About Heart to Heart:
Heart to Heart is a leadership program for Wadi Ara youth that begins with a summer camp in Canada following Gr.9. The group will spend three weeks at Camp Shomria, in Perth, Ontario, followed by several nights in Toronto where they will stay with local host families in pairs. After camp the program continues with a year of training and educational programming throughout Gr.10. After Gr.10 participants join the larger Heart to Heart alumni community and ongoing alumni programming.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicants must be in Grade 9 in the 2022/23 academic year (born in 2008)
- Applicants must be residents of the Wadi Ara region
- Applicants must be able to communicate effectively in English (the main language of the program is English)
- Priority will be given to qualified applicants from the Children Teaching Children (Yami) program
- Selected participants must be vaccinated against COVID-19 (at least two doses)
- Selected participants must have a valid passport (valid until at least January 2024)
- Selected participants must have a high level of interest and motivation to join the program
Selection Process:
- Interested individuals must fill out an online application, which can be found on the Heart to Heart website. The deadline to complete the application is February 26th, 2023
- Interviews will take place at Givat Haviva between March 13th - 16th, 2023
Other Key Information:
- Cost: All ground costs in Canada are covered by the program (meals, accommodation, trips, etc.)
- Participants are required to pay a program fee of 350 NIS, health insurance, and transportation costs. If the cost is a barrier, please contact us.
- Participants are required to pay a program fee of 350 NIS, health insurance, and transportation costs. If the cost is a barrier, please contact us.
- Chaperones: The group will be accompanied by our trained Arabic and Hebrew (and English) speaking chaperones. The chaperones will travel with the group to and from camp and will be with them throughout their time in Canada. The chaperones are also responsible for pre-camp group preparations and you, the parents, will have a chance to meet with them before the trip
- Hosts: While in Toronto, participants will stay with volunteer hosts who will be responsible for hosting them, providing meals and transportation to programming, and supervising them/providing entertainment during free evenings. This is a great opportunity to connect with Canadian families and many participants stay in touch with their hosts long after the program ends
- Communication: Participants will NOT have access to their Smartphones during camp. Weekly phone calls will be arranged during camp, and emails can be sent to participants by emailing [email protected]. Emails will be printed and distributed once a week a week. Participants can write letters home which will be scanned and sent to you by email. Chaperones will stay in touch with parents throughout the program
- COVID-19 Protocols: We will be following all Ontario health and safety guidelines. Camp programming will be adjusted to ensure COVID-19 protocols are maintained. COVID-19 regulations and requirements are subject to change at the discretion of Heart to Heart or based on government regulations
Parents’ Participation: We encourage the participation of parents in our program which includes parents and family programming. You will be required to attend 1-3 pre-camp meetings as part of the preparation process for the trip. After camp parents will join our parents' community through organized events and workshops