TALMA: The Program For Excellence In English

TALMA was launched in 2014 as a summer teaching fellowship, and quickly blossomed into a full-fledged organization that is transforming English language education in Israel. We work to strengthen English language proficiency in under-resourced communities across Israel, because we see English as a tool that can broaden access to advanced education and employment opportunities. Through our mission of both helping Israelis to improve their language skills, and leading the charge to modernize English teaching in the country, we also provide pathways for Jewishly-connected educato Sensing the urgency of this exciting new opportunity, two prominent family foundations – the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and The Steinhardt Family Foundation in Israel – decided to take action. These insightful foundations recognized the increasing importance of English for Israeli students and professionals, on the one hand, and the growing need for an authentic educational service project in Israel for young, international Jewishly-connected educators, on the other. The two foundations partnered with Israel's Ministry of Education to create a unique new program on Israel’s educational landscape – TALMA. TALMA, the Israel Program for Excellence in English, is both an English-immersion program for low-income Israeli elementary schoolchildren and a Fellowship for international teacher-leaders in the movement for educational equity. Under the guiding belief that English proficiency is essential to unlocking future opportunities for Israel's low-income youth, TALMA's social justice driven international educators devote their summer to volunteer-teaching with TALMA. In return, participating educators - TALMA Fellows - receive an all-expense-paid summer of top-notch professional development and networking opportunities in Israel, an inspiring location that serves as the ideal backdrop for learning how to lead and create social change within complex systems and environments.