In the Alumni Coordinator Forum’s six meetings this year, we received professional tools from the directors of alumni organizations, focused on mechina (pre-military leadership academy) alumni pursuing academic degrees and the unique challenges associated with them, sharpened the marketing and social media skills we use to manage alumni communities, and became acquainted with partner organizations that help alumni start finding ways to make meaningful contributions to society once they’ve finished their army service. The coordinators joined the heads of the mechinot and Be’Artzeinu staff for trips to the Negev and Galilee to learn about how alumni can make homes and implement the values of the mechinot in Israel’s geographic periphery. We’re getting ready for another year of honing alumni management skills and deepening alumni’s connection to community-building initiatives together with Be’Artzeinu.
We also strengthened graduates’ connection and dedication to their mechinot with a campaign and conference encouraging alumni who have finished their military service to return to mechina as educational staff, or to take up comparable roles in service year programs. Over 100 graduates participated in the conference and got in touch with relevant mechinot.
This was our second year of sponsoring alumni initiatives. Thirty social entrepreneurs who attended mechinot came together to get acquainted and find inspiration. The entrepreneurs were matched with mentors to help them develop their initiatives, and five entrepreneurs were chosen by the public committee to receive support during the coming year.
