The towns in Israel's periphery have traditionally suffered from a lack of services in the educational, health and welfare areas. IsraCorps, through its work in those areas, has encountered the need for improving the level of English studies (as part of its activity to reduce educational gaps in Israeli society). Specifically, there is a lack of exposure by students in the periphery to native English speakers: a tool that has been proven to be very helpful in the process of acquiring the language.

 In addition, Diaspora Jewry, like Israeli society, is attempting to cope with the many challenges concerning the identity of its future generations and the direction of the local leadership for the future. A key challenge facing Jewish communities today is how to engage the next generation in vibrant Jewish life with a strong Jewish identity. Jewish communities are grappling with the problem of the younger generation losing their Jewish identity.

In order to address these challenges, IsraCorps is creating a program for Jewish youth from around the world to volunteer in Israel. IsraCorps US addresses the personal challenges in the lives of the volunteers both before and after their stay in Israel and helps to preserve and to strengthen the Jewish identity of the volunteers. Moreover, IsraCorps US aims to build strong ties between the Jewish volunteers from around the world and Israeli youth - strengthening their ties with Israel. The program aims to develop strong awareness to issues of social justice (based on Jewish identity & culture) by being part of an answer to real needs of communities and youth-in-need in Israel.

In order to succeed, IsraCorps US must work in partnership with leading Jewish organizations from the United States. We believe that there are deep common interests concerning youth leadership and education shared by Israeli society and the Jewish society in the US & UK. We are aware that the youth in Israel with whom we currently work and the youth in the US & UK that we are now targeting have different backgrounds and needs; therefore, a new specific training and activity syllabus will be prepared together with our partners.

IsraCorps is developing a three-year work plan outlining its basic principles, goals and objectives.

The work plan is based on:

• Mapping the current situation
• Analyzing the difficulties, failures and successes of the existing programs
• Expertise & ability in the field of education & volunteerism in Israel gained by IsraCorps in its current activities (including experience in placing and guiding volunteers from abroad).

IsraCorps US Goals

• Build Jewish leadership with a strong Jewish identity and ties to Israel via a long period of volunteering in Israel
• Provide a real contribution to improved academic achievements in Israel's periphery
• Create an international community of young Jewish leaders who are committed to social action (by strengthening solidarity and cooperation among the volunteers)

Program Description

Volunteers from the US and UK will work alongside their Israeli peers for a year in Israel.

Two target populations:

*Pre-college youth (18-21)

* College graduates (21-26)

The program has three stages.

Stage I: Preparation, 2008-2009

Isracorps US will bring the first group of volunteers to Israel in September 2009. Therefore, 2008-2009 is dedicated to preparing for that first group.

In North America (US & Canada):

Isracorps US will market the program to the target audience in the following ways:

1. Birthright:

(a)Distributing marketing materials to Birthright participants in Israel and to graduates of the program back in their home countries.

(b) Israeli Isracorps volunteers will join Birthright groups and will market
Isracorps US to Birthright participants.

(c)Teams from Birthright and from Isracorps Israel will stay in touch with those participants who expressed an interest in joining the program.

2. Young emissaries:

In conjunction with the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Education Department, Isracorps will train young Israeli informal educators, who will run educational programs in Jewish communities in North America and the UK. These emissaries will expose and market the program within these communities as well as recruit and prepare participants of the program.

3.Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps:

Isracorps US is in conversation with Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps about building a partnership. As part of the dialogue the following steps are being considered:

(a)Organizational and content branding of Isracorps US as a continuing complementary program for Avodah. volunteers

(b) "Avodah" serving as the US platform for marketing, recruiting and screening for the joint program.

4. Work with Federations:

Isracorps is developing, in partnership with Jewish Federations, a model for recruitment and training of the Federation's local youth including Birthright and college graduates. For example, Isracorps and the Canadian Federation are building a program for the Federation's college graduates who want to volunteer in Israel.

In Israel:

• Developing the placement program to assign participants to their volunteer locations.
• Building a rich and challenging training program for the participants on the following subjects: volunteering, leadership, Israel, and Jewish identity.

Stage II: A year of volunteering in Israel: 2009-2010

• Operating up to three groups of 10 volunteers from North America

Isracorps has developed a unique program for placement, training and mentoring of North American participants, who will work alongside 800 Israeli volunteers. These participants spend an effective volunteer leadership year in Israel's weakened communities.

 Placement in Volunteer Locations

• The placement and professional training programs will be tailored to meet the unique expectations and needs of each target population, i.e.,the Israeli periphery and the program participants.
• The 18-21 age groups will volunteer and live alongside the Isracorps Israel volunteers, also aged 18- 21, in the Israeli periphery.
• The 21-26 age groups: For the young professionals in the program, Isracorps will create a unique internship in the fields of education, community work and social action. They will work and study alongside Isracorps' Young Adult Communities and staff.

 The volunteer locations will be meticulously selected to ensure en effective response to the genuine need existing in Israel's weakened communities; as mentioned above, the volunteers will primarily teach English.

• In the mornings, the volunteers will teach and tutor English in the schools.
• In the afternoons, they will organize various informal activities tailored to the community's needs.
 

Training and Mentoring Program

• Skill development for effective, professional volunteer work in peripheral areas, and for tutoring children and youth.
• Enrichment courses, e.g.: mediation, entrepreneurship, coaching.
• Acquiring and strengthening leadership skills. Personal and group empowerment as future leaders in the Jewish community in Israel and around the world.
• Experiential training to strengthen the participants' Jewish identity and ties to Israel:
• The participants will attend Experiential Hebrew classes once a week.
• Workshops and seminars on Israeli society and culture – in-depth familiarity with Israeli society and the challenges it confronts; coping with questions concerning Jewish identity in light of the complex Israeli reality; examination and discussion of shared and different identity of the overseas and Israeli participants; increasing solidarity between the two groups and more.
• Leadership training – studying and exploring Israeli and world Jewish leadership models. Analysis of events and crucial decisions by leaders in history and their impact on the Jewish people. Examination of the volunteers' own leadership styles and the development of those styles based on their experiences and education.
• Volunteers will participate in trips around the country in order to become more familiar with Israel from a historical, geographical and social perspective, as well as meet with local leaders who can serve as role models.
• The participants will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain experience within their individual professions and subjects of interest.

Final project:

During the year, each volunteer will develop a final project, with the mentoring and guidance of the Isracorps team. The goal of each project is to build a work plan that will be implemented back in home communities that reflect the experience, tools and vision acquired during the year in Israel.

Stage III: 2010-2011

In North America (US & Canada):

• Marketing and Recruitment process: Enhance marketing activities to expand the circle of potential candidates.
• Post Program : Throughout the volunteer year in Israel and while the volunteers are developing their final projects, Isracorps will work to build connections between the participants and their home communities so that:

• Upon their return to their home communities, the graduates of the program, in cooperation with professionals from the Federations and local organizations (Hillel, Birthright, Avodah), will work towards implementing their personal projects.
• Program graduates will become part of the marketing infrastructure, in their communities.

In Israel

• Operating five groups of volunteers, based on the experience and feedback of the 2009 pilot program.