Desert Stars

Desert Stars is developing a new generation of young Bedouin leadership in the Negev. We have developed a unique educational model that connects youth and young adults from different communities and tribes across southern Israel to form a united leadership network through a sequence of educational programs. Our mission is to give the program participants tools and opportunities to develop and realize their potential and empower them to lead Israeli Bedouin society to the forefront of social entrepreneurship in Israel. BACKGROUND The Negev region is Israel's arid southern district and is home to approximately a quarter of a million Bedouins who are one-third of the region's population. Their community is growing at a rate of 5% per year and they are expected to make up half of the Negev residents by 2030. Bedouin society has been experiencing a complex identity crisis in recent decades and while their nomadic lifestyle has ended, adaptation to modern life is still ongoing. Today, the Bedouin community is at the bottom of Israel's socioeconomic indicators in all aspects, including employment and education: the percentage of high school dropouts is 29%, only 8.7% of high school graduates complete higher education and only 22% of Bedouin women and 60% of men are employed. Desert Stars is working to build a network of cross-tribal leaders that will create a significant change in Bedouin society. To do this, we run a sequence of educational programs: o Leadership High School: The only cross-tribal Bedouin-Arab high school for 240 girls and boys aged 14-18 from all over the Negev. The school teaches leadership, excellence, social entrepreneurship and activism, and the value of volunteering. o 'Rawafed' Extracurricular Empowerment Centre: All 240 students at the high school take part; each grade has a day of the week dedicated to informal education in entrepreneurship, technology, personal identity development, social engagement, elective clubs and much more. o Leadership and Entrepreneurship Incubator: 50 young men aged 18-19 take part in this exclusive Incubator program for Bedouin high school graduates. Participants spend a year in full boarding school conditions, undergoing challenging outdoor pursuits, hands-on experience with entrepreneurship, and intensive preparation for academia and significant employment as future leaders. o 'Raidat' Women's Leadership Program: is an intensive year-long program for 30 female Bedouin high school graduates with leadership potential. Participants experience social entrepreneurship, develop research skills, and undergo preparation for academia and preparation for the world of employment with an emphasis on meaningful employment -with many high-quality circles of influence. o Alumni Program: The realization phase of our mission happens in this program where a network of leaders unites to form a new leadership. alongside supporting the personal development of about 150 graduates, we also enable them to develop social initiatives and give back to their communities. Participants take part in leadership workshops and receive vocational and academic facilitation, and tutorial help where needed. ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS * Coexistence in Action: Our team of Bedouin and Jewish directors, managers, and staff work shoulder to shoulder to advance the Desert Stars mission. The engaged board of directors is two-thirds Bedouin and one-third Jewish. * Excellency in Education: Desert Stars High School achieved an 80% eligibility rate for Bagrut diplomas, compared to a national Bedouin community average of under 50%. * Bridging Tribal Divisions: Our programs bring together students from towns and tribes across the Negev. * Engaged Desert Stars Graduates: 97% of alumni remain involved in Desert Stars. * Every year 460 young people from the marginalized Bedouin communities gain access to new opportunities that weren't available to them before. * 60% of Incubator program alumni are active students in degree programs (compared to only 3.7% average amongst the male Bedouin population). * 77% of Raidat program graduates are active students in degree programs (compared to only 10% average amongst the female Bedouin population). * So far, 98% of Incubator and 'Raidat' graduates have joined the Alumni Program. * Winners of three national prizes. LEADERSHIP CAMPUS We are currently in the process of establishing a youth village that will create a leadership campus for all our programs. This unique campus will include an innovative technological learning environment with an eco-friendly design and will be the only Arab school in Israel to be developed according to the "Schools of the Future" model. It is expected to open its doors to 600 students in September 2023.