Day School Initiative ©
CIE’s DSI project helps Jewish day schools add Israel content to their curriculum and enhance teaching methods through curricula provision, professional development seminars, and mentoring.
Center for Israel Education (CIE) announces the Israel Education Grant for Jewish Day Schools for 2023 and beyond
CIE continues its decades-long successes in boosting Israel content education to Jewish day schools across North America. For fifteen years, CIE and the Avi Chai Foundation of North America partnered to enrich Israel content for Day School educators across North America. Through other sources, CIE continues to provide similar financial support to day schools who are committed to institutional change in the breadth of Israel education offered to their students, primarily through their teachers, both in person when permissible and via on-line connections.
The DSI Grant with CIE provides an economical way for continued learning and development at every level of a school. As a DSI Member, a school receives the training and resources needed to effectively expand the professional learning community and add comprehensive approaches to Israel learning and engagement. Annual grants are available in three categories: basic, select and premium and are valid for one academic year. Grants are limited, thus early application is suggested. The deadline for applications is June 1 for implementation in the fall and spring semesters. Each school will be asked to provide a commitment fee to participate in the DSI. That sum is determined by the number of professional hours sought from CIE specialists and associates.
Grants are limited and afforded on a first come first serve basis. If you are interested in having your school be a beneficiary of the CIE Day School Initiative, please contact Dr. Tal Grinfas-David at tal.david@israeled.org.
Lessons from the Day School Initiative, March 1, 2022
Meet a Transformative CIE Partner, March 1, 2022
From The Rashi School in Dedham, MA:
“Our work with CIE has helped our teachers to see the richness and breadth that comes with Israel education.”
Another member said, “When I wanted to teach the World Zionist Congress and I found the CIE packet for running a simulation of the entire event, I was so thrilled. Of course I tweaked it and made it my own, but to see that someone had done so much of the research for me was just amazing.”
Read testimonials from DSI Partner Schools
Customizing Israel Education for Your School
As a participating school, you will decide on appropriate and attainable Israel education goals for your setting. CIE will help you achieve those goals with a tailored professional development plan. Examples of goals may include, but are not limited to:
- Boosting the Israel education curriculum before and after an Israel trip
- Creating a spiral curriculum framework for all grades
- Integrating units between General and Judaic Studies
- Supporting shlichim and on-boarding new employees each year with online learning modules
- Infusing primary sources and perspective for grasping Israel’s centrality to Jewish identity
- Teaching Israel all year long, and not just before the important days or holidays
- Expanding family programming to promote Israel education beyond the classroom
- Designing board and key stakeholder activities to foster support and understanding for the need to dedicate school resources to Israel education
- Fostering student connections with Israel as a way to keep Israel central to their identity after they graduate
- Enhancing Israel knowledge as a means of creating effecting Israel advocacy
CIE requires that schools provide a minimum sum for each level of engagement, with contracts signed for a minimum of one year. All levels will receive discounts on CIE-produced curriculum.
For communities and regional organizations seeking to boost Israel education at more than on school site, please contact Dr. Tal Grinfas-David to discuss our community-wide professional development opportunities and offerings.
As a Cohort Member School CIE will provide:
- consulting sessions with school administrators to plan and align CIE offerings for your school’s needs and goals
- professional development sessions with faculty members focused on Israel content knowledge and curriculum implementation
- Member units specially designed and selected by CIE educators and delivered throughout as needed
- Access to our online learning classes and materials
- sessions for parents, board members, stakeholders, donors and lay-leaders in your community
Cohort Participation and Expectations
As CIE is investing considerable resources in each cohort member school, we kindly request that schools do all they can to ensure the success of their own determined goals. This includes:
- Designating a point person in the school who will communicate with CIE and with the school faculty and administration to coordinate efforts, resolve challenges, plan for the future and supervise logistics.
- Providing an annual report to CIE about progress made toward achieving goals.
- Allowing teachers the necessary time to develop and implement ideas in their classrooms.
- Providing CIE with supporting files in a timely fashion (budget, school profile, measurable outcomes, videos and pictures capturing the school’s initiative, etc.)
- Sending a minimum of two teachers each year to CIE educator workshops and/or seminars
Process for Cohort Applications
Please complete/submit the following:
- A signed Memorandum of Understanding by your head of school—The MOU is customizable for your school’s setting and population.
- A detailed school profile—please include specifics on your schools affiliations, campus, number of faculty and students, and current Israel education programming, trips and curricula by grade.
- An initial draft of two or three goals you are thinking about for your school to boost Israel education. Please provide your school goals as a Word document.
Submit to Dr. Tal Grinfas-David via email at tal.david@israeled.org.
Soon after your acceptance to the cohort, you will be asked to video conference with CIE faculty to determine next steps and turn your goals into measurable outcomes. Please be prepared to assemble an Israel education committee of teachers and administrators who are excited and ready to plan for the future!
We encourage you to use this initiative in multiple ways to benefit your school, such as including it in your re-accreditation reports, school improvement plans, marketing and recruitment for new families, and in general, touting your accomplishments and dedication to Israel education.
Please note that schools that are currently in the DSI project, and their MOU’s with CIE remain in force and will be honored.
