A Bedouin community high school in the Negev is opening a new campus that will allow it to double its student enrollment.
The opening ceremony was attended by President Isaac Herzog, donors from Israel and abroad, and alumni of the organization.
Desert Stars High School opened the Jusidman Campus for Bedouin Leadership on Wednesday, November 12. The school has 92% of students achieving their Bagrut (matriculation) qualification and graduating, with a 0% dropout rate, compared to 60% of Bedouins nationally achieving their Bagrut.
At the opening ceremony, Herzog said, “I believe with all my heart - as I told these young people - that one of them will bring us a Nobel Prize. They will go as far as possible. These are brilliant children who bring strength to our society and have a bright future."
Building a brighter future for Bedouin students
Desert Stars High School is a one-of-a-kind institution that brings together a variety of Bedouin tribes. It follows the Ministry of Education program and aims to “foster excellence, identity, and a sense of mission among young Bedouin men and women.”
The new campus is the first of its kind in Israel. It is an educational and learning home for hundreds of Bedouin students each year, and with the move to the new campus, that number will double.
Herzog described the expansion as “a significant historical event,” saying that “today's event provides [the students] with a foundation for a promising future, and I tell you - the young leaders - a great responsibility rests on your shoulders, because you are bringing real and profound change within Bedouin society and within Israeli society as a whole.”
Speaking at the opening, CEO of Desert Stars, Ariel Viezel, said, “The campus was born out of the belief that real change in Bedouin society must come from within, from young people with vision and the ability to create a better reality.”
Wiesel continued to say that this “will bring about profound change within the community and contribute to the social resilience of Israeli society as a whole.”