May 04, 2007 Israeli mayor sees benefits of World ORT science programme The Mayor of the Israeli town of Nesher has voiced his appreciation for World ORTs Kadima Mada (Science Journey) project, which has seen his local high school receive a state-of-the-art electronics laboratory. Mayor David Amar spoke highly of the World ORT programme at a meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Dr Adam Brownstone, of the Jewish Federation of Broward Country, and Dr Zvi Roth, of the Florida-Israel Institute of Florida Atlantic University. At the meeting was World ORT Representative in North America Harry Nadler. The Mayor expressed his deepest appreciation to World ORT for all that we have done in Nesher, Mr Nadler said. While the laboratory is only one month old, they have already seen a significant improvement and real benefits for its 1,000 students. The Mayor went on to say that he and his community were looking forward to a very long relationship with World ORT. Kadima Mada is a $7.4 million programme aimed at raising the standards of science and technology education in Israel. The programmes hundreds of projects in more than 30 local authorities mark a new phase in World ORTs 59-year-long commitment to bring the best practical education available to the Jewish State. In cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Education, more than 30 high schools including Nesher were selected for the first phase of support: brand new, custom-made, state-of-the-art laboratories based on information gained during personal visits by senior World ORT staff in February. Each school is receiving a package tailored to its own specific needs and worth approximately $50,000 each, said World ORT Director General Robert Singer. Between 25,000 and 35,000 students stand to benefit from the Science Journey programme by the end of the year if all goes according to plan. Dr Zvi Roth, David Amar, Harry Nadler and Yehiel Edry. Accompanying Mayor Amar was his deputy, Yehiel Edry, and the comptroller of Nesher, Moti Chen. They were in Fort Lauderdale to meet the leadership of the Jewish Federation of Broward Country and discuss the future of their relationship through the Jewish Agencys Partnership 2000 programme, which partners Diaspora communities directly with Israeli communities. The Deputy Mayor said that Nesher already had a very high matriculation rate over 80 per cent combined with a drop out rate of only one per cent, Mr Nadler said. Moti Chen added that it was their expectation that even these impressive rates would be improved now that World ORT was providing such outstanding assistance. During the meeting there was additional positive feedback for other ORT projects. Mr Edry said that Project Etgar, through which World ORT and the local municipality supported Nesher high school students to attend courses at nearby Haifa University and receive credits, was keeping many students interested in the sciences. World ORT is giving the kids at Nesher a very good opportunity that they would otherwise not have had, Mr Nadler said. Nesher also stands to benefit from the next stage of Kadima Mada, which will see participating schools install a WOTEC (World ORT Teaching Empowerment Centre). The WOTECs are specially designed high-tech staff rooms that feature all the equipment teachers need to prepare their lessons with the minimum of stress and the maximum of efficiency. In addition to working stations for the staff, each WOTEC will provide scanners, photocopiers, printers, digital cameras, internet and intranet connections, photo and video processing software, design and development software, binding equipment and Power Point equipment. World ORT is the worlds largest Jewish education and vocational training non-government organisation and has benefited more than 3 million people Jewish and non-Jewish in 100 countries since its foundation in 1880.