It goes by many names, but its success is undeniable. Some call it experiential education, while others call it informal education. Still others have termed it “education for life.” Regardless of its formal term, research has shown that education that occurs outside of a traditional lecture or school-based learning system – through participation in youth groups, summer camps, enrichment studies, or sports – is one of the key factors in determining one’s success in life.
The Rashi Foundation, one of Israel’s largest private philanthropies that promotes social mobility in Israel’s geo-social periphery, has targeted the implementation of informal education as a core component of its work and is making significant inroads in this area.
“Informal education is one of the decisive factors when it comes to social mobility,” says William Kleinbaum, Managing Director for Israel and Overseas at the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. The Toronto Federation was one of the first organizations to support the Rashi Foundation’s initiative to promote informal education in Israel’s periphery, together with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and other partners.
“The vast majority of people who are in hi-tech or officers training courses in the IDF – in all the growth engines that our country has, as well as those that minimize gaps between the periphery and center of Israel - are people who had a meaningful informal education experience,” adds Kleinbaum.
The Toronto Federation was attracted to the fact that the Rashi Foundation’s work in informal education in Israel’s periphery provides experiences for children who do not have access to these types of activities. According to recent statistics, 70% of children in Israel’s periphery are not participating in informal education activities, and Rashi’s efforts in this area are intended to remedy this.
In addition, Kleinbaum points out, the Rashi Foundation is creating a standard of excellence – one that is quantifiable and that measures the success of its efforts. “It’s not only about adding more sports groups or youth groups, but it’s making sure that they’re all high quality and coordinated and are eventually providing the children who are taking part with life-changing opportunities.
Erez Roimi, head of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Rashi Foundation, pioneered the foundation’s efforts and explains that informal education has taken on even greater importance since October 7, 2023. “During wartime,” he explains, “it is much more difficult to learn normally. The way to reach children and provide education is through less formal, more experiential and engaging methods, which still allow for mobility in learning.”
Roimi adds that informal education plays a crucial role in fostering resilience. “Interacting with peers helps children cope better with the current reality. Sports, culture, music, creativity, youth movements, and leadership programs significantly strengthen resilience,” he says.
Another significant advantage of informal education, he explains, is that it encourages and strengthens social cohesion. Experiential programs enable children and teens to meet people from different backgrounds and encourage them to become more open-minded.
The Rashi Foundation has set goals of increasing participation among the youth in Israel’s periphery, making informal education more accessible, bridging the gaps between formal and informal education, and ensuring that extracurricular opportunities are available to all children – not just those who actively seek them out.
To reach this goal, Rashi works with local municipalities to set up informal education programs and to build their capacity to develop and sustain these initiatives. In Kiryat Malachi, for example, as recently as 2016, just 15% of the town’s youth participated in after-school activities.
The municipality, together with the Rashi Foundation and other partners, launched a city-wide initiative focusing on fields that affect social mobility, among them experiential education. Since then, under the leadership of the head of the municipal youth department, participation in experiential activities has increased from 15% to 45%. Other areas in Israel’s periphery where Rashi has worked to increase informal education opportunities include Dimona, Sderot, Ofakim, Ashkelon, Kiryat Shemonah, Bet Shean, Yarka, and Netivot.
Perhaps the best indicator of the effectiveness of informal education is hearing from Israeli youth themselves. Danielle Amram, an 11th-grade student at Zinman School in Dimona, is actively involved in the municipal youth council as the deputy chair of NAMAR (National Youth Leadership) and serves as the spokesperson of the regional youth council. She participates in the “Aharai” movement, volunteers with Magen David Adom (MDA) and the “Nitzanim” program, and is a participant in the “Education for Life” initiative in collaboration with the Rashi Foundation.
“As teenagers,” says Amram, “we don’t always have a place where we can grow, make an impact, and simply be ourselves. Informal education provides exactly that—whether it’s youth movements, student councils, leadership groups, or community activities. All of these give us tools for the future, lifelong friends, and, most importantly, the opportunity to be who we truly are.
“I feel this daily – how it helps me develop, take responsibility, and create change. It’s not just about learning theory in a classroom and relying on the material the teacher presents, but about gaining real-life experience in leadership, teamwork, and decision-making—skills that will serve us in adulthood as well.
“Beyond all that, informal education gives us a space to be ourselves, meet amazing people, and truly feel a sense of belonging. For me, this has been one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve taken on and continue to embrace.”
The Rashi Foundation works to promote the personalization of informal education in Israel, to connect life opportunities for children in an adapted manner, and to accelerate processes of social mobility, resilience, and social cohesion.
This article was written in cooperation with the Rashi Foundation.