In a powerful blend of environmental education, Israel and new media technology, dozens of Philadelphia and Israeli students will be soon be connecting to their Jewish identity, Tikkun Olam, Israel and Jewish Peoplehood in a whole new way, as Sviva Israel launches a new Eco Connection network.

The Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Netivot-Sedot Negev-Philadelphia Partnership 2000 of the Jewish Agency are bringing the award-winning Eco Connection to five schools on both sides of the ocean. An action-packed program has students lighting up lemon-powered LEDs and blending pedal-powered smoothies, comparing their Ecological Footprint, rapping, designing environmental T-Shirts and trading repurposed friendship bracelets and blogging about their experiences together.

Changing the paradigm of the traditional classroom, the Eco Connection wires together workshops, joint contests and projects, community service and new media technology. This hands-on exploration of environmental challenges, Judaism and the Environment, and Israeli CleanTech innovation, has students blogging in Hebrew and English about their experiences and interests, expanding and consolidating their sense of Jewish Peoplehood and connection to Israel while increasing their environmental awareness and social responsibility.

Explains Sviva Israel’s Director, Carmi Wisemon, “The Eco Connection is on the cutting edge of Web 3.0 – where the virtual content is interconnected with real-life actions. We have developed a unique online Eco Campus, where each participating school has their own ‘virtual school’, teachers can easily access all of our content online and use the power of new media, including personal avatars and gardens, to excite their students about the environment, the diversity of the Jewish community and Israel’s achievements in CleanTechnology, like solar and wind energy, and water conservation. We already have a waiting list of schools that would like to join the program this year.”

The Netivot-Sedot Negev-Philadelphia Eco Connection joins a growing network of 18 schools in 3 US states and 4 Israeli cities connecting through Sviva Israel’s Eco Connection project for the Jewish Agency Partnership 2000.

about: Sviva Israel is a leading environmental education organization with offices in the United States and Israel developing and implementing programs that promote environmental literacy while exploring the connections between Judaism and the Environment.

Utilizing Web 3.0 media and innovative, practical educational tools, they build diverse networks of Jewish and Israeli youth and adults that learn together about themselves, Israel, our environment and their Jewish heritage.

Since its launch in 2007, Sviva Israel has run programming in 4 US states and 6 Israeli cities, totaling over 50 schools in Israel and the United States. Their Eco Connection flagship program has developed to include the Eco Campus, an environmental virtual school platform and social network for kids and teens.