Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives

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 children-at-risk throughout Israel and, consequently, Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives (YOEI) was launched.

Directed by education visionary Chaim Peri, the Initiatives directly impacts Israel’s struggling youth village populations by providing teacher training, workshops, interventions and other special programs. YOEI’s 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.

YOEI’s resources and training through its Derech Kfar 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.

As of June 1, 2012, YOEI is working with:

•     7 Ministry of Education Youth Villages including Yemin Orde
•     2 Ministry of Welfare therapeutic boarding schools
•     3 city public high schools

Since beginning the program, YOEI has reached more than 2,000 children and 400 staff members.

Outside of Israel, YOEI has assisted and inspired other projects for at-risk children in such diverse places as the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, Arise Academy Charter High School in Philadelphia and San Pasqual Academy in San Diego.

 The Future

Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives is ready for the next phase of its expansion. Its Village Way methodology has proved itself an effective and relevant educational and life skills tool in theory and in practice in a variety of settings. YOEI is pursuing the possibility of working with an entire town’s education system (1,200 children) and also with Israeli Arabs. The Marcus Foundation of Atlanta, Ga., has made an additional commitment to YOEI of $6.5 million over five years beginning in 2013. By the end of 2017, YOEI hopes to impact 15 communities, including 10 high schools and five therapeutic boarding schools.

Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives is an independent entity supported through the fundraising efforts of Friends of Yemin Orde. The Village continues to serve as a model of excellence for YOEI as well as provide facilities for staff and teaching training and workshops for professionals from around the world. Learn more about Chaim Peri.