ICL’s commitment to advancing education and social values shines brightly through our partnership with the program “Password for Every Student.” This initiative is at the heart of our social impact efforts, providing children across Israel with the tools they need to succeed in a digital age. In this article, we explore the dual benefits of this partnership: equipping students with cutting-edge technological skills and fostering a generation grounded in positive social values. Discover how “Password for Every Student” is shaping a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive in the modern world and contribute meaningfully to society.
ICL Group has a strong commitment to social impact and community activities that make a meaningful difference to peoples’ quality of life. ICL’s approach to social impact is carefully thought out and is structured for maximum effect. Three strategic pillars allow resources to be channeled effectively:
- Employee Volunteering
- Social Impact Partnerships
- Grant Making
The ICL partnership with Password for Every Student is an excellent example of a social impact partnership that uses ICL resources to achieve positive long-term benefits, both for individuals and for society as a whole. The immediate results of a project like Password for Every Student are readily quantifiable – and are highly positive – but it’s impossible to place a fiscal, or even a true tangible value, on the transformational power of education across society as a whole. ICL is confident that the ultimate return on investment is exponential!
Introducing a Password for Every Student
Avishay Gibli, CEO of the Password for Every Student program was kind enough to join us for an in-depth interview about the program, its goals, and how it succeeds in delivering technological education to a diverse range of students across Israel.
Avishay, welcome, and thank you for joining us! What is a “Password for Every Student”? Please describe its core mission and how this amazing program came into being.
Hello everybody, It’s a pleasure to be here! Password for Every Student is the largest program in Israel combining education, technology, and social values. Over the last two decades, millions of students have joined us from all sectors of society. We give them vital tools to succeed in the 21st century. I’ll break it down for you:
Technology
We work with Microsoft and Google to operate the largest online learning platform in Israel. Our cloud-based applications are adapted for education and designed for accessibility.
Education
We develop unique content approved by the Ministry of Education that emphasizes students’ technological skills, combining subjects such as digital orientation, AI, coding, and game-based and project-based learning.
Values
We promote social values such as environmentalism, acceptance, and sustainability in all our content.
The organization was created in 2006 by businessman Udi Angel, who has been its chairman ever since. Mr. Angel aimed to reduce technological gaps in schools and promote social mobility by making technology, education, and social values more accessible. The initial impetus started when Mr. Angel visited a school in Yeruham, on Israel’s geographical periphery. He saw significant gaps in technological knowledge among both students and teachers as well as a lack of computers and decided to take action.
Password for Every Student operates within schools in Israel’s social and geographical periphery to allow every child a genuine equal opportunity to reach their potential. The schools in which it operates represent all religions and sectors comprising the Israeli human mosaic: secularist, traditionalist, and orthodox Jews, Arabs, Circassians, and Druzes, Christians, and Muslims. Our organization works to bring hearts together among all sectors through various joint activities and online as well as face-to-face encounters.
With technology constantly evolving, how does the program ensure its educational content remains cutting-edge and relevant for students?
We have established a unique technological pedagogical center staffed by a team of advisors and professional content developers. This team deals continuously with researching, learning, and developing cutting-edge content adapted for changing times and needs that come out of the field.
We maintain close working relationships with schools – our instructors are deployed in schools across the country and liaise with students and teachers constantly. They listen to each school’s unique needs and bring feedback to the technological-pedagogical center. There’s ongoing two-way communication.
Our technological pedagogical center team keeps track of technological developments around the world and updates our learning programs repeatedly with new tools. A great example of this is generative AI. We already have innovative learning content to prepare students for a technological world in which AI is a driving force.
We also cooperate with education and technology leaders in Israel and abroad, making sure our instructors and developers learn constantly and develop professionally. We place great emphasis on our educational content being innovative and relevant. We believe this is how we can make our students face future challenges and opportunities successfully.
Could you share a success story of how “Password for Every Student” has made a tangible difference in a student’s or a school’s educational journey?
Sure – there are plenty to choose from! Password for Every Student positively affects the lives of many children in Israel and helps them develop essential technological skills as well as important values. I take pride in telling you the story of our success, which demonstrates the program’s positive impact. Here’s a typical scenario:
Imagine a world where every child in your town has their own hybrid laptop connected to the internet, and the kids go to school with just the laptop (containing all their learning content), no backpack or textbooks, etc. Entering the classroom, they meet Guy, their instructor, who teaches them how to research and study online with their laptop and even how to code using AI. On holidays they are not left alone, as he imparts them more technological skills in study camps that also promote values of tolerance and environmentalism.
This is not a fictional story but our own story, the Password for Every Student story in dozens of localities in Israel where no kid has been left behind. The schools we work with achieve great things and these have won educational awards from the Ministry of Education in Israel.
Our graduates can be found manning key positions in Israeli society and industry. One is Kobby Cohen. As a pupil at the Aliza Begin School in the town of Migdal Ha’emek, Kobby got his basic training from our organization. He then focused on technology in high school, graduated in engineering from the university, and got a job at Intel.
Kobby then moved to a startup company where he works in a key position. This shows how the technological tools he acquired from the organization, the values he absorbed as well as the encouragement he got for creative, out-of-the-box, and entrepreneurial thinking – all of that has helped him climb up to where he is today.
We have got many success stories like Kobby’s, of graduates who contribute meaningfully to society by working in key positions at major companies and groundbreaking startups. These are the next generation of high-tech leaders, and I am sure we are going to hear a lot more about them!
In what ways does the program specifically address the educational needs of children from underprivileged backgrounds?
We’re a social organization, and we’re committed to reducing gaps among underprivileged children. We do so by providing a holistic and personally-adapted solution for every student, with an emphasis on addressing their specific needs.
Our activity is based on a deep understanding that reducing technological gaps is a prerequisite for reducing social gaps. That is why we provide thousands of personal laptops yearly to pupils and families from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In addition to supplying equipment, we provide technological training adapted by age and skill level, both as part of school programs and in smaller, after-school study groups.
We also created a unique technological excellence program that allows talented students from underprivileged backgrounds to overcome difficulties and excel. Our team comprises experienced instructors, some of whom come from the periphery themselves or even have graduated from our own programs. They serve as role models and mentors for the students. We make sure to never leave students behind, so we make ourselves available for them throughout the day via a technical support center that offers personal assistance to enable home learning.
How does “Password for Every Student” measure the impact and effectiveness of its programs on social mobility and bridging educational gaps?
We measure the impact and effectiveness of our programs through various channels and methodologies: Online learning platform – The system lets us gather usage data in real time, allowing us to assess the effectiveness of our programs and detect areas for improvement.
Knowledge mapping – Upon first entering a new school, we map the knowledge of its teachers and students to understand their current level of knowledge and then track their progress over time.
Surveys and feedback – We pass surveys among students, teachers, and parents and ask for their feedback. We gather data on their experiences, the effectiveness of the programs, and their impact in terms of students’ own achievements and the school in general.
Academic collaborations – We collaborate with prominent researchers and academic centers to scientifically validate the effectiveness of our programs and their modus operandi.
Field visits – Our instructional development team conducts visits to schools to observe and closely study how programs are being implemented.
Our methods were vindicated when the State Comptroller commended Password for Every Student’s activity in a published report that reviewed various programs for technological education in Israel.
Partnerships with major tech companies can be pivotal. Could you discuss the role collaborations with Microsoft and Google play in enhancing your educational programs, and what strategies you employ to align your goals with their technological offerings?
Partnerships with leading tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Wix are a powerful means of improving technological-educational programs. These collaborations give our students access to advanced technological resources, professional knowledge, and financial support.
Having said that, it is important for us to manage these partnerships strategically, to make sure they contribute to achieving the educational program’s goals. Prior to making any collaboration, we define clear, measurable goals according to the needs of students and schools.
We carefully choose technologies that suit the educational content we make. We put emphasis on functionality, ease of use, and skills we want to work on with students and teachers. We also encourage mutual collaboration, with students and teachers participating in conferences, training sessions, and activities hosted by the companies in their own development centers.
Our collaboration with leading tech companies gives participants in our programs exclusive access to the newest technological tools in the world – way before they are made available for the general public! A prominent example of that is Microsoft’s AI-based reading progress tool developed for educational purposes. Password for Every Student gained access to the product well before its general release.
The program has a strong emphasis on values such as tolerance and environmentalism. How are these values integrated into the technological and educational content you provide?
I’ll quote A. D. Gordon who said “Education is the means. Man – that is the goal”, This is a superb description of what Password for Every Student stands for. We promote education for social values, alongside imparting technological skills and capabilities that will make Israeli children valuable and contributing citizens in the 21st century.
Our commitment goes far beyond technology and technological education. We are aware of the immense importance of social values in generating a holistic learning process. We believe it is of utmost necessity that students who receive a high-quality education also learn how to give back to their communities
At Password for Every Student, we put great emphasis on social values. All our programs and activities instill values such as tolerance, equality, mutual respect, and environmentalism. We enrich our content with videos, stories, quizzes, and other interactive activities to expose these subjects to kids in a fun and active way. We recruit well-known positive figures the children see as role models to raise awareness for such important issues.
An excellent example of a social value we have been promoting this year is knowing the other. The Israeli Ministry of Education has defined the value of knowing the other as a leading value for the school year. Our pedagogical center has accordingly developed an educational program entitled “The Other is my Brother”, participated by pupils from all over the country who developed innovative social and technological initiatives for promoting the value.
One of the most moving initiatives for me occurred recently in Nahariya. Students showed me their own initiative regarding a fellow classmate who had a walking disability. They had designed a special walker for him, applying technological tools and knowledge they acquired through our program. That child’s story touched my heart. He had been refusing to make use of the market-standard walker, which hindered his coping with his disability.
His parents and teaching staff had had no other solution for him. His friends, using the knowledge and technological tools acquired through our program, had been attentive to his needs and devised a better solution. They had made him a special walker with an application encouraging him to use it with unique music and lighting. By the time I visited there, the kid had already been walking around with his new walker – which was really inspirational to see!
This story demonstrates perfectly the power of the three pillars of the program: Education – educating the students for entrepreneurship in a way that develops their 21st-century skills; Values – the classmates showed empathy, a willingness to help, and a sense of responsibility for their friend; Technological skills – they knew how to translate their goodwill into a creative and effective technological solution.
We are proud of our ability to bring about a positive change in so many kids’ lives. We believe combining values education with technological skills is the key to training a generation of involved and responsible citizens who contribute to both Israeli society and the entire world.
What have been your biggest challenges in scaling the program, and how have you overcome them?
The COVID-19 crisis stimulated a massive jump in demand for technological learning solutions. The whole world realized the importance of technology in difficult times, especially for education systems. In Israel, we are well aware of the importance of distance learning, not only because of the COVID-19 lockdowns but also due to the country’s difficult security situation, which sometimes forces students to learn from home. The Password for Every Student organization is a leader in this field, with over one million students and teachers who use the platform regularly.
The growing demand is creating multiple challenges in a number of areas: We’re investing in cloud-based infrastructures, which allow us to increase the number of users without limit, as well as including new cloud-based learning applications. Content development wise, the challenge has been creating a variety of new programs to address schools’ changing needs.
This means adapting content for different ages, languages, and learning levels. Our organization’s rapid growth has forced us to expand our team of instructors. We came up with a unique model for selecting, recruiting, and training a quality workforce in a short time. We’re now sharing our methods with the Israeli Ministry of Education.
There is no doubt that the greatest challenge in expanding the program has been financial. Thanks to the support of our donating companies and partners like ICL, we have managed to increase our operating budget This is my opportunity to say thank you to Udi Angel and Idan Ofer and to the companies like ICL, who allow us to keep giving each and every child an equal opportunity to get a vital technological education. Their donations and support allow us to make our vision a reality and shape a better future for Israeli children.
What are the future goals for “Password for Every Student,” and are there any upcoming initiatives you’re particularly excited about?
Password for Every Student aspires to become a global leader in the field of technological and values-oriented education. We want to give every child an equal chance to benefit from quality learning adapted for the digital age. We work constantly to expand the program, develop new content, and improve effectiveness.
We aim to reach every child in Israel and provide them with access to a Password for Every Student program. We collaborate with ICL and the other donating companies, as well as with the Ministry of Education, local authorities, and educational associations to gradually expand the program.
We put a special emphasis on underprivileged populations such as minorities, women, and ethnic groups who struggle with adopting technology as part of their way of life. We need to keep developing original and relevant content that encourages experiential learning as well as our digital learning platform. It especially moves me that we are to adopt schools for children with special needs next year with Variety Israel’s aid.
In the coming years, we will develop innovative models for combining technology with values in community-adapted education. What’s really encouraging is that we’re witnessing a growing demand from European states interested in implementing the Password for Every Student model for themselves as well. We are excited about the possibilities we are facing and the opportunities to positively impact the lives of a million children!
How can individuals or organizations support “Password for Every Student,” what opportunities are there to get involved, and what does help from the community mean for your program?
The Password for Every Student organization needs a lot of support to keep growing and positively impacting the lives of many children in Israel. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and organizations wishing to contribute to the program. We invite companies and organizations to explore our social involvement model based on the “school adoption” model in the social periphery and among underprivileged schools. The financial contributions allow us to provide schools and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds with a holistic solution.
Aside from vitally important financial contributions, we depend on our partner organizations’ kind-hearted employees who volunteer at schools, and instruct and assist local communities. It is also important for me to mention that our donating companies’ social agenda matches the social values that we promote as an organization.
An excellent example of such strategic partnership is the connection with ICL, which has set out to protect the earth by developing innovative, sustainable solutions in the fields of agriculture, food, and industrial products.
Together we have developed a program called “environmental education”, where students are given a personal laptop with a learning program that promotes advanced technological skills and reduces the students’ use of paper and their carbon footprint. Our cloud-based platform permits learning anytime, anywhere. Most of all, I am proud of having included ICL employees in our educational activities at schools – a collaboration that will only increase in the coming years.
We constantly work to derive real (and quantifiable) value from our donors’ and partners’ financial contributions. Importantly, a donation to Password for Every Student indirectly helps in creating quality job positions in the periphery. It is particularly exciting to meet at Password for Every Student instructors who began as students of the program.
I call on anyone who wishes to make a positive impact on the future of children in Israel and the entire world to join us and support Password for Every Student. Together we could make the world a better place to live in and give every child a chance to succeed regardless of the background from which they come!
As we’ve seen, the partnership between ICL and ‘Password for Every Student’, supported by other key partners, is a powerful example of how strategic collaborations can transform education. With the combined efforts of all involved, the program has made significant strides in reducing educational disparities and enhancing technological access.
Looking forward, we remain committed to expanding these efforts, aiming to reach even more children and communities. We invite everyone inspired by our journey to join us in this mission, helping to shape a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
ICL – Investing in Children: Strengthening Communities
ICL is deeply committed to strategic investments in local communities where we operate, significantly impacting society as a whole. Located primarily in Israel’s peripheral regions—areas that often face underinvestment and limited opportunities—our facilities serve as more than just production sites; they are active partners in community development. As a major employer, ICL strives to be a force for good, fostering local development and enhancing the quality of life.
These educational advancements not only empower individual students but also revitalize their communities, preparing them for active participation in the world. The success of Password for Every Student reflects our mission to enhance the lives of those in the communities we serve through strategic partnerships.
If you have ideas to further these efforts or wish to contribute, we are eager to hear from you.
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