It was recently announced that the Israel Tennis Centers has changed its name to the Israel Tennis and Education Centers.
The Israel Tennis & Education Centers is celebrating its extraordinary legacy that has taken them from 1 Center in 1976 to 14 and growing strong, while impacting over 500,000 youth in Israel.
Over the last 43 years the Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC) have grown and evolved into one of the largest social service agencies for children in Israel. ITEC has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children, of all faiths, many living on or below the poverty level, by educating and empowering them through academic enrichment, sports and mentoring, igniting hope and opening pathways to a successful future for them and for Israel, now and for generations to come.
This remarkable not for profit organization truly embodies inclusion and unity in a region where that is very rare. ITEC has created a model of ethnic integration through sports in a safe environment where each and every child is afforded the opportunity to play, dream, learn and make friends within a peaceful community. Many see the centers within their communities as a stable, nurturing “second home” that supports them as they develop into productive, healthy, well-rounded adults, with thousands receiving scholarships to university and employment opportunities, as a result of their participation.
Its impact extends far beyond the children that participate in the programs, making an immeasurable positive impact on the country, the communities surrounding each center, the teachers, coaches and families of the over half a million children that have benefited from ITEC.
The organization is focused on the core values of education, equality, empowerment and well-being. Through its social impact programs, a wide range of children are served, including youth at risk, immigrants from Ethiopian and Russia and children with special needs, from autism and ADHD to Down Syndrome as well as those with developmental and physical disabilities.
The goal of Israel Tennis & Education Centers is to ensure that every child in Israel is healthy, educated, equal and equipped to pursue their dreams, without religious, economic or social barriers, and has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“We are so proud of our history, growth and evolution. It is simply amazing to see how education and empowerment has truly transformed the lives of these children,” states Jacqueline Glodstein, Executive Vice President of Global Development. “We teach in an environment of diversity and inclusiveness as we believe, this will set them on the path to a brighter future, which they might otherwise not have envisioned.”
For more information or to donate, please visit www.ITECenters.org.