Reflections by Avi Ben-Hur, CWB Director of Education
This July, we embarked to Israel on our first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educator’s study seminar. The goal of this study seminar is to introduce STEM educators at public, private and charter schools in the Pittsburgh area to Israel’s booming landscape of start-ups and innovation.
The history of technological innovation in the Holy Land stretches over 4000 years. Our participants explored systems and technologies that helped Israel manage its ancient issue of water scarcity: the aqueducts of Caesarea, discovering Herod’s utilization of flash floods to supply Masada with water as well as the 3800-year-old Canaanite water system in the City of David. We also visited Sapir pumping station to highlight and learn about the country’s multi-layered solution to water scarcity today.
Our STEM educators had the opportunity to tour the leading academic science and technology institutions in Israel, such as the Robotics Center at the Technion, Tel-Chai Academic College, the Weizmann Institute and high-tech venues such as Hezliya Pituach (Israel’s Silicon Valley). STEM educators were able to visit and meet many of their peers at a variety of schools and educational institutions, including the private Reali School in Haifa, the Bedouin School in Beer Sheva, the Palestinian Technological Training School in East Jerusalem, as well as the High School Robotics Program in the Misgav Regional School in the lower Galilee region.
The group was also familiarized withIsrael’s political and regional conflicts. Two observation points in northern Israel – one on the Syrian border and the other near Lebanon – illustrated just how small Israel is 
and the large challenges that lie ahead in the region. The STEM group also learned about technological aspects of Israel’s security policies, such as features of the so-called security barrier, which was erected after a series of suicide bombings between 2000-2006.
Most importantly, the STEM teachers from different schools bonded and connected both personally and professionally. They actively participated in several brain-storming workshops on how to bring their experiences back into their classrooms at home. Our educators discussed many collaborative programs and initiatives – and we are excited to see what will emerge from these efforts in the coming months.
