The Marcus Challenge Grant and Village Way Educational Initiatives

Bernie MarcusThanks to Bernie Marcus and the Marcus Foundation of Atlanta, Village Way Educational Initiatives has achieved outstanding success in expanding the successful methodology developed by Dr. Chaim Peri to additional educational communities throughout Israel.

A generous challenge grant that will transform education in Israel.

Thanks to the generous partnership of the Marcus Foundation of Atlanta, the Village Way Educational Initiatives has made tremendous success in transforming education for Israeli immigrant and at-risk children and youth. The Marcus Foundation’s challenge grant of two dollars for every dollar raised by ImpactIsrael for the Five Village Project was met. Today, the Educational Initiatives reaches more children than ever thought possible.

The Marcus Foundation began its third challenge grant for the Initiatives in January 2017. In this way, we hope to expand the outreach of the Village Way Educational Initiatives to more therapeutic residential communities and public schools. To meet this new challenge, ImpactIsrael needs to raise $3.75 million by 2021.

Pathways to Success

In 2006, Village Way Educational Initiatives was merely a vision.

Today, over 1,500 educators working with 11,800 children in 10 youth villages, plus 17 public high schools and three therapeutic residential communities have embraced the Village Way educational model and its methodology, as developed at Yemin Orde Youth Village.

The 10 Core Components of the Village Way.

Read about the 10 Core Components of the Village Way.

Life in these villages is like a large puzzle in which the pieces now fit together, and the emotional, physical, therapeutic and educational needs of the children are the focus of a coherent, consistent educational environment. As such, reviews of the initial stages of the Five Village Program as well as our work with Branco Weiss School in Hadera have been positive at every step of the program.

By the end of 2017, Village Way Educational Initiatives hopes to impact even more educational communities throughout Israel. The goal by 2021, is to partner with a total of 59 communities in Israel.

Yemin Orde Youth Village  is the role model for the methodology and reflects the success of the Initiatives approach. The Village and others involved in the initial Five Village Project operate on the principle that just as most youngsters feel they always have a home at their parents’ house, children who grow up in the care of the Village should feel the same. Indeed, we are excited for what the future now holds for hundreds more children as we look forward to the future.

“Chaim Peri is one of a kind”

Mernie Marcus and Chaim PeriOne of the advantages that I’ve had over the years is that I’ve been able to meet people from all over the world,” said Bernie Marcus, Co-founder, Home Depot. “Chaim Peri is a basic, honest human being whose focus in life is to save people who, unfortunately, are in terrible situations. His role in saving so many lives over the years is incalculable.”

ImpactIsrael, Yemin Orde Youth Village and Village Way Educational Initiatives are all grateful to the Marcus Foundation for enabling us to bring our vision to fruition. We are honored to be able to continue to reach out to educators and children and renew the traditional essence of education in Israel.

Learn more about Chaim Peri, the visionary behind Village Way Educational Initiatives.