Students from the AMIT Elaine Silver Technological High School in Beersheva bring new meaning to the term “summer school.” They come to school every day, but not to study—instead they are getting paid to paint the classrooms, touch up the building, take care of the gardening, and fix whatever else needs fixing before school resumes in September.
The administration decided to “hire” the students for the summer rather than bring in outside contractors. The teens not only get paid, they get professional experience and meals during work hours.
“I preferred working here, at the school I know, over finding a job somewhere else,” one student, Naor Ganon, a senior at Elaine Silver, told Yedioth Ahronoth. He plans to use the money he earns to pay for driving lessons.
Zipi Harpenes, the principal of Elaine Silver, said this initiative is part of the school’s educational approach.
“The students renovate their school and get a fair wage,” she said. “It’s clear to us that students who worked to fix up their own school will take better care of it than an outside contractor.”
AMIT Elaine Silver Technological High School in Beersheva is a unique educational institution. The students come from weak socioeconomic backgrounds and the school gives them the opportunity to turn their lives around and pursue an education.