about us

MAN OF YOUTH VILLAGE

Manof is a Public Association financed by governmental offices – the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Labour. Manof has been functioning on the outskirts of Akko for over thirty five years. as an educational establishment for the rehabilitation of young people in Israel
Manof was founded in 1975 during a period of social troubles (the rising of the Panthers movement) upon Prof. Chaim Adler's initiative, with the financing of "Yad HaNadiv" - the Rothschild Fund and the Youth Division of the Ministry of Education. Manof was and is a special initiative for the rehabilitation of the youth " on the margins of society"

The Target Population

Manof accepts young people, 15.5 to 17 years old, who have dropped out of the regular system, despite repeated attempts by their parents and teachers to help them adapt to various educational frameworks. These teenagers have found themselves on the fringe of society with many of the relevant symptoms – problematic family backgrounds, delinquency, violence, substance abuse of both drugs and alcohol, frustration and a sense of helplessness, some having contemplated suicide, and most holding the firm belief that there is no way to change. A third of our students are addressed to us by court order, and parole officers supervise their progress. Some are advised by social workers and community youth guides
Manof has an educational rehabilitation program specifically aimed at the advancement and nurture of the youth-at-risk who have not found their way
in the mainstream of social life. The program is realized within the framework of a boarding school and nurtures these young people back into normative
behaviour. They have come from backgrounds where they have experienced difficulties integrating, and have had no other educational institution respond to their needs, but still have enough motivation to be rehabilitated while investing great efforts of their own
Manof’s educational program, through its content and variety of experiences, and by its essence, gives the youngsters a sense of value and self-esteem. It brings them to a new understanding of their potential abilities, and lets them understand that they are able to create a change in their lives, and to achieve results that are significant in the outside world in terms of education, family life, learning a trade, citizenship, and being a part of a normative society
The program has three main venues; dormitories, school, and farm, with extracurricular trips and challenges in addition to these

Manof's Goals

:Manof's aims are

- to give these young people the means required to cope with institutions, formal and informal, as well as other social frameworks
- to encourage serving in the army and furthering their education
- to facilitate gaining skills allowing their integration in a changing world and skills for life in a dynamic future environment
- to allow the experience of the process of decision making
- to give each participant in the program the possibility of expressing his/her unique potential, in such a way that he/she will reach personal fulfilment and accomplishment through training and increased self-esteem
- to encourage them to take on responsibility, to be active and to become involved in their surroundings, in order to become citizens guided by values, with a future of both productive work and a meaningful contribution to society

The Scholastic program

Manof supplies a supportive socio-educational framework which encourages these teenagers to complete 12 years of compulsory school attendance, to pass the examinations towards the Matriculation Certificate and to gain academic and professional skills which will help them in their further development as independent and responsible citizens of Israeli society
To date, an average of 160 young girls and boys attend Manof each year, divided into the three High School grades, 10th to 12th. Approximately one third of Manof youth are new immigrants from Ethiopia and from the former Soviet Union, and the rest are from Israeli families, many from disadvantaged communities or from broken homes
Approximately 30-40% of Manof's students finish their course of study with a full Matriculation Certificate and the others with a partial one. Most complete a certificate from the labour ministry, enabling them to work in their field. Almost all complete 12 years of compulsory study
The youth village is an aesthetic, clean environment, with beautifully designed buildings surrounded by greenery and flower gardens, a picturesque aqueduct and other beautiful spots. We have built a village which welcomes everyone upon entering, especially the newcomers, who gain a sense of self-esteem through the respect felt here, by one and all. This is the basis which enables the beginning of a positive and lasting process of re-education and learning
Follow-up studies that we, as well as outside research organizations, have conducted with our former students, indicated that a higher percentage of Manof's graduates, both boys and girls, enlist in the I.D.F. (Israeli Defence Forces) than the national average. When compared to a population with a similar background, Manof graduates have a stable family life, more are gainfully employed, and/or continue their education. Over the years, we find that more and more graduates continue studying at institutes of higher education and even at the university. There are those who enrol in pre-military seminars, or volunteer for an extra year of national service

MANOF'S VISION

The village's ideal is to give its adolescents, who live from day to day but dream of change and want to realise their possibilities, a fair chance
A nurturing, loving and respectful environment
Manof has created a pristine special and valued environment which emphasizes its function as a role model, see and do
Belonging, cooperation and participation
Manof offers its students a wide variety of experiences which rehabilitate the self-image, provide successes, exchange despair for hope, exchange detachment for engagement, and proceed from being underachieving, through belonging and equality, to productivity
Development of skills and fulfilling capabilities
Manof has developed and is continuing to develop a program combining formal education and remedial teaching with a varied program of occupational classes providing a wide choice in order to allow each to find a channel for a particular talent, achievement, empowering, and growth, to take responsibility for the future
Rehabilitating the functioning of the student
The educational program is geared to the individual. This enables achievement to reach external standards. As the participant progresses through the program, he or she gains knowledge, tools and skills which will accompany him or her and facilitate the equal opportunity and second chance of becoming a contributing member of society
With perseverance and consistence through the years we have combined an educational and rehabilitation program which results in change, self- confidence and empowerment and success

THE VILLAGE ACTIVITIES
DORMITORY HOUSES

The village has 5 dormitories for 3 age groups, whereby each dormitory is staffed by a coordinator, 3 guides, a house-mother, a social worker, national service youth and soldiers. Each youngster has an individual educational program which encompasses three years - including weekly meetings with staff members and many extracurricular activities. There is an after-school learning center, open all afternoon, and a free-time cultural activity center, as well as trips and journeys to the desert
Each guide is responsible for 10-15 participants, which enables individual attention

SCHOOL

The students, who show a need for this framework, are accepted to this school regardless of their previous achievements, which requires the school to cater to many different levels, according to the former achievements of the student. Teaching is done in small groups, about 10 per class, accompanied by assistant teachers
The aim is to reach a full matriculation certificate, or at least a partial one, according to the capabilities of the students
The students also follow a program of occupational/ technological studies, which is both their major matriculation exam and a certificate (grade A) from the labour ministry in the following fields
Graphic design
Business management
Biology and dog training
Patisserie
CNC and technology
Hair styling

THERAPY

Manof is concerned with psychological care in order to enable the youngsters to create a meaningful change in their lives, done by creating dynamically oriented therapeutic relationships and coordinated efforts by all staff members, geared at gaining a full understanding of the youngsters' inner world
These aims are realised through professional work, based on the belief that the individual is able to affect real change in his or her life, and via a comprehensive and growing understanding of therapy in adolescents
Each youngster receives
A weekly hour-long session with a social worker
A weekly progress talk with the individual guide
A weekly group therapy session

THE FARM

The agricultural area in Manof functions as a part of the varied and involving educational and scholastic program
The farm includes the following branches, orchards, hothouses, petting zoo, dog training, shepherding and horse stables. The youngsters choose the branch in which they work. They are entitled to pocket money for their work, which is performed in the early morning hours, (05:00-07:00) and the afternoon hours, (17:00-19:00). Shabbat chores are allocated, by turn, as required
On the farm, a learning experience is provided through hands-on activity, encouraging the youngsters to learn about their surroundings and developing their curiosity. They may become well-versed in their branch, giving them another venue to fulfil themselves
They learn to accept authority, punctuality, responsibility, perseverance, and task completion