The Program for the Integration of Children and Youth with Disabilities in Youth Movements

The program was designed as a partnership between JDC-Israel-Ashalim, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, Shalem Foundation, the National Insurance Institute and the Association of Directors of Education Departments in Local Authorities.
Following completion of the pilot in 2018 the program operates in all youth movements, accompanied by the Council for Youth Movements in Israel.
Integrating children and youth with special needs is an expression of the core value principles of the youth movements – to enable to each and every member to take part in the movement’s activities. Following the extensive and professional activity conducted in the Tzofim youth movement (Tzamid scouts, tzamid – a Hebrew acronym for special needs) and in Bnei Akiva (Shivtei Yovel – Yovel [tribes] chapters), CYMI decided to enable additional youth movements to develop suitable integration tools and this knowledge field and to design a joint two-year program. A steering committee was established, comprised of the program’s partnering entities, and an integration coordinator was selected (owing to this an integration guide, training programs, qualification training, videos and additional activities were developed). During the five years since its inception all the youth movements joined the integration program, and the number of integrated members continues to increase.
To the program website