In the 2007-2008 school year, an educational initiative was brought to life by the Israel Democracy Institute and Hakfar Hayarok High School, which combines the theoretical study of democratic values and the practical implementation of these values. The program was employed in a seventh grade class for gifted students and in a ninth grade class in a boarding school.
The goals of the program:
- To enrich the children's knowledge of democracy and teach basic democratic concepts
- To initiate a project in which the children implement the theoretical knowledge about democracy that they have acquired over the year
- To test the relevance of the program to, and the interest shown by, children from different socioeconomic backgrounds
- To encourage the school to promote Democracy and Civic Studies in the coming year
For three months, several teachers and one instructor from IDI taught the students in small groups, and emphasized the essential aspect of democracy – human rights and civil rights. The children experienced a long and ongoing process, and slowly but surely concepts of "essential democracy", "law" and "government" replaced statements such as "it's all about corruption" and "I am not interested". The topics were discussed openly, and students were encouraged to share personal experiences and discover the personal relevance of the subject at hand.
During the second part of the project, the students attempted to implement the theory that had been learned by forming a civic initiative, planned, directed and, finally, implemented by the students. This kind of activity offers the students the opportunity to experience the ideas that were taught in the classroom and to get a real taste of "active citizenship".
The seventh graders, who focused on student rights, decided to invest their democratic energies in three areas:
- An anti-smoking campaign directed at teachers in the school: The students wrote a letter explaining their right to fresh air, based on legal reasons as well as common sense. They also recruited their fellow students to the cause by drafting a petition and called for a meeting with the administration in which they demanded the recognition of their right to breathe fresh air.
- Reorganization of class committees: The students decided to strengthen the democratic elements in their own class by creating a strong student body that is able to represent them before the school administration. A pedagogical committee, a library committee and a social committee are among the new committees.
- Raising funds: The group represents the desires of their fellow students and wishes to give the class the option of independently conducting social activities, buying birthday presents and decorating the classroom by means of private funds that will be raised through bazaars and market days, as well as through tutoring, which will be offered to younger students.
The ninth graders focused on patient rights and it was only natural that their final project was conducted at Tel Ha'Shomer hospital. Throughout the meetings, the issue of patient rights came up several times and the students decided that they wanted to visit a hospital and conduct a survey among the patients. On Tuesday, March 4th 2008, the students heard a fascinating lecture on behalf of The Society for Patients' Rights in Israel, which enriched their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Immediately afterwards, the students, together with their teachers and instructors, drove to the hospital and split up into two groups – the first group conducted the survey and the second focused on cheering patients for the upcoming holiday of Purim.
By the time the program was over, all of the students that had participated were very knowledgeable and showed more willingness to be civically involved in the future. The students' insistence to lead civil projects and stand up for their rights is the best testimony to the success of this venture.