Environmental, Academic and Educational Activities
Chemistry studies encouragement project, with the Weizmann Institute
“We’ve Got Chemistry!” is a project administered by ICL, the Department for Teaching Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the Supervisor of Studies in Chemistry at the Ministry of Education, to encourage studies in chemistry and the chemical industry in Israel. The project, conducted at the Davidson Institute of Science Education, the Weizmann Institute’s educational branch, exposes students to the ways in which chemistry is applied in our daily lives and in industry, presents chemistry’s importance and contribution to humanity, helps develop skills in science, encourages creativity and supports diverse young talents. In addition, the project enables participants to address dilemmas in chemistry and their connection to modern society. Volunteers from ICL in various disciplines serve as lecturers, evaluators and members of the project’s steering committee. ICL also funds the project with an annual contribution.
Rotem Hamidbar
The Rotem Hamidbar project exposes high school students and pre-military program members in the country’s south to the dilemmas of sustainability in the Negev, i.e. security (IDF), settlements, agriculture, tourism and industry. Learning activities in the project leads participants to the understanding that the Negev is a puzzle comprised of changing needs, a mosaic whose pieces combine to create a complete picture.
The project is led by instructors of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and other environmental organizations trained through a course provided by Kaye College, entitled “Industry and Nature Preservation – the Negev as a Puzzle of Changing Needs”. The course awards two academic credit points and is taught by lecturers and academics who are partners in dealing with the complexities of the Negev. ICL is represented by employees from its production facilities.
The program has been operating for almost ten years. The pilot was organized together with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and, following its success, additional environmental organizations joined the program. The Ministry of Education selected it as a seminar program for its Israel studies teachers in the southern region.
The Southern Campus in Pre-military Programs
Students at pre-military preparatory programs (“mechinot”) participate in tours, lectures and seminars on environment and sustainability, during which they join in activities of Rotem Hamidbar – the Negev as a Puzzle of Changing Needs- and learn to deal with the complex dilemmas involved in living in the Negev.
Bio-Study Projects for Matriculation
Research in ecological reconstruction of disturbed areas (mines), conducted by Prof. Yaron Ziv of the Ben Gurion University, is a unique and groundbreaking study on an international level. The study analyzes the abiotic and biotic factors of natural environment, while comparing it to an artificial environment after reconstruction of mines. The study operates as a “live laboratory” – a dynamic and accessible system that is open to groups of students, teachers and environmental educators, as part of which high school students in the south conduct bio-study projects for matriculation. In 2017, 10 classes participated in the project. In 2018, 12 classes participated in the project, 850 high school students in total.
The ecological reconstruction of mined areas in the Rotem plateau, initiated by Prof. Yaron Ziv of the Ben Gurion University has completed its second year. The project was carried out thanks to the cooperation between scientists, industrialists and educators. In the 2018-2019 school year, approx. 420 high school students from 12 high schools all over the Southern District took part in the project as part of their biology studies.
During the project, the students learned the complexity of nature preservation and the challenges involved in reconstructing disturbed areas. They also studied and were exposed to ecological research methods, the collection and processing of data, academic work and research methods practiced in academia. They were also familiarized with the needs of industry – ICL plants and the inseparable link between men and their environment. In addition, they took part in an activity regarding scorpions and bird-tagging at the Duchifat Center in Yeruham.
The practical and educational value of the project is great, and it serves as a broad platform for understanding the importance and significance of ecological reconstruction. The hands-on encounter with the field, data collection, phenomena analysis and guidance by both young and veteran experts, all ensure a strong connection between the teenagers and the environment, and education in positive citizenship and the preservation of nature.
The students took part in a process of ecological scientific study that included three sessions:
- Preliminary workshop at the school – the objectives of the preliminary workshop were to provide the students with meaningful comprehension of the scientific process and scientific thought, to familiarize them with basic ecological precepts of an ecosystem and its constituent components, to expose them to the complexity of practical ecology and ecological reconstruction in phosphate mining sites, and to conduct a directed, structured study according to the principles of scientific thought.
- A day-trip to the mining areas of ICL Rotem’s plants. The objectives of the trip were: learning of the region’s ecology, introduction to adjustment phenomena of organisms and the environment, to work using ecological study methods and collect data in the field, and hands-on experiential activity about scorpions and bird-tagging at the Duchifat Center in Yeruham.
- Concluding session at the school – this session’s objectives were to refresh and systematically review the findings in the field, present results, analyze them and compare them to projections and hypotheses, and reaching conclusions.
This unique program continues to evolve thanks to the joint educational and value-oriented vision of all the partners taking part in this meaningful project, who invested their time and efforts in its success.
Academic Partnerships
ICL participates in academic partnerships, supporting and funding sustainability and environmental activities in institutions of higher education. ICL supports environment and sustainability study programs conducted at the Interdisciplinary Center and a course in Strategies for the Management of Sustainability at the Department of Management at Ben Gurion University. An academic course on the Principles of Sustainability, with a focus on industry, enables students to visit ICL facilities in southern Israel and learn about issues of sustainability that are relevant to this industry. ICL partners with the Sami Shamoon College, at the Open University, the Kaye College and other educational institutions in environment, sustainability, chemistry, etc.
Young Entrepreneurs – Doing Business
“Young Entrepreneurs Doing Business” is a program that supports innovation and entrepreneurship in high schools. The program provides real-world experience in the development and management of business enterprises for high school students, from 9th grade and upwards, through groups formed in schools, community centers and other informal educational institutions. Over the course of a full year, students participate in weekly two-hour session, during which they learn about entrepreneurship and economics. The students experience the full life cycle of their own business – from initial fundraising, formulating the idea for a product or service, appointing position-holders, development, production, marketing, advertising and sales, all the way through to liquidation and division of profits. The products and services are freely designed, planned and developed by the students, within the framework of an industrial model.
ICL is proud to support these groups. ICL employees, including senior managers, counsel the groups and give lectures during seminars and mentoring days. The Young Entrepreneurs program opens up opportunities for youngsters, enabling them to develop personal skills and talents, teamwork, development and realization of ideas and the formation of business ties with companies active in the local economy.
Student Scholarships
ICL is proud to support hundreds of students through scholarships provided by ‘Perach’ and other non-profit associations. ICL believes that education is the key to professional and personal success, and that assisting young people to acquire education will benefit society at large.
Computer Literacy for Children in the South
ICL supports the ongoing activities of “A Password for Each Student”, an initiative that provides basic and comprehensive solutions for the educational system, from the user, through the classroom, school and educational system, comprising a computerized community for the residents of the area. ICL’s support provides 15,000 students in the Negev with digital accessibility, tutorial assistance and accessibility to knowhow, learning processes and organization, as well as an ongoing contact between all program users, wherever they are located.
Strengthening Birds of Prey Populations in Southern Israel
For several years the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and ICL have been conducting a project to help strengthen the population of birds of prey in southern Israel and to prevent their extinction from this region.
A vultures nesting area is located near the Heimar Stream close to a phosphate mine operated by ICL in the Hatrurim field. ICL has assumed responsibility for this project to minimize any damage that may be caused to birds of prey populations in the eastern Negev as a result of the company’s legitimate activities, and therefore funds equipment and feeding stations for vultures in southern Israel.
