A leading Israeli foundation has committed $31.6 million to help Israel’s at-risk youth. The Azrieli Foundation has partnered with Darca Schools—a network of Israel’s high schools—with the goals of at-risk youth staying in school, empowering children in Israel’s geo-social periphery and encouraging equality and opportunity in education. To achieve this, the foundation has pledged to support and maintain its partnership with Darca Schools over the next five years.

The Darca network—founded in 2010—currently serves more than sixteen thousand diverse students, providing an innovative approach to education through its operation of 31 schools in a variety of communities. Through Darca’s partnership with the foundation, it will be able to give attention and services to thousands of more youth.

The foundation has also maintained since 2004 the Azrieli Institute for Educational Empowerment in Israel. The institute helps at-risk junior high school students prioritize their education by staying in school and confronting educational gaps that hinder their success. Serving 4,000 students, the institute has given educational support, encouraged certain skills, like social development, and hosted communication seminars between youth and their parents.

‘The Azrieli Foundation has been deeply invested for years in helping the children of the periphery in Israel, especially in preventing junior high school students from dropping out of school and empowering youth with skills to succeed,’ Danna Azrieli, the chair of the Azrieli Group and the foundation said. ‘We are very excited to have the most successful school network in Israel adopt our program, embrace it, and expand it.’

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