The Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Foundation, in partnership with Jewish Funders Network, has created Enhancing the Israeli STEM Pipeline, a $1 million matching grant initiative to strengthen formal and informal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education in Israel for grades K-12 and generate a greater ongoing philanthropic commitment to the field.

Like other JFN matching grant initiatives, this initiative will encourage new donors to make their first ever (or significantly increased) grants to the field of Israeli STEM education by offering matching funds directly to the organizations that the new donors’ grants will support.

The economy is changing, and all careers now require candidates to possess collaborative, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills – the kinds of competencies that the STEM disciplines are especially good at teaching. A strong STEM education can help students become resilient critical thinkers and thrive in a technologically-driven world. Israeli organizations and programs focused on STEM literacy and excellence will be critical to bridging the gap between the current skills of students and the future needs of the workforce.

We’re all proud of the State of Israel’s vaunted status as the “startup nation.” But with the highest poverty rate of any OECD country, Israel’s economy still has a long way to go. The dynamism of that economy relies on a well-educated population. But the current state of Israeli STEM education is not yet adequate to the profound changes that the future will bring. The education system is failing especially in certain sectors of the population, such as Haredim, Arabs, Ethiopian Israelis, and other marginalized groups. This challenge has both economic and security implications for all of Israel. But the STEM education sector – if adequately funded – is poised to turn the tide.

Learn more about the initiative, including eligibility, the application process, and more, at stemisrael-match.org.