Hundreds of Educators Gather for Educator Training Seminar on Dror Israel’s Social Pedagogy

This summer, nearly 500 educators from across Israel came together for Dror Israel’s annual Educator training seminar on Social Pedagogy. Now in its fifth year, and second year at this scale, the seminar is one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of its kind in the country.

Participants included teachers, principals, informal educators, youth counselors, and early childhood professionals from a wide range of frameworks: from preschool to high school, from boarding schools to military preparatory programs. Some came from institutions already working with Dror Educational Centers; others joined simply to experience this unique and values-driven approach to education.

This summer, nearly 500 educators representing every corner of the country gathered for two days of training, dialogue, and hope for the future of education.

Social pedagogy offers a powerful model for shaping engaged, responsible young people who understand their world and feel empowered to improve it. Rooted in strong relationships between students and educators, it emphasizes meaningful group experiences, personal connection, and active involvement in the surrounding community. Through dialogue-driven, project-based learning, students gain the tools to ask questions, take initiative, and become thoughtful participants in shaping a shared and just society.

This year’s seminar introduced new learning tracks, including a dedicated cohort for early childhood educators working with children aged 0–3, and another for youth counselors in informal education. An expanded group of school principals also participated, reflecting growing recognition of the pedagogy’s relevance and adaptability to leadership roles and diverse educational settings.

The training explored the principles of Dror’s Social Pedagogy, including placing children at the center of education and offering pathways to resilience and growth after nearly two years of war.

Throughout the seminar, participants attended dozens of workshops, engaged in dialogue, and heard “TED Talk”-style presentations from 30 educators working across Israel. Among the participants were the full staff of Dror Kanaf, a new high school in Dror Israel’s growing network of educational centers located in the Golan Heights, as well as educators from Neveh Midbar, Dror Israel’s high school for Bedouin students in the Negev. Their presence underscored the wide diversity of communities engaged in this transformative educational approach.

An experiential seminar where educators practiced Social Pedagogy firsthand.

For many, the seminar was not just another professional development program, but a deeply meaningful personal experience. One teacher reflected:

“I came in with the mindset of ‘just another training’, and of course I gained so much more. This was hands-down the best professional training I have ever attended.”

Another participant emphasized the broader significance of gathering together as educators:

“I think this should be a required training for every educator in Israel, at least once a year. To sit together, to nod, to think, and also to debate, it’s invaluable.”

Others left inspired to bring what they had learned back into their schools:

“I’m leaving with so many insights and ideas, and, more importantly, with tremendous motivation to bring social pedagogy deeper into my school. Not just in each classroom with each teacher, but across the whole school.”

In times of war, what educators need most: intimate, honest conversations with one another.

After nearly two years of war, with communities reeling from trauma and instability, these educators are the daily point of contact for children across the country. They’re the ones greeting students after sleepless nights in bomb shelters, helping them navigate a world of fear and uncertainty. Dror Israel’s goal is to inspire and equip them to see the whole child, understand their lived reality, and guide them toward agency, community, and hope.

This teacher training is a nationwide reaffirmation that education is one of Israel’s most powerful tools for healing, resilience, and change, and this is exactly what we need today.