Bridge to Peace
COCI has helped give 23,000 disadvantaged children and youth all over Israel the opportunity to realize their full potential
Through the Bridge to Peace program, in partnership with Israel's Hapoel 'Keter' Tel Aviv and with financial assistance from the Bridgeway Foundation, we provide the opportunity for children of long-time Israeli and Palestinian families as well as new immigrant children of diverse ethnicity in sheltered boarding schools, children of Ethiopian immigrant families, youth in prison, and children with special needs to play together on soccer teams. Along with the joy of being a part of something unique, it teaches these children the importance of trust, leadership, teamwork and confidence.
COCI's work in Israel with children from conflicting ethnic and religious backgrounds has unraveled enormous potential connection to pave the way to peace. The program also provides tutoring and educational enrichment activities directly linked to soccer training and practice, motivating children to succeed in school and integrate sports into their daily lives. Together with Tel Aviv University, Bridge to Peace offers certificate courses to train youth as assistant counselors and coaches, and educational enrichment activities in fields as diverse as classical music and computer literacy.
Overall, the program includes hundreds of tutors, educational counselors, soccer coaches and volunteers. Most of the tutors, counselors, and coaches are university and college students who receive a tuition scholarship from Hapoel Tel Aviv. These students are from the same communities in which the program takes place, making them accessible role models for the children and adding another component in the contribution of the program to local community development. Players from the senior professional club also take part, using their stature as role models to convey positive values.
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COCI has supported a specific focus on creating and empowering "mixed teams" of Jewish, Arab, Bedouin, Druze and Ethiopian children to play together. This encourages children who are attached to a long history of violent conflict to play together on the same team, and their families to cheer together on the same bleachers, and wear the same team colors. |
The programs have been effective in reversing delinquent behavior and improving scholastic achievement. School principals and teachers, parents and local community leaders tell us that the program has made a real difference in individual lives, in the schools, and in the broader community. There is consistent evidence of dramatic impact on attitude, behavior, and educational achievement.
