YRF Darca

YRF Darca (Youth Renewal Fund Darca), a non-profit organization, is the US partners of Darca schools - a network of 28 high schools and two learning centers in disadvantaged communities in Israel. YRF Darca provides strategic guidance, research and philanthropic support to Darca Schools.

History

YRF was founded in 1989 in New York City as a grassroots effort to improve the available academic opportunities for underprivileged students in Israel. It grew to become an implementer of supplemental education programs in Israel's periphery. A study conducted by the organization proved that the programs provided were making an impact in closing the educational gap between wealthy and poor.

Youth Renewal Fund targeted low-income communities and implemented various supplemental education programs serving students in grades 1-12. Its initiatives, many of which still exist today, include after-school programs that provide up to 6 hours a week of additional studies in English, Hebrew and math; Single-subject, free-standing learning centers that serve several different school districts within a community, as well as in-school learning centers stocked with books, computers and other technology-focused resources. YRF also offers teacher training and recognition programs as well as initiatives focused on Bagrut (matriculation exam) preparation.

In August 2008, YRF launched a multi-year Teacher Professional Development Program, one of the first of its kind in Israel. In its pilot year, the program served nearly 200 YRF teachers. YRF has implemented over $25 million in programming, reaching more than 75,000 Israeli children.

As of 2017, YRF Darca is one of the philanthropic funding partners for the Darca schools network in Israel.

Board of Directors

Marc Rowan – Chairman; Paul Schnell – President; Sam Katz – Past President 

Members of the Board

Anne Angowitz; Stuart Angowitz; Ram Burshtine; Sam Camens; Harlan Cherniak; Jeff Cohen ;Jamie Easton; Danny Epstien; David Feldman; Susan Flaxman; Jeffrey Freed; Michael Gardner; Jeff Gimbel; David Grin; Michael Gross; Karen Herron; Scott Hoffman; Sam Katz; Doug Korn; Randye Kwait; Ken Lande; Bret Pearlman; Ilene Penn; Allison Rosen; Bennett Rosenthal; Marc Rowan; Jordan Sall; Paul Schnell; Robert Schwartz; Jamie Schweid Robert Sheft; Deborah Simon; Hope Taitz; Ross Weiner

Executive Committee

Harlan Cherniak; Jamie Easton; Jeff Gimbel; Sam Katz; Randye Kwait; Paul Schnell; Robert Schwartz

See also

• Bagrut
• Education in Israel
• Israel's National Student and Youth Council
• Ministry of Education (Israel)
• The Knesset Committee on Education, Culture and Sport

External links

• YRF Darca Official Website
• Article: Bridging Social, Educational and Economic Gaps
• Darca Education System Thriving Across the Country, The Jerusalem Post, August 17 2015