“Wise is he who foresees the future”
The Israel Institute for Early Childhood Education works to change policies and public discourse on the quality of early childhood education and care in Israel and to develop pedagogic programs based upon studies, as well as to create a quality standard for early education.
About the Institute
The Israel Institute for Early Childhood Education in the Oranim College – because education begins at birth.
Our objective:
Quality education from birth – to invest in educators of early childhood education, developing responses that are adapted to suit early childhood.
Who are we?
The idea to establish the Israel Institute for Early Childhood Education was born out of the convergence of the knowledge and experience in the domain of early childhood which has been accumulated in the Oranim College over dozens of years, and the national need to improve the quality of early childhood education.
The Institute works towards promoting the standing of early childhood education and its place in public discourse in Israel, as well as in the heart of academe, fully understanding the importance to man and society.
The Institute is a framework for training, promotion, advancement, support, following up and consultation for professionals in the education and early childhood care. The early childhood care professional staff in the Institute is entrusted with building the curricula and teaching, as well as creating an empowering and fruitful link between the field of education and academe.
The national need
There is widespread agreement regarding the importance of Edu-Care during a child’s early years. These are the most critical and significant years for the development of language, the acquisition of learning patterns, the development of social capabilities and learning about the possibilities of adjustment. There are far-reaching consequences that affect the abilities that develop in the young with regard to the continued life of the growing child and society and in education. These enable the almost exclusive possibility of reducing the gaps and of encouraging positive social behavior in order to build a proper foundation for a healthy society.
The State of Israel has a number of unique characteristics with regard to developing nations, such as a high birth rate, parents who work particularly long hours and great social gaps.
The lack of sufficient investment in early childhood education is felt in the fact that the children, who already find themselves in educational frameworks that last many hours on a daily basis, suffer from overcrowding and a small ratio of adults vis-à-vis number of children. In addition, the children are cared for by adults who, for the most part, have not received sufficient training to be able to do this work or who have no training whatsoever.
In addition, the lack of training creates a situation where early education professionals face difficult conditions such as low salaries, a lack of the possibility of professional development and exhausting work conditions, resulting in a low employment image.
The Institute takes on an added importance these days because of the burning national need to improve the quality of early childhood education, a need which is rising and creating signs of change in State institutions as well. During this critical point in time, a clear professional voice is needed that will lead and label policies, establish professional standards and produce quality professional training frameworks.
The goals of the Institute
TRAINING: Developing professional curricula for early education and creating a high professional standard.
Preparing curricula that enable professional advancement tracks, specialization and continued studies which create a link between the training tracks and existing academic programs in the college.
Repositioning early childhood professions as prestigious professional occupations among policymakers and the public. The repositioning can be achieved as a result of formulating positioning documents, participation in national forums and having an impact on public discourse.
Developing novel knowledge and linking Israeli academe with the field of education and the international arena.
Following up on, promoting and training the early education target audience – the children, the staff, the parents and the community.
Members of the Institute
Ofira ben Shlomo
Ofira ben Shlomo, the Director of the Israel Institute for Early Childhood Education
Ofira ben Shlomo is a community social worker who holds a Master’s degree in the Honors Program in Public Policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Today, she is pursuing her studies towards a PhD in Sociology-Anthropology studies at the Tel Aviv University, researching the formation of urban morality towards status-less children in the periphery. Ofira has a rich past in management of policy change processes. Prior to joining the Institute’s staff, she was the CEO of the Social Involvement Fund which works for the benefit of status-less young children, working to promote policy and develop solutions. Ofira resides in Even Yehuda, is married to Arik and the mother of three wonderful children.
Tamar Bodek
Tamar Bodek, Director of strategic partnerships of the Oranim College
As part of her duties, Tamar is responsible for expanding the social activities of the College by enlarging the network of contacts with major players in civic society, business, government and philanthropy. As part of her duties, she aspires to merge the business world and society. Tamar has a BA in Biology from the Ben-Gurion University, and an M.A. in Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry from the University of Ottawa in Canada. Tamar lives in Moshav Tsipori.
Anat ben Ari
Anat ben Ari, Director of early childhood in the KMA Center - The Center for Community, Leadership and Inspiration within the Institute
Anat is an educator with broad experience in the world of social-community and early childhood education. Among her recent occupations, she was in charge of early childhood education in the Misgav Regional Council. Recently, she accompanied the processes of change in educational frameworks and was a pedagogical advisor in the early childhood educational systems in the rural district. Anat has a BA in Education and Communication from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MA in Public Administration from the Haifa University, is certified as an early education teacher, and holds a certificate for organizational counseling. Anat is head of a Scout troop, a certified teacher of yoga and the mother of three.
Dr. Orit Dror
Dr. Orit Dror is a member of the Institute’s managerial team
Orit is a social activist in the field of early childhood education. She headed the Institute from its inception until 2023. Prior to that, she headed the early childhood education department of the Oranim College (2015-2021) and headed the early childhood training program (2023-2021), where she taught a variety of courses since 2002. She coordinated (in partnership) the early childhood forum in the MOFET Institute (2015-2021), and was, and is still, a member in a variety of forums that promote policy related to early childhood education. She was a member of the guidelines committee for teacher training (the Vadmani-Inbar Committee) (2017-2019). Orit completed the Mandel Program for Educational Leadership in Academe (2022), completed her BA studies in Occupational Therapy at the Tel Aviv University (1995), her MA studies in Educational Counseling at the Tel Aviv University (2001) and a received her PhD in Education at the Haifa University (2014).
Dr. Galit Binat
Dr. Galit Binat is a policy researcher.
Dr. Binat has trailblazing experience in the field of educational, technological and social initiatives in local government, the public sector and civic society. Among others, she served as the pedagogical director of the “Snunit” Association for the promotion of online education and established the “Waves” site in elementary schools, directed the “Eretz Acheret” [“Another Country”] Association, promoted public policy and reform proposals in the Jewish Popularism Center, and managed Education for Culture (the performing arts unit) in the Municipality of Holon. She has published in professional and scientific magazines, as well as books and research institutes. In her research and professional work, Dr. Binat links education and public policy of local and regional planning. Her study on “The contribution of technological-professional education to a city: local identity, reducing gaps and forming a local educational plan”, under the guidance of Prof. Avner DeShalit and Prof. Momi Dahan from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem won her the Jacques Naess Prize for her contribution to the study of political economy. The study draws a practical path for promoting educational policy which is linked to a vision of local development and regional social and economic assets.
Shir Lebanon Mantal
Program director
Shir Levanon Mantal has an M.Ed. in Training and Managing Educational Processes. In her previous duties, she became deeply familiar with educational field work. In the past, she managed a kindergarten and today, serves as a pedagogic trainer for early childhood education in the Northern District. Shir coordinates the training of educational staff for ages birth to three in the Shaanan College and also serves as a pedagogic trainer of students there who are working on their Bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education. Shir resides in Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov Ichud, is married to Omri and has three wonderful children.
Dr. Sigal Achituv
Dr. Achituv is a member of the steering and development team. She is the director of the research department.
Dr. Achituv has a Ph.D. from the Learning, Teaching and Training Dept. of the Faculty of Education at the Haifa University. She graduated with the first class of the Post-doctoral program in the MOFET Institute and within the framework of the research program, she studied the process of change that daycare managers undergo. She teaches classes related to early childhood in the BA and MA tracks in the Oranim College and the Gordon College. Her lectures include a variety of subjects related to early childhood, such as: bible stories in kindergarten, curricula for early childhood, teamwork in kindergartens and qualitative research. Her studies focus upon the identity of early childhood teachers. For many years, she worked in the Northern District as a supervisor of kindergartens for the Ministry of Education and today runs advanced study sessions for kindergarten teachers in the teachers’ staff portal and works as a “scientific” advisor of the experimental kindergarten in the town of Ma’alot.
Dr. Gail Suskin
Dr. Suskin is a member of the Institute’s steering committee. She is the head of the Early Childhood Training Department and responsible for the early childhood curriculum.
In addition to her activities in the Institute, Gail serves as the chairperson of the Early Childhood Dept. and the coordinator of the College’s Arts program, and teaches courses in movement in the various departments. She is a certified movement therapist. Gail holds a Ph.D. in Gender Studies from Bar Ilan University, an M.A. in Women Studies and a B.A. in Psychology and Education.
In the past, she worked as a district advisor for the Ministry of Education and was in charge of pre-medical treatment in the Northern District. She worked as supervisor in the Ministry of Education with regard to special education in the Orthodox sector and today, advises in a center which provides treatment solutions to the Orthodox public in Haifa and in the North. In addition, Gail teaches training courses for working in the “snoozeland” room.