Send page to a Friend Our Projects in Haifa   The Council for Volunteers The ultimate vision for the Council is that it will operate as an umbrella organization for NGOs in Haifa that will coordinate the activities of civil society organizations, empower NGOs and their volunteers, and increase the connection between Boston and Haifa NGOs.  Specifically, the Council will strengthen NGOs by helping the organizations to network and coordinate activities with one another.  At the same time, the Council will provide resources to individual NGOs such as advice regarding media access, fundraising techniques and volunteer management.  Finally, the Council will empower volunteers by providing placement services with volunteer organizations within Haifa.  The Council is currently engaged in reviewing their institutional design and activities.  We have asked the Council to comment on how their institutionalized structure will best facilitate their ability to acheive the aforementioned goals and to suggest specific programs that will bolster their effectiveness. The Civil Society Web Site The web site is an interactive site designed to provide exposure and networking opportunities for organizations, information and placement services for volunteers and direction and assistance to people in need.  The site contains a database of volunteer organizations in Haifa, which are organized into categories based on international standards developed by international research institutions.  This database provides pertinent information on member groups including the organizations' goals, activities and contact information, as well as volunteer opportunities.  As of the spring, the web site has been operational in both Hebrew and English, in order to help facilitate the placement of American volunteers.  Continuing Education for Civics Teachers This program is designed to provide high school teachers with the tools to increase their students understanding of, and desire to participate in, civil society organizations in Haifa.  Teachers are required to take part in continuing education courses during the duration of their time within the education system.  The general aim of our participation in this process is to enable teachers to incorporate the values of civil society, as well as the dual concerns of needing the state and not wanting to depend too much on the state, into their curriculum and classrooms.  The first of these courses was given last spring.  Over seventy teachers participated within the course and it will be offered again during the next round of courses.  In the near future, the project hopes to continue to provide this course and to expand its reach, as well as evaluate its effectiveness. Jewish-Arab Children's Tennis The Israel Chilren's Center program focuses on children from the Arab and Jewish sectors in the Hadar neighborhood who have athletic potential and who also show the potential for raising both their self-image and their social image through athletic activity.  Many of the children have behavioral, study and social problems.  Besides social skill development, a primary goal is the integration of Jewish and Arab children.   Leo Baeck Elementary School and Nezirot Nazareth Arab School, help identify the 35 children that participate in the project. The Tennis Center provides the coaches and the Boston-Haifa Connection provides the transportation for the children to the Center twice a week.  This year, the program encouraged local and regional tournament play for those children who have excelled in the program. Jewish-Arab Leadership Seminar This project intends to recruit high-profile Jewish and Arab lay leadership from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to promote cooperative understanding and common leadership for co-existence.   We are still selecting the appropriate provider for this project. Shatil - Education Program for Arab Schools This is the third year of the project started from the Israel emergency campaign grant.  Shatil, the New Israel Fund’s Empowerment and Training Center through its project “Equality in Education in Haifa” conducted a process with the local education administration, schools and parents to improve the quality of education in the schools in the Arab sector.  The process involves creating cooperation, providing training, and coordinating efforts among government officials, principals and parents to renew the Arab education system in Haifa.  The Haifa Municipalityhas since created a Steering Committee that has a mandate from the Mayor to take responsibility for the implementation of the program.   The Boston-Haifa Connection, together with other partners, is supporting Shatil’s follow-up and advocacy work   Economic Security for Women in Shelters This project aims to make economic empowerment a part of the rehabilitation process for residents and graduates of the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter and the Haifa Shelter for Battered Women.  Jewish, Arab-Israeli and new immigrant women participate in this project.  In a culturally sensative, supportive environment, women recovering from domestic violence gain the information, knowledge and skills to equip and prepare them for integration into the world of paid employment.  The project includes services customized to the needs of the participants so that each woman has the opportunity for personal, professional and economic development.