The Youth of Jerusalem
A leadership and digital media literacy program integrated into the curriculum of East and West Jerusalem schools. By combining structured educational workshops with inter-school collaborative activities, participants gain essential tools and confidence to amplify their voices through media competency, and bridge societal divides, contributing to a more cohesive and inclusive Jerusalem.
Overview
Over the past three years, 0202’s media and leadership programs have connected and strengthened women from the diverse communities of Jerusalem. Building on this success, our new project launching in 2025 will bring digital media literacy training into schools across East and West Jerusalem. In addition to equipping youth with a range of digital tools for personal growth, the program will help them critically engage with the complex realities they face- both online and in their city.
Project Details
In Jerusalem, divisions are instilled from childhood. Separate school systems give Jews and Arabs little room for genuine encounters. At the same time, today, young people are heavily shaped by social media, where unchecked content often reinforces prejudice and fuels mistrust. Despite this, most schools in the city offer no meaningful education in digital literacy. As a result, a generation is growing up in one of the world’s most complex cities without the skills to thoughtfully navigate the media shaping their perspectives.
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The program incorporates 12 interactive workshops in the formal curriculum of Arab and Jewish schools, training youth in ethical journalism, videography, photography, media editing and design, leadership skills, and storytelling. This practical skill set will enable participants to become effective in the creation of visual and audio media productions, including short documentaries, news media journalism, and podcasts, forming a range of applicable skills for use in both self-expression, advocacy and further career opportunities.
The workshops focus on topical issues relevant to youth in Jerusalem, such as cultural & individual expression. We provide a school-backed platform where students can explore important issues and develop thoughtful, strategic ways to consume and create media. This initiative enables students to produce visual content that highlights their perspectives and experiences, amplifying the voices of youth in spaces where they are often underrepresented.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Over three months, students participate in weekly 90-minute sessions led by specialist educators. Their final video projects serve as both curriculum-assessed assignments and a demonstration of their ability to apply newly acquired media and leadership skills in creative, practical ways.
Interschool Activites
A vital aspect of this project is fostering interaction between students from both schools through joint educational events and collaborative activities. This initiative will provide a rare opportunity for youth from from diverse backgrounds to encounter, connect, and build mutual understanding, laying the groundwork for stronger intergroup relations among the next generation of Jerusalem.
Activities will include a half-day event at the Sam Spiegel Film School, where students will watch and discuss locally directed films addressing communal issues. They will present their final media projects to one another to facilitate shared learning and joint exercises will foster bonds between the students as they work together to create joint media projects.
We aim to create long-term connectivity and networking between East and West Jerusalem schools and act as a model program that can be scaled throughout senior grades and additional schools in the region.
Final media work by one of our participants Carla
Graduating Class- Schmidt College East Jerusalem