A new nonprofit entity dedicated to empowering dynamic public elementary and high school principals in Israel’s social and geographical periphery to transform their schools has launched.

The Educational Initiatives Center (EIC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and local municipalities, looks to demonstrate measurable improvement in the educational and social achievements of participating schools.

Conceived by former Bialik-Rogozin Campus principal Karen Tal – who just this week received the prestigious Charles Bronfman Prize – and sponsored by a group of supporters/funders – EIC will be guided, led and supported by leading educational experts and Israeli business leaders and volunteers.

The EIC is based on the demonstrated success of the Bialik-Rogozin model and will enable participating principals to work with voluntary action committees to develop strategic plans for their individual schools.

EIC envisions the launch of the model at three schools in the 2011-2012 school year; at six schools in the 2012-2013 school year; and at 10 schools in the 2013-2014 school year.

Financial support has been pledged by Guilford and Diane Glazer Foundation, Rothschild Foundation, Gottesman Foundation, Bank Hapoalim and Ormat Energy Corporation. Additional support has come from members of the Israeli business community including Dr. Shmuel Harlap, Yael and Rami Lipman, Shlomo and Nira Nechama, Moshe Yanai and the Vardi family.

About Bialik-Rogozin: Beginning with the threat of closure, this failing elementary and high school with student’s from Israel’s social periphery reversed course under the leadership of Karen Tal, with support form the Municipality of Tel Aviv, the Tel Aviv Foundation, the Ministry of Education and private partnerships. Within six years, the school doubled in size to 800 children including pupils from 48 other countries along with children of foreign workers and refugees from Darfur. The school has a matriculation rate of 72% and the school drop-out level has been eradicated. The effort to turn this school around has received international attention and the school was awarded the 2011 National Educational Prize. Bialik-Rogozin was also the subject of the 2011 Academy Award winning documentary, Strangers No More.