News “A Promising Future” – the first year  |  7/5/2007 The first year of activity of the “A Promising Future” scholarship program, whose goal is to encourage students to remain in the Negev once they have completed their studies, is drawing to a close. Forty students who excel in their studies and who study in different faculties at Ben Gurion University and the Sapir College participated in the program this year.  During the year, the students initiated a number of projects for the benefit of the community including: a youth café, a program to increase the access of girls to technological studies, an empowerment and leadership program for youth and more. The program for these students included field trips around the Negev, meetings with Negev leaders, as well as the provision of tools for social involvement in the Negev. Next year, the program is expected to expand to additional institutions. The application process for the program is expected to begin shortly.

News “Young Adults Centers” Initiative Begins  |  7/5/2007 The implementation of the national plan for the development of the Negev has begun. Two new “Young Adults Centers” are expected to be established in the coming months in Arad and Netivot. These Centers will join the existing centers in Beersheva, Dimona and Sderot. Establishment of the Young Adults Centers are based on the paradigm that cultivating the young adults in the Negev is likely to serve as lever for economic, cultural and community growth in the Negev. The Centers serve as a local platform for services, solutions and activities for young adults in the different localities. Activities at the Centers touch a broad variety of areas of a young person’s life: employment, education and training, scholarships, business entrepreneurship, housing, culture, recreation, development of young leadership and involvement of young people for the benefit of the community. Partners in the effort to establish new Centers and broaden the activities of existing Centers are: the Ministry of the Galil-Negev, the Authority for the Development of the Negev, JDC Israel and the local authorities in the Negev.