Etgarim
Computerised Learning Program for Ethiopian Immigrant Children and their Parents.
The challenges facing all new immigrants from Ethiopia are magnified and at times can seem insurmountable. Since most Ethiopian immigrant parents have had little formal schooling in Ethiopia they are not always capable of helping their children reduce the educational gaps from which they suffer. The Etgarim program is aimed at reducing the social and educational gaps experienced by Ethiopian immigrant children in the effort to enable them to fulfill their potential within the Israeli education system.
The program is based on an educational approach that respects the importance of developing autonomous learning in a computerized environment where the children get the chance to be involved in a variety of activities that develop different skills. The program is based on intensive research proving that social interaction near the computer encourages language development. Children who use the computer, talk to each other and discuss the ideas with their friends.