PresenTense launches School for Pioneering 2009 Pilot Semester: An innovative swap of local skills to the professional Jerusalem community

PresenTense, a grassroots organization that fosters social innovation and entrepreneurship within Jewish and Israeli communities, is launching a six-week semester of courses hosted at the PresenTense Hub. The ‘School for Pioneering,’ is a community-driven university model in which talented professionals teach classes handpicked by and for the general community.

These classes, taught in the evenings either every week for three weeks or every other week for six weeks from the first week of May, will span the spectrum of the latest web technology, to business ethics and strategy implementation, to inspirational ideas for the frustrated entrepreneur. Small classes will ensure personal attention and maximal learning, and an anonymous rating system will enable teachers to improve their pedagogy for future students to take classes that are worth-while. Courses with full curriculum and reading lists are posted online, and registration is already open.

“We are excited by the high number of qualified teachers,” said Aharon Horwitz, PresenTense’s Director of Education, “they have all been working hard to develop curricula and relevant professional literature specially attuned to the Jewish and Israeli operating environment.”

With changes in the global economy, innovation drives the entrepreneurial world, and professionals across the board are recognizing the need for practical training to fair well in the Digital Age. The School for Pioneering is an accelerator for social ventures within a supportive community full of innovative and inspirational ideas. Through the School, PresenTense will be providing key services to individuals who seek to sharpen their practice – and, therefore will be launching ever-more pioneers into the field.

About: The PresenTense Group, founded in 2006, is a non-profit organization aimed at recognizing the Jewish People’s collective potential by enabling and supporting Jewish and Israeli creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. PresenTense Group’s portfolio currently includes a print and web magazine that reaches 30,000 readers, educational programming in Jerusalem and major American cities, professional development programming currently being run with young federation professionals and other assorted organizations, and our flagship project, the PresenTense Institute, an early stage applied R&D shop in Jerusalem that provides a launchpad for socially-minded entrepreneurs initiating (for and not for profit) startups in the fields of education, technology, Jewish Community and Israel, environment, social justice, and philanthropy, among others. Most recently, the PresenTense Group launched its Jerusalem Hub, a centrally-located open workspace for members of the creative and entrepreneurial communities to work together, participate in workshops, and share ideas.

For more information on the School for Pioneering, email Program Coordinator Meredith Mishkin, school [at] presentense.org