In December 2024, 10 science and technology teachers from eight schools in the Bedouin community made up the first cohort of educators to receive technology training that will help them guide students to career paths in cyber, robotics, and tech fields.
The initiative by Synergy7, “Teachers Future Makers,” is in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is aimed at STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers, the statement said.
This program aims to enhance the professional skills of educators from the Bedouin community in the Negev and is the first of its kind in Israel, explained Fahima Atawna, the vice president of community outreach and resource development at Synergy7.
Abed Alrazak Buqaai, the pedagogical director at ORT Abu Talul School in the Negev, participated in the AI and MIT App Inventor workshop.
“It encouraged me to think differently about incorporating innovation and technological tools in teaching, particularly through the use of AI,” Buqaai said.
Session on artificial intelligence
“I would like to express my deep appreciation for the professional development session on artificial intelligence. The session was professional, enriching, and beneficial, equipping us with valuable information and practical tools that can assist us in our daily work.”
Muhamad Mdegem, the program director at the Learning Center in Rahat, said he now has the ability to create apps that “give me both confidence and the drive to continue learning and growing.”
“When I first started learning to use App Inventor, I realized it wasn’t just a tool for building apps but an entire world of creativity and challenge,” Mdegem said. “With every step I learned and every line of code I wrote, I began to understand how I could turn my ideas into reality.”
Those in the program attend in-person and online meetings over a six-week period, including an intensive training week, according to the statement, and the staff includes lecturers from MIT and experts from Israel. According to the statement, the program is based on MIT’s training model.
“We identified a clear need in the field to empower teachers in the Bedouin community in
the technological sphere,” said Harel Ram, the CEO of Synergy7. “Teachers are the key to change. When they are equipped with the right knowledge and tools, they can influence
their students’ career choices and open new employment opportunities in high-tech fields.”