Kadoorie Youth Village, established in 1933, is located at the foot of the Biblical Mt Tabor. In this rural agricultural school, some of Israel’s most famous political and intellectual leaders were educated, including Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Yigal Alon, the well- known general, and the poet Haim Guri. Today, Kadoorie’s student population includes 1500 youngsters from the seventh to the twelfth grades. The majority comes from the surrounding district; however, dormitory accommodations are available for those from outlying areas. The student population reflects the diversity of Israel’s adult population: children from well-to-do communities alongside those from deprived neighborhoods; new immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union, together with ethnic minorities from Israel such as Circassians, Druze, Beduins, Christian and Moslem Arabs.
The village has three divisions: the school, the dormitories and the agricultural farm. The village has its own gymnasium, music center, football field and an amphitheater with 1500 seats. Each classroom is fully air-conditioned. In the past few years the village has developed rapidly. New school buildings have been added to the campus, equipped with the latest modern technology. A new dormitory was built and in 1998 a new technology building was opened housing computer and technology laboratories, as well as a communication center. Additional structures have been added to modernize the agricultural farm in order to meet contemporary demands.
The school
Due to its unique student population, Kadoorie was selected to become an experimental school under the supervision of the prestigious experimental branch of the Ministry of Education. Unique educational and social programs have been developed on the subject of multiculturalism including trips, parties and performances for the whole student body. Extra curricular activities include a student council for the junior and senior high school.
The Junior High School
Along with the regular syllabus, the school offers special enrichment programs in mathematics (supervised by the Technion), environmental studies and physical education. In addition, there are after-school clubs in art, horseback riding, communications, theatre, computers and sports. Elective courses are available in social sciences, theater, art, workshops, and science.
The High School
All the students take the national matriculation exams according to their individual abilities. A wide selection of electives include computer sciences, communications,, mechanics, electro- mechanics, biology, chemistry, physics, art, theater, physical education, computer studies, and social sciences. In addition to regular classes, students who need additional tutoring in order to pass their national exams get help.
Post High School Division
This division includes an engineering college. The college is staffed by a selected group of engineers and teachers specially trained for this purpose. After two years of study, the graduates receive a diploma in practical engineering which enables them to continue their studies towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering. This college has been recognized by the Israel Defense Forces, which encourages students to defer their army service in order to complete their education.
The Agricultural Farm and the Research Center
From the very beginning, Kadoorie has given emphasis to agricultural studies. The agricultural farm includes animal husbandry (cows, sheep and horses) and plant life (field cultivation, orchards and hothouses). Academic studies and hands-on experience are carried out in these areas, including matriculation tests on the subjects taught. A biological research center was established in 1997, and students carry out special projects for which they get matriculation credit. The projects are mainly in biology but include history and sociology as well. Sixty projects are carried out annually in the research center.
The Dormitories
The dormitories house native Israeli students alongside their new immigrant counterparts. After school hours, the students take part in extra-curricular activities and enjoy a large variety of enrichment courses such as internet, sports, horseback riding, music, dancing, drama and so forth. The staff includes counselors, teachers, and social workers. A director and a housemother supervise the staff.
Homework Center
This is a center for helping students with their homework. The students prepare for the next day by doing homework, studying for their exams and getting enrichment in many subjects. The dormitory students are required to take part in the center’s activities. Sometimes the regional students also take advantage of the center to get help in doing homework
Learning Center
Teachers who have been specially trained help students who have learning disabilities. With the support of the center, students are able to cope better with their learning disabilities and thus succeed in their studies while raising their self-esteem. The instruction in the center is carried out on an individualized basis or in small groups and takes place during school hours.
Guidance and Individualized Attention
The guidance staff includes two school psychologists as well as four guidance counselors, and two social workers. The guidance counselor meets with students on an individual and group basis. Each student has several support systems: his homeroom teacher, the grade coordinator and the guidance counselor. Despite the village’s large size, each student gets personal attention.
Prizes
The school has won the Differential Incentive Prize awarded by the Ministry of Education for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999. This prize was given for meeting educational goals such as preventing dropouts, improving academic achievements and raising the percentage of students awarded an academic diploma. In 1998 the school won a prize awarded by the Minister of the Environment for developing a program in environmental studies. In the years 1997-2000 Kadoorie graduates were awarded prizes for their excellent school projects in a number of subjects. In 2002 the school received the prestigious Prize of Education.