Educating for Social Change

Globally, civil public discourse today is at an all-time low. Communities are mobilized around perceived threats rather than working together for a better future that instils hope. More than ever before, we need to learn to be discerning in the way we evaluate information and opinion, make sense of our experience, and be proactive as thoughtful members of our communities. This is especially so in the Middle East, where history and politics amplify these corrosive trends. We believe education is a strong vehicle to address these trends. It requires raising children to see the world - and their future - as full of possibilities informed by human difference, rather than full of dangers, where difference breeds suspicion and fear. It starts with developing our children’s capacity to think together about questions of human flourishing, to function respectfully across differences of worldview, politics, culture and aspiration. The Israeli Center for Philosophy in Education -"philosophy for life" has been working with schools across all sectors of schools (Jewish religious , Jewish secular, and Arab sectors) for 12 years. This call for funding is to strengthen our work in the Arab sector. This year our program is reaching over 1,200 students in East Jerusalem. Each week our trained team of facilitators, mostly students at area universities, bring our program 'Philosophy for Children' (P4C) into classrooms across 8 schools. These schools operate under the Israeli Ministry of Education. P4C creates an environment in which children think with one another in a safe and supportive environment as they make sense of their experience, figure themselves out and develop their ideas and beliefs. They learn to form good questions, ones that can guide them to greater insight, wisdom and judgment. This process empowers students to see how their ideas can shape their classmates’ thinking as they engage in reasoned argument and thoughtful consideration of other points of view. Why do we need your help? We need to raise $12,000 over the next 3 months to support our work in the Arab sector. In 2018/2019 we plan to expand our work in East Jerusalem and bring this program to the Arab sector in Israel’s North. We are fundraising now to cover the cost of producing curricula materials that are developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate to these populations, and to provide ongoing training and mentoring to facilitators. Additional funds will also enable us to respond to requests coming from the participating schools to provide additional school-wide philosophy events, special events for their parents, and to partner with them to help make thinking the hallmark of their school. For this we need your help. Will you join us to realise this goal?