 20 educators from San Diego Day and Supplemental Schools to Israel. Some months later there will be a visit from a similar number of Sha'ar HaNegev educators to San Diego.
• Provide a quality experience that imbues the San Diego participants with a strong knowledge of and appreciation for Israel, along with the tools and expertise for teaching our youth about Israel and inspiring them to travel to Israel.
• Provide participating Israeli educators with a meaningful experience by which they gain a greater understanding of the US Jewish community and of techniques for teaching their students.
• Ensure that educators from both countries assume lead roles in motivating and inspiring the youth from both communities.
• Establish an indelible connection between San Diego and the people of the Sha'ar HaNegev region, laying the groundwork for future teacher and student exchanges and for future community programming.
• Build bonds among the participants on each trip, which cross over institutional lines and translate into a cadre of skilled educators for the two communities.
• Create lasting bonds between the teachers of both countries.

Taken from the San Diego Agency for Jewish Education goals information sheet distributed to teachers on the exchange program.