Amal Educational Network is leading a bold, long‑term effort to rebuild democratic culture in Israel by making liberal, civic education a living part of everyday school life in all 50 of its high schools. In a society marked by deep polarization, erosion of trust in public institutions, and the profound shocks of recent years, Amal believes it has no privilege to stand aside; its schools must be places where young people learn what it means to live in a Jewish and democratic state, and to see themselves as active, responsible citizens. This project anchors that vision in structured work with educational staff, principals, teachers, coordinators and regional leaders who are the key “agents of change” and the only ones who can turn abstract democratic values into daily experiences in classrooms, corridors and communities.
The initiative focuses first on educators because many of them currently lack the confidence, knowledge and tools to address democracy in a meaningful way, especially with students from socially and geographically peripheral communities, Jewish and Arab, Bedouin and Druze. Amal has already started creating learning communities of teachers in more than 20 schools, intensive training and joint journeys for principals, and dedicated forums for civic and social‑education coordinators, all supported by mentoring and a robust system of measurement and evaluation. Through experiential activities, school‑based projects, shared encounters between different groups, and school‑wide processes such as strengthening student councils and preparing for national elections, staff learn to connect democratic education with identity, belonging and real‑world issues, and to develop replicable models that can later reach the entire network.
To turn this ambitious change into reality, Amal needs philanthropic partners who will stand with it in building and sustaining the “ecosystem” that holds the program together and allows it to grow. Funding from the Coalition of philanthropic Foundations for Education for Democracy has kick started this program. Going forward, we seek funding for a multi‑year training to cover expenses involved with time dedicated by staff, the creation and facilitation of teacher communities, cross‑school gatherings and journeys, expert mentors from academia and civil society, and a central R&D and evaluation infrastructure that can refine successful models and spread them to additional schools.
Because the project builds on existing school teams and structures, each additional investment has wide impact: strengthening democratic language and practice for thousands of students and hundreds of educators across Israel. Partnership with donors at this critical moment will not only secure the continuity of the program but also send a clear message that high‑quality public education and liberal democracy must go hand in hand, and that Amal’s schools can be national leaders in making that connection real.