98% Completed 12 Years of Schooling: Data from the Support Program for Teenagers from the Periphery
Program 7, from the "Pitchon Lev" organization, intended for teenagers facing academic, social, and complex socio-economic difficulties, began operating in 2004. According to 2026 figures, 98% of the teenagers participating in the program enlisted in the IDF or national service, and 87% enrolled in academic or vocational studies.
The "Pitchon Lev" organization published today, Thursday, the data for Program 7 for the year 2026, a long-term support program for teenagers from the social and geographic periphery. The data shows that 98% of the program's participants completed 12 years of schooling, 76% are eligible for a full matriculation certificate, and 98% enlisted in the IDF or national service.
Even after discharge, the support continues to yield results: 85% of participants in the civilian stage are integrated into the workforce, 40% of whom are in high-tech and management roles, and 87% have integrated into or enrolled in academic or vocational studies.
Program 7 of the "Laga'at ba-Ofek" educational project from Pitchon Lev has been operating since 2004, with the goal of promoting social mobility and fighting intergenerational poverty. The program was developed in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and written by the late Prof. Yossi Katan, based on the understanding that the adolescent years and the transition to adult life are a critical period in shaping the personal, professional, and economic future of teenagers.
Today, about 1,550 boys and girls from 17 localities across the country participate in the program. The support lasts about seven years and includes three stages: from 10th grade until the end of high school, throughout military or national service, and in the year following discharge. Throughout the period, participants are accompanied by a professional mentor with a degree in therapeutic fields, who serves as a stable anchor. At the high school stage, the support includes five weekly hours integrated into the school schedule.
The program is intended, among others, for students in Etgar, MABAR, and OMETZ classes, and for teenagers facing academic, emotional, or social difficulties, learning disabilities, attention and concentration problems, and a complex socio-economic background. It is approved under the Ministry of Education's "Green Track" and operates within the framework of the GAFEN program, the 360 program, and in collaboration with the MATAV unit in the IDF.
Eli Cohen, CEO of Pitchon Lev, said:
"The data proves that when you do not give up on teenagers and provide them with personal, professional, and continuous support over the years - the starting point does not have to determine the ending point. Behind every percentage stands a young man or woman who completed their studies, enlisted, acquired a profession, and built an independent future for themselves."
Cohen further added:
"The fight against intergenerational poverty cannot be limited to assistance for immediate needs. It requires long-term investment that gives young people real tools to break the cycle of poverty."
In conclusion, the CEO of Pitchon Lev signed off with a call:
"We call on the state to expand models of continuous support, so that every teenager in Israel can realize their abilities, regardless of where they were born."
