New Investments by Jim Joseph Foundation in Teen Jewish Experiences and Educator Training

San Francisco, CA – New investments in Jewish teen initiatives and educator training opportunities by the Jim Joseph Foundation are designed to enhance and deepen Jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults throughout the country. The San Francisco-based Foundation, which has awarded more than $440 million, partners with organizations that create vibrant Jewish life and ongoing Jewish learning opportunities.

“Excellent Jewish education requires excellent educators who are supported and trained at various stages in their careers,” says Al Levitt, Chair of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “We are excited to partner with these grantees to help create even more dynamic Jewish learning opportunities for youth, teens, and young adults.”

Fall 2016 Major grants include

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: Community-Based Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Initiative (2016-2021)
Up to $2,141,600 in matching funds to support a Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Initiative in Atlanta designed to connect teens to each other and to the Atlanta Jewish Community.  The initiative will center on “pathways” that will enable teens to explore areas of interest through a Jewish lens in a time-limited, experiential way.
The Foundation has awarded $23,728,925 towards community-based Jewish teen initiatives.

Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, Marin, & Peninsula: Institute for Curriculum Services to Expand Israel Education Professional Development (2017-2019)
Up to $600,000 for the Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) National Professional Development Scale Up Initiative to offer significantly more professional development on Judaism and the Arab-Israeli conflict in order to support teachers in meeting their curricular mandates. By working with social studies textbook publishers, developing curricular resources, and training middle and high school social studies teachers around the country, ICS’s work improves the quality of education for the millions of public and private school students learning about Jewish subjects each year in the United States.

New Teacher Center: Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) (2017-2019)
Up to $485,500 to implement the second half of JNTP’s five-year business plan to expand the quality of teaching in Jewish day schools by supporting teachers who are launching their careers with ongoing, intensive mentoring from trained veteran teacher mentors.

Expedited Grants

Yahel – Israel Service Learning through The Jewish Federations of North America Inc.:
Up to $250,000 to expand Yahel’s nine-month Social Change Program for North American young adults, and to build capacity in the field of Jewish service learning in Israel.

The Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education through The Jewish Federations of North America Inc.:
Up to $242,000 for the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education’s (CJPE) Bay Area Peoplehood Education Initiative, which will address challenges and opportunities in the collective realm facing Jewish institutions in the Bay area. The initiative will offer tailor made professional development programs and tools, based on the Peoplehood Education Toolkit, to enable educators to engage with Peoplehood education in the context of today’s reality.

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