WHO WE ARE
Nitzana Educational Community 2006
Nitzana is an educational community and settlement in the
desert, located close to the “peace border” between
Nitzana was established in 1986 by Arie Lova Eliav.
He has been a Knesset member and a member of the Israeli cabinet. In his life
he has built villages and towns in
Today, Nitzana
is managed by David Palmach, an educator who worked
many years in the organization of Nature Protection. He has also worked in the
fields that promote the teaching of science, as well as absorption for new
immigrants. He encourages creative education so that students may learn through
experience and activities.
The basic principles in the activities of
Nitzana include;
·
Nitzana as a Zionistic community that nurtures social pluralism – tolerance
between different streams inside
·
Strengthening
the “peace border” with
·
Educational
attitudes that include new approaches that provide students with values and a
fresh educational experience.
·
New
implementations in science and education that promote higher educational
results.
A BACKGROUND OF THE REGION
In the past….
The area of ancient Tel Nitzana lies on a hill above the Nitzana
of today. From this hill you can see almost the entire area of Pithat Nitzana. Long ago this was
an important historical crossroad connecting
Within the ancient ruins lies evidence of the Stone Age,
the times of the Fathers – the Bronze Age, the
With the end of the British mandate in Eretz
At Present….
This spacious region is outstanding for
its sea of dunes that are being targeted by the
In the recent years special agriculture
crops have evolved in this desert region. Greenhouses, olive groves, orchards
and vineyards, all which generate very high quality produce and fills the air
with a sweet aroma.
The most significant and innovative idea
in the region is the salt water that is available in large quantities in
underground water reservoirs. These waters
are being converted for agriculture use and are being filtered and can give
economic and agriculture independence to distant regions. Close to the border
terminal we have planted small forests that are being watered by the salty
water, and we have built salt water lakes from the water that is being released
in the reverse osmosis process from the water desalination plant.
The Future....
There is plenty of land, plenty of water
and an abundance of agriculture knowledge. All that is needed now is a regional
plan where the cooperation between like states that have the desert areas in
common to them such as the
INFRASTRUCURE
OF NITZANA
Nitzana is an oasis in the heart of the desert that keeps a
constant dialogue with the human and natural surroundings in its area. For
those who come to learn about the desert environment, there are hosting and
teaching facilities in Nitzana that includes lecture
rooms, computer rooms, a dining room with a variety menu, clean and modern
dormitories, a swimming pool, telescopes, laboratories, and many other
conveniences. Nitzana receives each year about 15,000
students and adults that come to our educational seminars. In general these
seminars last 2 to 3 days.
SEMINAR
SUBJECTS
DESERT SEMINARS
The main goal of the desert seminars is to teach the teenagers and
students about the potential here in the desert. We teach about the regions history
from the times of the fathers to the new and present agriculture, the
fascinating ecosystem of the dunes, night animals, biology, botany, zoology and
more. Throughout the educating process, activities include bicycle trips and
camel riding - just like the same ancient Nabatean
convoys that passed here in the Byzantine times. Students may enjoy the
hospitality of the Bedouin, the masters of the desert and more.
SCIENCE "FOLLOW THE SUN"
SEMINAR
In this seminar the youth are introduced
to scientific topics that relate to the desert. Within the framework of "Follow the Sun" they learn about solar
energy and the possibilities and the benefits of using clean energy. They also
learn about astronomy – the physics of light energy conversions, desert
ecosystems, water sources in the desert and solar water conversion, desert
agriculture and more.
CHALLENGING SPORT SEMINAR – The
Physiology of Effort
The open spaces and the desert conditions
gives the field of sports unique and challenging advantages. The sports that we
focus on are mountain biking, running and navigating – orienteering,
triathlons,
survival, etc. At Nitzana we have developed with
researchers a program where students take part in a challenging sport
experience while also studying the physiological effects of their bodies. We
have measuring devices that record data from the body while the body is
performing the activity. The students then process the data using computers. In
this sport seminar,
we have also included activities performed in the swimming pool, which is
heated by solar means. We operate a fleet of bicycles so that students are
readily equipped for biking excursions.
ECOLOGICAL RECYCLING CENTER
The subject of ecology and recycling is
universal and is being viewed as imperative for this time that we live in. The Environmental Department is developing a seminar to teach the students that
come to Nitzana the need for recycling and ways to
help preserve the ecology of the earth. The residents are currently learning
more in this field and experiencing recycling topics such as building home composters and using a special garbage separation center.
It is special because our recycling center is very beautiful, but every part of
it has been made from garbage and material that was ready to be thrown away.
Our goal is to make Nitzana an ecologically
environmentally friendly village - where you live and work according to the
issues of recycling and environmental preservation. For example, we are now in
the process of putting solar panels on our first residential home in order to
produce electricity.
AN INTERACTIVE SOLAR PARK
During the year of 2006 the first phase
of the scientific solar park in Nitzana will be completed. The goal of this park is to
demonstrate in a scientific experience the potential that lies within the sun.
The park will be used mainly for education and local research. The area of the
park will be 20 dunams, which is approximately 5
acres. The total cost of this project will be around 4 million dollars.
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLING FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Recently we opened a center called
Agriculture Research and Development (ARD) of Ramat
Negev. Desert agriculture studies are made available for students from
ALIYAH
AND ABSORPTION PROGRAMS
Our absorption programs include KEDMA, which is available for new immigrants from
The Educational Community of Nitzana is a catalyst for building a new landscape in the
region on the peace border between
One of the largest arteries of land
transportation in the region, an artery that connects North Africa to central