From Gilboa to the World Stage: Amal Students Bring Home Gold
Four ninth-grade students from the Amal middle school in Mukeible, a village nestled in the Gilboa region of northern Israel, have captured the world’s attention. Competing against dozens of high schools from across the globe, the young roboticists took home the gold cup at the IYRC 2026 World Robotics Championship held in South Korea, finishing in first place. The mission was as demanding as it sounds: program a robot to execute a series of complex tasks flawlessly and in the shortest possible time. Not content with a single triumph, the same team also entered the parallel research-and-creativity competition, where they programmed AI-powered dinosaurs capable of identifying and responding to environmental phenomena, earning them a second-place finish and a second trip to the winner’s podium in the same week.
Behind this remarkable achievement stands the quiet, steady work of an educational community that believed in these girls long before the world did. “They have excelled throughout the entire school year,” said Dr. Taid Al-Jamal, principal of the middle school, who accompanied the team on its journey from a third-place win at a Technion competition earlier in the year to the summit of the international stage.
When the school year ended, the staff refused to let momentum fade and sought out a new challenge for the summer. They registered the students for the world championship, and watched them return home as some of the finest young robotics talents on the planet. The next stop, Dr. Al-Jamal proudly notes, is the Technion. Dani Atar, head of the Gilboa Regional Council, called the win “a result of the significant investment the council has made in the education system.”
Stories like this one are the beating heart of Amal Educational Network. Across every one of our schools, from the Galilee to the Negev, in Jewish and Arab communities, in cities and small villages like Mukeible, Amal serves as an anchor for educators who choose to see potential where others see barriers. The network’s commitment to reaching every group in Israeli society is not an abstract mission statement; it is lived out daily by principals, teachers, and mentors who transform classrooms into launchpads. Well done girls, the technion is waiting!