Education is key to success in Israeli society and good performance in school ensures better jobs in the army and more opportunities in university. Before SPACE (School Performance and Community Empowerment), only 35% of Ethiopian-Israelis were passing their matriculation exams - an issue that needed to be addressed immediately. Part of this was because Ethiopian-Israeli students' parents were farmers or shepherds, with little to no formal education. Thus, many Ethiopian-Israeli students were unable to get help from their parents in school. These students then struggled in school and some even dropped out in the face of that difficulty.

ENP knew that there needed to be an intervention to help these students - this is where ENP's SPACE Program came from.

SPACE offers supplementary after-school hours of academic assistance to students in small groups – no larger than nine. SPACE is designed to address not only students’ academic needs, but the personal barriers they may face in their studies as well. The program is planned and implemented according to the individual needs of each student in the program.

In the 2018-2019 school year, SPACE is operating in 28 cities, including 5,015 students in 7^th-12^th grade, and is working to improve students’ grades, increase the percentage of Ethiopian-Israeli students passing their matriculation exams and graduate high school.

In 2017, the latest year for which we have statistics available, an astounding 82% of SPACE participants passed their matriculation exams, which far surpassed the national average of Israelis in Hebrew speaking schools of 71%.

SPACE offers so much more than scholastic assistance, although that is a major component of the program. Beyond the classroom, SPACE emphasizes personal development – taking the time to build students’ confidence in and out of their studies, personal motivation, specialized workshops and one-on-one time between the students and teachers. SPACE also offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including field trips to universities, various speakers, and volunteer experiences that can expand a student’s sense of self and builds a community among the students.

Just one year in SPACE can completely change a student’s outlook on school and their future. We can’t wait to see what our students get up to this year in SPACE, and beyond.