04 January 2008 Teenager in Etgar programme out performs university students High school student Urit Lenzt, who has been studying for a Computer Science degree at the University of Haifa thanks to World ORTs Etgar Programme, has won a scholarship to continue studying there. Urit out performed all the other students on the course, including undergraduates several years her senior.’ Urit is one of 13 talented teenagers who have started undergraduate studies at Haifa while still at high school thanks to World ORTs Etgar Programme, which is due to be expanded to dozens more students in coming months. The students come from low socio-economic backgrounds in the northern towns of Nesher, Kiryat Atta and Tirat Ha-Carmel. They all attend schools that participate in World ORTs Kadima Mada (Science Journey) programme and are chosen for the rigorous, four-year course according to ability and motivation. They start Etgar in Year 10, attending university classes two afternoons each week. The final year of the programme is conducted full-time and can be undertaken before or after national service. Urit received her scholarship from the President of the university, Professor Aaron Ben-Zeev, and the Director of the Etgar Programme, Professor Gad Landau of the universitys Department of Computer Sciences. An emotional Urit thanks World ORT for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my potential and to realise my dream of studying at university. Her teacher at the Rogozin Senior High School, Avi Borodozhno, added: Urit is a model for the other students in her class at school. Lots of people want to emulate her and so they are motivated to study harder. World ORT is rising to the challenge of making a real change among youth in Israel by helping to bring out both personal and social achievement.