Teen Initiative Information needed for Board: 1) Aspirations a) Youth Program that runs K-12 b) Teens will “graduate” with a strong Jewish identity and solid Jewish foundation that they will carry through life c) Incorporate distinctly Beth El culture/feeling 2) Content a) Social: Teens have a deeply social nature. Difficult to have robust social program with small Beth El cohort. (Note: Although the rising 7th grade class has 20 (?) tweens, most classes are half that size.) b) Education: Want teens to be exposed to appropriate and challenging Jewish study. Again, it is difficult to provide a full program with the small Beth El cohort c) Ritual: leading services, reading Torah/Haftorah, B’nai Mitzvah tutoring. This is one of the areas that distinguish Beth El. d) Leadership and Social Action 3) Implementation: respect teens busy schedules and their highly social nature. Also leverage what Beth El does well and how Beth El can work with other community organizations. a) Social: Have both Beth El only and community opportunities. Make the Beth El events special, memorable, and with a distinctly Beth El component. i) Teen Shabbat Dinners: (1) Bi -Monthly? Monthly? (2) Two cohorts? 8th-9th grade and 10-12th grade? ii) Special “Teen Only” events (1) Once or twice a year (2) Special Shabbaton? (3) Special trip with some Jewish content/destination? USY regional activity? (4) Capstone trip to NYC or Israel*. Alternate years? When? Which age groups? iii) Encourage Participation in Midrasha: Community Midrasha provides a large teen cohort. Good for teens to have regular activity where they are with many Jewish teens. Develop activity with Beth El “stamp” for teens to participate in during the trimester when Midrasha is at Beth El. iv) Social Media: FB? Instagram? and Webpage: Calendar? Blog? Photos? b) Education: i) Develop K-12 curriculum (long-term goal, but will frame entire youth education program) ii) Midrasha: Work actively with Midrasha to develop curriculum and courses that will provide an appropriate and challenging course of Jewish study for 8th -12th graders. Ideally the Midrasha program will provide much of the aforementioned Beth El curricular content. Idea is that through Midrasha which has larger cohort of teens, Beth El can achieve its educational goals that might not be possible with the small Beth El cohort. iii) Torah study? (see below) c) Ritual: i) B’nai Mitzvah tutoring: This program of peer tutoring is one of the hallmarks of the Beth El experience for students, tutors, and families. (1) Enhanced tutor training (2) Recognition (not just at Bar/Bat Mitzvah) ii) Shaliach Tziubbur: Continue to develop service leadership skills. Teens will be paired with experienced member of the congregation. iii) Torah/Haftorah reading and study: (1) Encourage teens to read Torah or Haftorah on anniversary of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah (2) Teen Torah Club: Once a quarter (or maybe 3 times a year), a group of teens will read all or most of the Torah portion. In preparation, teens can meet to practice reading and trope. An added bonus would be to have some Rabbi led Torah study (maybe there would be a theme each year). d) Leadership and Social Action: i) Madrichim: Teacher assistants in the Talmud Torah. Maybe also pre-Kadima and Kadima assistants? Take leadership training through Midrasha and participate in Madrichim only professional development sessions. ii) Work with Social Action Committee and identify projects that teens can run/own. Can also coordinate with Midrasha on their new community service track. e) Recognition i) Coordinate with Midrasha about their Certificate Program. They are developing “tracks” so that teens can earn certificates in Jewish Arts and Culture, Jewish Studies, and Service Learning and Leadership. ii) “Jewish Activity Scholarships”: Teens who participate in the program have the ability to earn scholarship funds to be applied towards the capstone trip or other Jewish teen experiences (camps, educational opportunities, etc). 4) Resources needed: a) $$ for Teen Shabbat dinners, special Teen only events and trips, and “Jewish Activity Scholarships” b) Director of Teen Education: As suggested by the Va’ad, this position could encompass the entire range of programming for the 6th-12th grade cohort: i) Education (work with Talmud Torah, Midrasha), ii) coordinate B’nai Mitzvah tutoring (for tutors and tutees), iii) Social activities (Kadima/USY, teen dinners, special teen only events and trips), iv) Organize Torah Club, v) Work with Madrichim, vi) Coordinate teen social action events vii) Be responsible for teen communications c) Curriculum Committee (including time from EYD and Rabbi). This group will develop K-12 curriculum and work with Midrasha on course offerings. d) Rabbi or Gabbaim or Ritual Committee to help identify mentors for Shaliach Tziubbur program e) Rabbi’s time for Torah club Pillar Why? What? How Often? Comments Resources needed 1. Teens have Teen Shabbat Dinners Bi-monthly? Dinner with the Rabbi $$ deeply social Teen Only Events 1-3 times/year Teen only Shabbaton? Director of Teen Education nature. Special Trip? USY Regional? $$ for programs 2. Important to Social Capstone Trip* have Jewish Midrasha Weekly Large teen cohort peer group. (Jewish Social Media/Webpage Instagram? FB? Director of Teen Education and Executive identity) Calendar? Blog? Photos? Director Develop K-12 Curriculum Long-term goal. Will frame all youth EYD, Rabbi, and Curriculum committee 1. Develop solid program goals. Jewish Midrasha Weekly BE should have input into course EYD, Rabbi, and Curriculum committee foundation. content to ensure meaningful and Education 2. Demonstrate challenging program of study. that Jewish Certificate Program* learning is life- long. Torah Club (see below) 3-4 times/year Capstone Trip* NY?LA?Israel $$ B’nai Mitzvah tutoring weekly Hallmark of Beth El experience for (Currently have B’nai Mitzvah coord. and students and teens. $$ to pay tutors.) Director of Teen Teens take Education may assume B’M coord. role. active part in Ritual Beth El ritual Shaliach Tziubbur Teen assigned adult mentor Rabbi and/or Gabbaim/Ritual Committee life. Torah Club 3-4 times/year Teens as group read weekly Torah Director of Teen Education portion. Study with Rabbi? Rabbi and Gabbaim Madrichim weekly TT teaching assistants EYD and/or Director of Teen Education 1. Participate in Midrasha leadership training Leadership and synagogue Professional Development Social Action life. Community Service 2-3 times/year Coordinate with Social Action Teen Coordinator 2. Tikkun Olam Committee and Midrasha Certificate Program MIdrasha Certificate in Jewish Coordinate with Midrasha Studies, Service Leadership, etc. *Recognition Jewish Activity Teen participants have ability to earn $$ Scholarship scholarship funds towards Capstone Trip or other Jewish activities. .