The first cycle of Tech School, an international program teaching technological skills in 3D modeling, design, and printing, founded by the monday.com Foundation, concluded with an exciting nationwide “makeathon”-style event – a large gathering of technology, creativity, and multiculturalism. 600 students from 20 middle schools in Israel presented 30 original and inspiring final projects – from initiatives inspired by “Iron Swords” to solutions for children with disabilities.

Tech School is the flagship educational program of the philanthropic foundation of the company Monday and operates in Israel on its largest scale, as well as in London and New York. The goal of the initiative is to expose middle school students to technology and innovation, encourage entrepreneurial thinking, and provide equal opportunities to students throughout the country. In the upcoming school year, the program is expected to grow fivefold – to 100 schools – making the high-tech world accessible to tens of thousands of students across the country.

To enable continued activity, the program is operated free of charge and is integrated as an inseparable part of the curriculum in middle schools. Teaching staff undergo professional training by Monday experts and lead the classes within the regular school schedule. The program is open to everyone – without selection – based on the belief that every child deserves to learn, grow, and develop. Monday provides all the infrastructure: labs with 3D printers, advanced equipment, computers, full funding for training, and also professional workshops for students at the company’s offices in Tel Aviv.

Shlomit Kohai, Director of Tech School Israel: "It was an enormous excitement for us to see the joy and enthusiasm of the program graduates, who proudly presented the projects they developed throughout the year. The students’ success stories, alongside the rapid growth of the project – from a pilot of just two schools to twenty this year and a hundred next year – demonstrate how Tech School succeeds in opening doors and providing real opportunities for youth from all sectors of Israeli society. The decision to focus on 3D technology is no coincidence – it’s a field that allows a fast transition from idea to execution, which contributes to a sense of success and strengthens students’ self-efficacy. Tech School is not just a technological venture – it’s a program that builds self-confidence, curiosity, and ambition, and shows students that they have an equal place in the high-tech industry.”

Tech School hackathon participant during a VR headset experience (credit: PR)
Tech School hackathon participant during a VR headset experience (credit: PR)
One of the standout projects was by Malakhi Ron, a 14-year-old from Marom High School in Ofakim, who created a 3D-printed keychain with a yellow symbol in memory of the hostages. “I wanted that when someone holds their key – in the morning or evening – they’ll remember there are people still in the tunnels. That we won’t forget them,” Malakhi explained.

Rajid Kasem, a computer science and robotics teacher at “Atid Peqi’in” High School, shared his perspective:“We only returned to school in January after the war, and we decided not to give up on the program. Beyond learning 3D printing – the kids learned teamwork, they got exposure to the high-tech world. Completely quiet students suddenly blossomed. Students who didn’t enter class – came here. For me, that’s the whole story of Tech School – a combination of technology with real-life skills.”

Another prominent project presented at the makeathon was by Eitan Tzur from Kibbutz Erez and Ela Simtov from Nir Akiva. They created a unique yellow coin in support of the hostages, designed for use in shopping carts instead of a NIS 5 coin. It carries an emotional and meaningful message – on one side, the hostage symbol is engraved, and on the other side is the quote from hostage survivor Eli Sharabi: “Opening a fridge is a whole world.” Following a personal request from the widow of Ofir Libstein z”l, head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council who was murdered on October 7, Erez and Ela also took on another project – creating a second coin bearing Ofir’s image to be distributed among residents of the Gaza envelope.

Malakhi Ron, from Marom High School in Ofakim, created a 3D-printed keychain with a yellow symbol in memory of the hostages (credit: Gil Noiman)
Malakhi Ron, from Marom High School in Ofakim, created a 3D-printed keychain with a yellow symbol in memory of the hostages (credit: Gil Noiman)
The Tech School program began as a successful pilot in two schools – Marom High School in Ofakim and Darca Comprehensive School in Netivot – and this year expanded to cities such as Ashdod, Ashkelon, Nahariya, Peki’in, Yarka, Ma’ale Adumim, Majar, Aleh Negev, Netanya, Safed, and more. Some students come from public schools, others from yeshivot and ulpanot – and all are part of the same experience. As mentioned, next year the program will expand fivefold to 100 schools.