Yotzrim Atid is a national program promoting civic education for democracy in teacher education settings. The program is based on the understanding that teacher education is a central arena for shaping civic responsibility and strengthening a shared democratic culture, and that teachers play a significant role in shaping Israeli society.
Yotzrim Atid was established following the events of October 7 by Dr. Vered Resnick and Dr. Yael Golan, as part of the Mandel Program for Academic Leadership in Teacher Education. Against the backdrop of the profound crisis in Israeli society and the recognition of the power of education to promote democratic culture, the program provides a systemic approach to developing professional-civic identity in teacher education.
The program operates as a broad inter-institutional partnership, integrating academic learning, intercultural encounters, and civic-educational action. It is rooted in an approach of critical hope—a concept that bridges recognition of reality as it is with the belief in our ability to change it through education and action. Thus, the program connects knowledge, professional identity, and practice.
The guiding principles of Yotzrim Atid define how democratic values, civic identity, and educational action come together during the teacher education process. Through learning, experimentation, and field action, the program develops educators’ ability to be active in the civic arena as part of their professional role. These principles guide all the learning, training, and action processes in the program, translating a broad democratic vision into daily educational practice.
Hope-Based Education
Hope as a driver of sustained civic action
Hope-based education is at the heart of Yotzrim Atid. The program addresses burnout, despair, and civic helplessness among teachers, working to strengthen efficacy, responsibility, and initiative. We define hope as the ability to act even under conditions of uncertainty and complexity. Through learning, research, and field action, participants develop a sense of civic and professional agency, formulate a vision of a possible democratic future, and take proactive steps to strengthen democratic culture in Israel.
Action-Based Connection
Joint action as the foundation for civic partnership
Civic partnership is built through real-world activity. Yotzrim Atid views joint action with a practical goal as a central way of forging connections among people, groups, and institutions. As partners in educational and social initiatives, participants work together on burning civic issues and develop skills in focused public discourse, conflict management, and partnership building. This work connects civic and values-based knowledge with complex realities on the ground, establishing active citizenship as an educational practice.
Cultivating Civic Identity
Shared identity, responsibility, and dialogue in complex realities
Yotzrim Atid is based on the understanding that alongside diverse personal, cultural, gender, and national identities, there exists a shared civic identity that demands responsibility and respect between groups. Program participants develop an understanding of the democratic contract, its values, and its rules, learning to operate within its confines even in situations of division and dispute. Engaging with civic and current affairs helps individuals develop an informed position based on the values of equality, liberty, and human rights.
Entrepreneurial Action as a Pedagogical Principle
At the heart of the program is the view of entrepreneurial action as a core principle in teacher education. Students learn to identify social needs and develop educational responses, taking action in settings outside of the classroom. Entrepreneurial action creates links between academic knowledge, professional identity, and civic commitment, and gives trainee teachers practical experience in leadership and broader impact.
Inter-Institutional and Inter-Sectoral Encounters
The uniqueness of Yotzrim Atid lies in the ongoing encounters among students from different backgrounds, institutions, and regions. These encounters are an opportunity to learn from a plurality of voices and via engagement with social complexity, and help forge connections and partnerships among the participants. In this way, the program builds a strong human infrastructure for active civic partnership and the shaping of a shared democratic future.
Connecting Education to Civic Responsibility
The program views educators as change leaders, with both a professional and a civic responsibility. It expands the perception of their professional role beyond the classroom walls and demonstrates a practical vision of education as a force for real change.
The program invites institutions, organizations, and foundations to a long-term partnership founded on research-based knowledge, the development of educational practices, and systemic impact.
