Amal Emek Harod’s Dust Project Sends Life to the Moon

In the heart of the Gilboa region, Amal Emek Harod High School—home to 1,400 students from grades 7 to 12—is pioneering an extraordinary educational and scientific endeavor. The school’s state-of-the-art innovation center has launched an ambitious initiative known as the Dust Project, a groundbreaking documentation effort that captures the essence of everyday life—through household dust.

At first glance, dust might seem insignificant, but it holds microscopic traces of our daily existence: fibers from the clothes we wear, food particles, pollen, metals, and even remnants of our DNA. By collecting and analyzing these samples, students are uncovering hidden stories about human life, community, and culture. This unique project is spearheaded by Yael Schatz Ben Shimon, CEO of Hive 09, Keren Ramot who leads the innovation center of the school and principal Lilach Stein.

Students in Amal Emek Harod’s biotechnology and product design tracks have joined forces to bring this vision to life. Biotechnology students meticulously analyze the dust samples, while product design students craft the archival kits and the storage capsule. The culmination of their work? A sealed time capsule, filled with dust samples, which will be sent to the Moon for safekeeping—preserving a snapshot of human existence for future generations of scientists to study.

This initiative is part of a global effort to document life on Earth, with other schools and institutions around the world set to join. While NASA and space organizations have long stored information on the Moon, the Dust Project introduces a low-tech, yet profoundly meaningful method of capturing the evolution of everyday life. In 50 years, as climates change and human habits evolve, these dust samples will offer a tangible link to the past.

Following the success of this pilot year, the Dust Project is expanding internationally, with U.S. schools set to participate next year. The project also invites families across Israel to contribute their own dust samples, making this a true community-driven effort.

By bridging science, design, and space exploration, Amal Emek Harod is not only shaping the future of education but also leaving a lasting mark—on Earth and beyond.