A series of short studies to learn from the field ahead of updating the foundation's roadmap
One year ago, the foundation approved a new philanthropic roadmap for the coming decade to help build Israel’s next generation of excellence in science and technology. The plan takes into consideration that the coming decade will be influenced by challenges of recovery from the war and opportunities emerging from a technological revolution of artificial intelligence.
Despite the ongoing war, our first initiatives have made significant progress this year: high-tech matriculation has become a national program now underway; several pilot programs are developing learning materials in artificial intelligence toward a new five-unit track; efforts to align Israel’s curriculum with international standards were energized by a government resolution and a national plan; and, a portfolio of mental-skills is being developed in alignment with a conceptual framework.
In 2026, we plan to continue advancing the goals set out in the ten-year roadmap. Yet already now, the early steps taken this past year offer valuable lessons. We are beginning to see how the foundation’s new directions interact with the education system and how they are being received in schools. Alongside promising opportunities and quick wins, we also encounter barriers, dilemmas, and important questions.
So that activities in the coming year proceed based on deeper knowledge and insights and to enable greater clarity, we propose to conduct a series of short studies. We intend to commission experts who are closely familiar with our work and ask them to learn from practice on the ground, and offer insights. Based on their findings, we will prepare an updated draft of the roadmap to present at the 2026 meeting of the International Advisory Council.
Proposed studies:
1. High-Tech Matriculation – How is the new track being received in schools? How are schools preparing for its implementation? What characterizes early adopters and champions, and what forms resistance?
2. Female Students in High-Tech Matriculation – How is the new track perceived specifically among girls? What distinguishes those who choose it from those who hesitate or drop out? How have the pandemic and the war affected these choices?
3. Knowledge Required for Artificial Intelligence – What can be learned from the attempts to teach AI in schools? What are core knowledge components and what level of study is needed and feasible in middle and high school?
4. Teachers for Artificial Intelligence – What could be learned from these attempts about the teaching of AI? Who is best suited to teach this field, and what support and training do they require?
5. International Standards – How well do recent changes in Israel’s curriculum align with these international standards, how is this change being received by teachers, and how does it influence the teaching and learning in class?
6. Space and Shape – Specifically in one sensitive area, why is that that Israeli students struggle with the geometry components of the PISA assessment that emphasize spatial reasoning?
7. Mental Skills in Excellence Class and in School – What are the specific manifestations of mental-skill competencies in an excellence classroom? What routines, structures, and practices do schools adopt to cultivate them?
In addition, as part of gathering knowledge and insights ahead of the Advisory Council meeting, we plan to conduct the biennial Partner and Grantee Perception Survey through the Center for Effective Philanthropy. This survey will provide an in-depth view of progress on the foundation’s roadmap through the eyes of our partners and offer feedback on our work and future direction.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 651