Boosting academic performance and increasing scores while developing scholastic confidence.In order to decrease the drop-out rate from schools and increase the academic level of Israel's poorer neighborhoods, Bakehila operates a unique intervention model in cooperation with the Welfare and Education Services Department of the Israel Ministry of Education.Our Year-of-Service volunteers spend time inside classrooms, working hand-in-hand with teachers to provide extra academic assistance during the classes as well as separate tutoring sessions during or after school. In addition to the school curriculum, Bakehila also runs "Learning Marathons" throughout the year, in which the core subjects such as English, Hebrew and Math are concentrated on for students who need it most, resulting in a significant rise in scores and a closing of the academic gap inside the neighborhoods.

Developing skills and creativity through extra-curricular activities; a safe nurturing environment for children.

Located within each neighborhood, Bakehila's Learning and Enrichment Centers provide a safe and nurturing environment for the local children to spend their afternoon hours. These centers offer a number of opportunities for the children that they would otherwise not receive, such as:

• A variety of fun, extra-curricular activities, aimed at developing the child's sense of expression, team-work, and skills. Some of the activities we offer include sports, drama, cooking, music and dance and art classes.

• Intimate study groups, led by local teachers and Bakehila staff, to help the kids with their school-work and to tackle other academic challenges they may have.

• The enrichment centers also follow a separate curriculum in addition to the school requirements, focusing on some of the core basic subjects to help bring these kids up to par.

• Hot meals – for many of our children, this is their last meal of the day.

Providing positive role models; creating meaningful relationships for life. 

Each of our Year-of-Service volunteers acts as a personal role model for a small handful of children over the course of the year, by holding private one-on-one mentoring sessions each week. The volunteers spend an exclusive hour every week together with each child, and discuss his/her individual challenges and difficulties, whether it be social, academic or personal. Our mentors are guided throughout this process by Bakehila's executive staff and professional social workers in order to help each child overcome his/her struggles. Many of our children create lifelong relationships with their mentors through this program and continue to maintain special relationships for years to follow.

An alternative for local youth to hanging out on the streets, together with young leadership empowerment. Bakehila's youth clubs operate in the evening hours between 8pm and 10pm inside impoverished neighborhoods. Not only do they provide safe and socially satisfying alternative for the local youth to hanging out on the streets, but youth are also encouraged to take responsibility for their community and initiate social and recreational programs for their peers. Our goal is to empower the participants with independence and confidence, which will aid them in all aspects of their lives going forward. Each youth club is supervised by our Year-of-Service volunteers who provide friendship and guidance to those who spend their evening hours in the clubs.