Before Yemin Orde introduced the concept of “graduate coordinators,” the Israel equivalent of college guidance counselors here in the U.S., Israeli high schools, especially those serving at-risk youth, did not have a designated person to help students prepare for life after graduation.
Daniel Topaz, a Village Way Facilitator, describes the importance of graduate coordinators in helping at-risk teens establish anchors in the future.
Our students have three fears of the future.
The first is, “I’m going to be alone.” During their time at school or at Yemin Orde, they have their friends, educators, and people around them who support them. However, they fear that when they graduate and go out into the world, they will be alone. This is especially true for those who don’t have a strong family unit.
The second fear is, “I do not know enough about the future.” If a child grows up in a supportive family, then they eventually learn or can ask about college and military service. However, if they don’t have this support, then they don’t know who to ask or what their options are for the future.
The third fear is, “I don’t have enough tools to deal with what the future will bring.” For example, many of our students don’t know how to open a bank account or interview for a job. They lack these life skills and don’t know where or how to start.
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When we work with schools, we are trying to find solutions to overcome these fears in the present. If we can help them now, then they will be calmer and can learn how to plan for their future.
Our greatest tool for helping students with these fears are graduate coordinators. Not only do they prepare current students for life, but they also stay connected with alumni and ensure they feel supported as adults. Additionally, graduate coordinators build bridges between alumni and current students. This helps alumni connect to their past and current students connect to their future.
For example, Nirit, the graduate coordinator at a school in Ramat Gan, discovered that one of the school’s alumni was injured while fighting in Gaza. Nirit reached out to the alum and asked him to speak with current students at the school. The alum spoke with the students about his injuries and the decision he made to return to fight after healing. At one point a student said, "It’s difficult to be in school.” To which the alum smiled and responded, “I thought the same thing when I was in school. But you don’t know what is difficult and you also don’t know what you are capable of yet.”
Another example of the power of a graduate coordinator occurred in the city of Be’er Sheva.
When Tuviyahu High School, started the Village Way process, the city of Be’er Sheva was curious about the school’s new graduate coordinator role. It’s important to note that the graduate coordinator is not usually a full-time role and only works a few hours a week. The principal of Tuviyahu explained the role, it's purpose in the greater Village Way philosophy, and why it is important. The mayor of Be’er Sheva was so inspired that he decided to help fund graduate coordinators for all schools in the city for two hours a week, with the schools funding the rest. Not all of these schools are part of our Village Way network, but they are feeling the effects of our Village Way value of Anchors in the Future.
Stories like these from Ramat Gan and Tuviyahu demonstrate how the Village Way is not only impacting at-risk youth, but how it is changing the future of Israeli society. Thank you for supporting this vital work as we help ease the fears of our students and prepare them for a strong and thriving future.