After School Tennis and Homework Clubs
Throughout the year, more than 150 Israeli children from the Arab villages of Jisr az –Zarqa, Fureidis and Eyn Hawd aged 5-16 take part in twice weekly 45-minute tennis lessons. A dedicated of Arab and Jewish coaches, with several alumni of the Freddie Krivine program, teach tennis to children of all abilities in an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement.
In green and attractive surroundings, the FKI flagship project is situated in the Jewish community of moshav Beit Hananya, sharing a border with the much larger community of Jisr az-Zarka. Now in its third decade, the program offers after-school tennis to children from the neighboring village and for children from Fureidis and Eyn Hawd.
FKI has improved school enrolment and attendance rates for participating youth; students who have taken part in our programs maintained a high attendance rate in school, with many going on to higher education, with careers in medicine, nursing, psychology and teaching.
The Homework Club
After tennis on the courts, the afternoon clubs bring volunteers to play with the children and improve reading, writing and conversation skills in both Hebrew and English in addition to their sports and tennis training. A team of Hebrew-speaking and English-speaking volunteers play games, sing songs, tell stories to help the children gain confidence in the languages which are vital for further education and a future in the wider Israeli community.
The FKI flagship project offers this singular after-school program for children from the underprivileged Arab village of Jisr a Zarqa, improving school enrolment and attendance rates for participating youth. In Jisr a-Zarqa, students who have taken part in our programs maintained a high attendance rate in school, with many going on to higher education. In 2018 six tennis graduates returned to Jisr after completing medical studies abroad.
The focus of this program is on developing societal skills – developing an understanding of the resources and actions needed to create situations to achieve one’s goals (e.g. reliability, responsibility, cooperation, building relationships, accepting and nurturing support).
