Giving Voice to the Teen Israel Experience

New Teen Internship to Leverage the Power of the Israel Experience

CHICAGO – Aimed at empowering teens to be peer educators and ambassadors for the Israel experience, the iCenter is launching the MZ Teen Israel Internship, a national leadership program for teens returning from summer Israel experiences.

The MZ Teen Israel Internship will leverage the contagious excitement of these teens, keeping them engaged and inspired to share their stories with their friends, families and communities and helping them inspire their peers to make a similar connection. The program will empower teens to be effective, positive voices for Israel and prepare them for future roles as leaders on college campuses and beyond. The MZ Teen Israel Internship is funded by the MZ Philanthropic Fund.

In cooperation with BBYO, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) and Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI), the iCenter will recruit 36 teen participants who emerge as leaders during their summer Israel experience. The goal is to enable these teens to initiate Israel engagement projects in their home communities and ultimately to help organize a national Teen Israel Summit for North American high school students.

“Teen alumni of Israel experiences are an untapped resource,” says Anne Lanski, executive director of the iCenter. “Their experiences and passion, if properly cultivated, are a precious resource for their peers, families and communities.”

MZ Teen Israel Interns will participate in on-going learning and mentorship from experienced leaders and Israel educators. MZ Teens will discover how to share with their peers a more comprehensive and personal view of Israel. They will enhance their own knowledge about Israel through a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses modern Israeli history and current events. And, they will emerge as a community of young people who share an ongoing commitment to promoting a positive image of Israel and the Jewish people.

“Teens today want to be producers, not simply consumers, of information and ideas, to take active roles in their own education,” says Aliza Goodman, director of the MZ Teen Israel Internship. “We are experimenting with teen-driven approaches to Israel engagement, giving them a chance to share in the management of their own Israel learning. This is their opportunity to bring authentic voices to Israel engagement and to shape their own ongoing experiences with Israel.”

For more information, visit www.theicenter.org/mzteens, email Aliza Goodman, or call (847) 418-8336.  

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