Heart to Heart is a youth leadership program for Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel. We are dedicated to empowering youth with the tools and relationships they need to create a more inclusive and peaceful society. Our summer camp program, held in Ontario, serves as the springboard for year-round activities, community building, and joint action back home.
Heart to Heart was created to counter the culture of division and fear that exists between these communities and respond to the structural racism and inequality in Israeli society. Although it may not be fair that young people inherit problems from previous generations, we believe that with the right tools, they can find the creative solutions needed to chart a new path. We believe that youth have a valuable role to play in creating change, not only as future leaders, but as meaningful actors right now. Heart to Heart participants are a ray of hope and a reminder of what is possible when people are given the opportunity to come together to learn and listen.
Heart to Heart was created to counter the culture of division and fear that exists between these communities and respond to the structural racism and inequality in Israeli society. Although it may not be fair that young people inherit problems from previous generations, we believe that with the right tools, they can find the creative solutions needed to chart a new path. We believe that youth have a valuable role to play in creating change, not only as future leaders, but as meaningful actors right now. Heart to Heart participants are a ray of hope and a reminder of what is possible when people are given the opportunity to come together to learn and listen.
Summer CampCamp is transformative. It's where true friendships form and our young leaders gain tools to have the challenging and sensitive conversations needed to build a brighter future - together. It replaces fear and mistrust with understanding, empathy, and long-lasting friendships.
Each summer we bring a cohort of twenty youth from Israel, half of them Jewish and half of them Arab Palestinian, to camp in Perth, Ontario. Immersed in the magic of summer camp, and away from the pressures of life back home, the youth form deep bonds. Camp activities such as swimming, sports, arts and crafts, gardening, hiking and canoe trips enable participants to discover new sides of themselves and each other. Living in shared cabins provides them with the tangible opportunity to learn how to live together with trust and respect. The Heart to Heart curriculum focuses on personal growth, relationship building, and facilitated dialogue. Participants explore the narratives, politics, and power dynamics that shape their everyday lives back home as a precursor to collectively envisioning a better future. We teach emotional awareness and intelligence through daily mindfulness practices, active listening skills, and non-violent communication strategies. By providing the building blocks for respectful communication and engaging in constructive conflict, our participants are able to navigate difficult conversations, tensions and conflict with greater confidence and competence. |
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Alumni CommunityHeart to Heart starts with summer camp in Canada because we know that that is the most powerful beginning. But, it's everything that comes after, when the youth go home to their communities, that sustains and amplifies the impact. Back in Israel, our alumni have planned Get Out The Vote campaigns, made music videos , led peer-education workshops and panels, and cleaned up discriminatory graffiti in local bus stops. They are active, engaged citizens working in partnership to bring their communities together toward a more peaceful and just future. Alumni participate in a yearlong series of facilitated monthly meetings focused on projects they design to spread the values of the program. They meet regularly on their own initiative for social gatherings and holiday celebrations. Participants also become part of an extended community of alumni, beyond their cohort. Our annual alumni conference is an opportunity for alumni to form and deepen relationships with members of other cohorts and for informal peer-to-peer mentorship to flourish. The Alumni Leaders Forum provides a cross-cohort forum for alumni to take the reins in building the vision for their community and planning joint projects and activities. Heart to Heart is more than just a summer camp, it's a community and a movement of young people who want to change their society and build a better world. |
Parent EngagementSending your child across an ocean to a new experience in Canada is nerve-wracking for any parent, no matter their identity. By going through the experience together, a bond and community is formed among parents. Today, parents are leveraging those connections and continuing to engage with one another through joint social gatherings, programs, and taking leadership roles in designing and implementing activities for their children.
Through carpools, pick-ups, and drop-offs, parents are able to informally catch up and foster friendships. Through quarterly gatherings for alumni and their parents, relationships are strengthened. Through their children and the platform provided by Heart to Heart, parents get an opportunity, and a push, to get active in creating change in their communities too. Parents also have a role to play in the ongoing programming for their children. They are supported to take leadership in planning and executing joint programs for them and their children. Some examples of past activities include volunteer days, harvesting olives, iftar gatherings during Ramadan, art gallery visits, hikes and learning about the history of their region, from multiple perspectives, and parent presentations about their careers so that the youth can learn about different career paths, bust stereotypes, and have access to role models from different identity groups. |
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