SPACE is Back at School

With the success of Israel’s vaccination campaign and easing of COVID-19 restrictions, schools across Israel have recently resumed in-person learning for all age groups. Currently, 11th and 12th graders are permitted to be vaccinated, and it is anticipated that youth aged 12-16 will be soon be eligible as well. ENP has been closely adhering to Government of Israel health regulations since the pandemic began, and in line with the latest directives is now enabling in-person instruction as part of the SPACE (School Performance and Community Empowerment) program. For the remainder of the year, SPACE group instruction and extra-curricular activities will assume a hybrid capacity, combining both in-person and Zoom meetings to best serve participants’ needs.

While the Ministry of Education is advancing the possibility of extending the school year through July, ENP is working on various summer plans for SPACE participants, including an overnight 3-day seminar combining instruction, workshops and social activities.

Over the months of the pandemic, ENP has identified social isolation as one of the most pressing issues affecting Ethiopian-Israeli youth. Lockdowns and remote learning have drastically narrowed teens' social interactions and have in turn increased anxiety and loneliness. ENP has always placed importance on developing children's social engagement and for this reason has been including the social/emotional component as a key feature of the SPACE program. Throughout the pandemic, SPACE staff have been in daily contact with participants to provide them with much needed emotional support, while SPACE's small group interaction with other teens served as source of comfort for many.  ENP recognizes that the effects of social isolation will continue to impact the lives of Ethiopian-Israeli youth and is determined to continue to address it in the coming months and years so that each child is able to thrive and succeed with renewed self-confidence.