The Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation has provided a $6.5 million challenge grant to expand Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives’ (YOEI) outreach to more therapeutic residential communities and schools for at-risk youth in Israel.

Beginning January 2013, the Foundation will provide $1.3 million each year for five years to YOEI on the condition that Friends of Yemin Orde can match the 2:1 challenge grant with $675,000 each year. This is the second such challenge grant awarded to YOEI by the Marcus Foundation.

YOEI, created in 2006, partners with youth villages and schools in Israel where large populations of at-risk children struggle with learning and emotional difficulties. Through YOEI’s Educational Institute, educators receive teacher training, workshops and interventions that help apply the Village Way methodology in their schools. The ultimate goal of the methodology is to educate youth into becoming functioning heads of households who actively contribute to their community.