Science pupils receive NIS 15m. in scholarships

A record NIS 15 million has been allocated by the Science and Technology Ministry for mentoring high-school pupils in various fields of science, compared with NIS 5m. last year. The planned budget is intended for more than 1,500 university and college students who will receive an annual grant of NIS 9,000, an increase of NIS 2,000 per scholarship compared with last year, in return for mentoring highschool pupils in the various sciences.

Minister Ofir Akunis said on Monday: “Our mentoring program enables talented students to receive support from us and to teach highschool pupils. Through the program, we encourage the development of the next generation of students and researchers.”

The mentoring program is designed to facilitate and strengthen science studies among youth, especially in the periphery and among populations of low socioeconomic status. As part of the program, intermediate and senior high-school pupils receive personal tutoring for 120 hours during the year from second-year students at the undergraduate level or higher in the exact sciences, such as chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics and biology, as well as English.

The participating institutions include the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Ariel University in Samaria, the Sapir Academic College near Sderot, Jerusalem’s Lev Academic Center, the Al-Qasemi Academy in Baka al-Gharbiya near Hadera, and the Sami Shamoon Academic College of Engineering campuses in Ashdod and Beersheba.