Graduate Certificate in Israel Education

 The certificate program in Israel Education is designed to combine academic study in the fields of education and Israel studies at GW, with an intensive learning experience in Israel and individualized mentoring in the field, in order to enhance the conceptual approaches, content knowledge, and pedagogical methods of Israel educators in a variety of venues (e.g., summer camps, college campus programs, youth groups, heritage tours).

The program has a strong focus in the theory, practice, and current research in experiential Israel education. Students will learn onsite from the professional field, engage with mentors, and immerse in Israel travel. Additionally, the certificate program complements the program in Experiential Jewish Education & Jewish Cultural Arts program currently at GSEHD, and follows a model grounded in:

• Integration of diverse realms of study, which include: content study; field experience; and integrative seminars.
• A focus on experiential education in informal educational venues, which are a growing niche within the Jewish education enterprise, as well as formal educational activities.
• Commitment to collaborative learning: namely, the belief that practitioners in the field are active participants in their own learning and through that can become partners in forging new directions in the field.
• A cohort model in which peers collaborate and learn from each other, and develop a professional network.

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Curriculum

Graduate Certificate in Israel Education Courses

The program is comprised of 15 credits and will run over the course of one academic year, including two semesters and summer sessions.

Two online courses (Fall and Spring):
EDUC 6803: An Introduction to Experiential Jewish Education (4 credits)
EDUC 6811: Foundations of Contemporary Israel (3 credits)

Two four-day intensive face-to-face seminars on site (Fall and Spring):
EDUC 6810: Paidea and Jewish Education (2 credits)
EDUC 6812: American Jews and Modern Israel (2 credits)

An 8-day learning experience in Israel (Summer):
EDUC 6813: The Israel Educational Experience (4 credits)

In addition, students will receive individualized mentoring by master educators throughout the program.

Faculty

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes and goals of the Certificate in Israel Education are as follows:

• Apply vision-based learning concepts to practical educational strategies.
• Critically evaluate existing issues and practices in the field of Israel education.
• Design experiential education programs and activities that emphasize the centrality of Israel to Jewish education, civilization, and life.
• Evaluate the needs and interests of policy makers, philanthropists, professional and lay leadership, and rank and file members of the contemporary Jewish community regarding Jewish education and Jewish life.
• Understand the historical and contemporary politics, culture, and geography of Israel, and apply this knowledge to the development of educational activities.
• Apply the foundational principles, pedagogies and tools of Israel education to formal and informal Jewish educational environments.

Admissions

• Program Entry: Fall

• Prerequisites: Bachelors Degree

• Priority Deadline: March 1

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Application Requirements

• Online Application
• Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• 1 Letter of Recommendation
• Transcripts

For more information on any of these requirements, please email gw@theicenter.org .