Act2gether
Act2gether · Israel · 2024–2026

Act2gether for Child Rights
& Well-being, Israel

20K+ community reach 5 communities 78 young people at the core
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About the Programme

What Act2gether Is

In communities across northern and central Israel, where young people grow up amid instability and uncertainty, their voices are too often the first to be set aside. Act2gether changes that. It gives young people real power to shape their communities: not just a seat at the table, but genuine agency in decisions that affect their lives. In Israel, the project was implemented by Education for Life (EFL) in partnership with the Learning for Well-being Foundation.

Act2gether participants during a programme session in Israel
Programme Structure

How the Programme Works

Act2gether brings children and adults together, and through the practice of core capacities, to listen across differences, reflect on roles, discern power dynamics and act together, enabling more meaningful and sustainable intergenerational collaboration for community well-being. The programme unfolds as a developmental journey of Head, Heart and Hand: three residential gatherings, with child-led research and social action in between.

Gathering I · Heart

The journey begins with rights, self-awareness and research. Young people explore children's rights as lived realities rather than abstract concepts, discover their own strengths and sense of purpose, and build the skills to investigate what affects children in their communities. Adults reflect on their own roles, and both practise core capacities such as listening, observing, empathising and reflecting. Children then lead their own community research, so that action grows from evidence they gather themselves.

Gathering II · Hand

Research turns into action. Young people develop practical skills in project planning, intergenerational communication and financial literacy, then form task groups to design initiatives grounded in their findings. Through a child-led participatory micro-grant model they budget, pitch and fund their own social action, sharing real decisions over how money is spent.

Gathering III · Head

The final phase makes space for evaluation, advocacy and sustainability. Young people present and assess their projects together, develop self-advocacy skills and reflect on what they have learned, planning how the work can continue beyond the programme. Reflection is valued alongside measurable results.

Held Together by Partnership

Running through every phase, the Youth Advisory Group, young people aged 15–18 from national student and youth councils, shaped curriculum, priorities and grant criteria so children's perspectives were built in from the start, not added at the end. A dedicated adult mentor walked alongside each group, supporting rather than directing, and children remained the decision-makers throughout.

Where We Worked

Five Communities

Five communities across northern and central Israel, spanning different geographic, cultural and socio-economic contexts.

1
Kiryat Shmona
Northern Israel
A northern development town where Act2gether established a new community presence
2
Katzrin
Northern Israel, Golan Heights
Home of the community coffee cart, now a permanent weekly gathering space for local youth
3
Kisra-Sumei
Northern Israel, Galilee
An Arab Israeli village; the programme's only Arabic-speaking group
4
Emek Hefer
Central Israel
School formally embedded the programme into its own structures, with dedicated staff continuing the work
5
Hadassah Neurim
Central Israel
A residential boarding school for at-risk youth
Five Act2gether communities across Israel 1 2 3 4 5
● Northern sites   ● Central sites
Impact in Action

Youth-Led Initiatives

Five initiatives designed and led by young people across the project communities.

1
Community Coffee Cart, Katzrin
A community coffee cart operated twice a week by youth where young people could engage in activities such as board games, local performances, open mics, yoga activities, drink coffee, and connect. This served as a safe space for young people to interact, build peer relationships and promote their well-being. The cart has become a permanent fixture in the community.
2
In Our Hands Project, Hadassah Neurim
A social and educational space established in a residential school for at-risk youth in Hadassah Neurim. Through this space, a weekly mentorship programme, peer building activities and a card game were developed to encourage open intergenerational conversations between teachers and students.
3
At Eye Level, Emek Hefer
Three creative children's voice platforms were established: a digital wall for sharing thoughts and ideas on children's rights and well-being, a youth podcast, and a website with materials on children's rights. The school responded by installing permanent facilities and establishing a dedicated staff team to continue the work.
4
Shomim Rega? Podcast Series
Youth Advisory Group members produced and published a 24-episode podcast series interviewing social leaders and amplifying young people's own perspectives on children's rights. The series reached 141,000 Instagram views, 2,400 YouTube views and 680 Spotify listens.
5
Child-Led Social Action Toolkit
Co-created by the Youth Advisory Group, this practical toolkit documents the Act2gether approach and tools for child-led social action grounded in partnership, well-being and rights. Published in Hebrew and English for ongoing use by practitioners and educators.
Download the Child-Led Social Action Toolkit (PDF)

Three initiatives continue beyond the project period: the Community Coffee Cart in Katzrin operates weekly, At Eye Level in Emek Hefer has been formally embedded by the school with dedicated staff, and the Shomim Rega? podcast series remains publicly accessible.

The Kisra-Sumei group, the programme’s only Arabic-speaking community, did not complete the programme as originally planned, so a local initiative was not implemented there.

Act2gether youth participants in community session
In Their Own Words

What Participants Said

 

"Looking back, I realised that this project and the tools in the project have taught me far more than how to launch an initiative. It taught me that even in challenging realities we have the right to dream, to survive, to grow and to succeed. What stays with me is knowing that even as teens we can change reality and make the world better."
Maya, Grade 12 participant
"Being a mentor was a huge privilege. Guiding motivated teens who want real change based on learning and understanding their rights gave me deep meaning. The project and tools are unique because they bring out strengths often hidden in teens: believing in their capacities; turning dreams into action; learning not only for knowledge but for change and impact."
Rina, Mentor
“We changed this thought that youth only does what adults tell them. Suddenly youth thinks it can do, and works alone, and simply isn’t afraid to dream.”
Scale

By the Numbers

Reach across five communities, with lasting knowledge products and a growing digital footprint.

Community reach
~20K
People reached across the five project sites through 78 direct participants and their youth-led initiatives, presentations, and local events.
Knowledge products
25
Resources published, including the Official Toolkit in Hebrew and English: a free resource now available to practitioners and educators across Israel and beyond, multiplying the programme's reach at no additional cost.
160K+
Digital reach via podcast, film & social media
20
Organisations engaged, including Ministry of Education, National Student & Youth Council, Hebrew University and three municipalities
Youth participants collaborating on community action projects
Evidence

Measured Outcomes

Independent evaluation findings, 2025

+60%
Child Rights Knowledge
Half of participants knew about child rights issues in their community at the start. By the end, four in five did, a statistically significant shift (p=0.007).
Stronger
Aspirations and Well-being
The most robust finding across the evaluation: young people who led social action showed meaningful improvements in aspirations, sense of purpose and overall well-being (p=0.041).
+150%
Agency in Communities
Among younger participants, the sense of capacity to take action in their community more than doubled, from 40% to 100%, the largest age-group gain observed.
Doubled
Talking About Rights
The share of participants regularly discussing children's rights with peers, family and community doubled over the course of the programme: from 27% to 53%.
When young people are trusted with real agency, they lead.

We are building on this evidence to scale the model across more communities.

+60%
Rights knowledge gain
+150%
Preadolescent agency gain
20K+
Community reach
Developed and implemented by
Learning for Well-Being Institute Learning for Well-Being Foundation Education for Life