Students display projects demonstrating school’s innovative approach
Usually, Dror schools hold mid-term exhibits displaying student projects with open days for families, friends, and visiting educators and community leaders, with the students leading tours and explaining what they learned and created.
Due to the pandemic which has changed all of our lives, this year Dror Galil students created a website as their online exhibit, and conducted an event broadcast on youtube for their families, in lieu of the usual large events.
(Unlike most middle and high schools in Israel, Dror schools have for the most part been open throughout this school year, with the government recognizing the critical importance of a consistent and quality framework for at-risk teens from challenging homes, even during a pandemic.)
One of the most impressive and meaningful projects displayed was that conducted by the 10th graders together with a nursing home in nearby Tiberias, addressing health concerns of the elderly residents. The students learned about the challenges of the residents, including health issues, loneliness, and institutional living and then designed and built kits for growing sprouts indoors, adapted to the needs of nursing home residents with limited mobility and strength. They then provided the kits to the nursing home complete with all the supplies needed and a pictorial instruction booklet. The students proposed that not only does growing sprouts provide all of the rich nutrients of the food, but it also grants the well-known therapeutic benefits of gardening – a helpful addition to the lives of the nursing home residents, both during pandemic and normal times.
Other projects included learning to make various kinds of stools using CNC cutting techniques, and one exploring concepts and experiences of love, family and friendships among the students.
