In 2006, Israel’s Ministry of Education urged Yemin Orde Youth Village to expand its unique and successful circle of care to thousands of other youth at-risk throughout Israel and, consequently, Yemin Orde's Village Way Educational Initiatives was launched.
Founded by education visionary Chaim Peri, the Initiatives directly impact Israel’s struggling youth village populations by providing teacher training, workshops, interventions and other special programs. Its innovative "Village Way" methodologies are designed to enhance the spiritual well-being, character development and leadership potential of first-generation Israelis who come from poverty-stricken families and broken homes.
Watch the following videos to learn more about the Educational Initiatives and how this innovative and successful educational methodology is changing the nature of education for at-risk youth in Israel. The two videos below showcase the highly successful Village Way Educational Initiatives symposiums, attended by nearly 1,000 of Israel's top educators, and an overview of the successes and expansion of the Village Way methodology throughout Israel.
The Village Way's resources and training through its Derech Kfar (Village Way) Educational Institute are widely praised throughout Israel as a model of educational excellence. Its methodologies are integrated into university-level education courses (Oranim University, Haifa) and in Israel’s public school system, including schools in the Israeli-Arab communities.
The Third Wagon by Chaim Peri (November 2019)
The Village Way Educational Initiatives also launched two pre-military leadership programs for immigrant youth (called Mechina in Hebrew). One program is for men and one program is for women.
Village Way Impacts Israel's Military (April 2019)
As of September, 2020, the Village Way is working with 60 educational communities in Israel. To date, this brings our impact to an estimated 2,750 educators and 25,500 youth at risk.
- 15 Ministry of Education youth villages
- 37 Public high schools
- 3 Ministry of Welfare therapeutic residential schools
- 5 Additional communities (Ofek Juvenile Prison, Village Way Men's/Women's Leadership Programs, Yemin Orde Youth Village, Echad Meshelanu men's leadership program)
YOUTH VILLAGES
- Aloney Yitzchak (Binyamina)
- Da'at Bnai Chayil (central region)
- Desert Stars Program (Negev)
- Hadassah Neurim (Netanya)
- Kedma (northern Negev)
- Kfar Hassidim (Haifa)
- Ketziney Yam ORT Ashdod (southern coast)
- Manof (Galilee)
- Nahalat Yehuda (Rishon Letzion)
- Neveh Amiel (Sde Ya'akov)
- Neveh Hassadah (Netanya)
- Ramat Hadassah (Kiryat Tivon)
- TOM (Hadera)
- WIZO Nahalal Youth Village (Jezreel Valley)
- Zoharim Youth Village (Beit Shemesh)
COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLS
- Adivi Ashkelon ORT Technology (Ashkelon)
- Amal Ashdod Technology (Ashdod)
- Amal Ben-Ami Tech-IN High School (Lod)
- Amal Energy Tech High School (Hadera)
- Atid Daliyat Al-Carmel Technology High School (Daliyat Al-Carmel)
- Ashdod Amal Technology (Ashdod)
- Beit Ha'arava ORT Technology (Jerusalem)
- Beit She'an ORT Technology (Galilee)
- Branco-Weiss Tachkimoni School (Hadera)
- Branco-Weiss High School (Tiberias)
- David Tuviyahu High School (Beer Sheva)
- Emunah Torah and Arts High School (Jerusalem)
- Geula ORT Tel Aviv High School
- Guttman ORT High School (Netanya)
- Ibn Rushd Tamra Technology (Tamra)
- Ironi Kaf-Bet High School (Jaffa)
- Jisr a-Zarqa Atid Technology High School (Jirs a-Zarqa)
- Kiryat Gat ORT Technology High School (Kiryat Gat)
- Mahat Acco ORT Technology* (Acco)
- Mahat Sachnin Technology High School (Galilee)
- Makr-Jdede Naamat High School (Galilee)
- Marom Acco ORT Technology (Acco)
- Miftan Tamra High School (Tamra)
- Mitrani Holon ORT High School (Holon)
- Naamat Ein Mahal High School (Nazareth region)
- Naamat Jaffa High School (Tel Aviv)
- Naamat Lod High School (Lod)
- Ormat ORT High School (Yavne)
- Pisgaot Amir High School (Harish)
- Pisgaot ORT High School (Migdal HaEmek)
- Rose Matzkin Technology High School (Tel Aviv)
- Seminar Beit Yaakov Tehila (Haifa)
- Shimshon Amal Technology High School (Galilee)
- Tel Nof ORT Air Force Technology High School (Rehovot)
- Tvunot High School (Jerusalem)
- Yad Shapira ORT Technology (Tel Aviv)
- Yitzchak Shamir ORT High School (Kfar Saba)
*Part of the Arab Sector Initiative of the Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust
RESIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES
- Eden Therapeutic (community for girls; Ashkelon)
- Talpiot (residential and day programs, children 6-14 years old; Hadera)
- Beit Haboger (community for boys; Sharon)
The Village Way is creating a "buzz" in the educational world in Israel.
Two leading colleges in Israel are teaching the Village Way educational methodology in undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Outside of Israel, the Village Way has assisted and inspired other projects for at-risk children in such diverse places as the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda and San Pasqual Academy in San Diego.
Read about the 10 Core Components of the Village Way. Learn more about Chaim Peri.
Update: Read a VWEI ImpactIsrael Report on the expansion and success of the Village Way Educational Initiatives in Israel.
The Future
Yemin Orde's Village Way Educational Initiatives is ready for the 
next phase of its expansion. Its methodology has proved itself an effective and relevant educational and life skills tool in theory and in practice in a variety of settings. Village Way leadership is pursuing the possibility of working with an entire town’s education system (1,200 children) and is currently working with a public high school in an Israeli-Arab community. The Marcus Foundation of Atlanta, Ga., has made an additional commitment to the Village Way of $6.5 million over five years beginning in 2016.
The goal is to reach a total of 91 educational communities by 2026, thereby impacting 4,100 educators and 55,000 youth at risk in Israel.
Village Way Educational Initiatives is an independent entity supported through the fundraising efforts of ImpactIsrael. Yemin Orde Youth Village continues to serve as a model of excellence for the Educational Initiatives as well as provide facilities for staff and teacher training and workshops for professionals from around the world.