Jewish Federation Los Angeles is excited to introduce Start Up Now!, which will give a cohort of local tenth grade students the opportunity to participate in a global collaboration, learn from local business professionals, and create their very own startup.
Participants in this program will learn about the fundamentals of business and social entrepreneurship through a hands-on curriculum and collaborate with Israeli peers going through a similar process. The program will culminate with a trip to Israel and attendance at Unistream’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
The details:
Students will gain tangible entrepreneurship skills and experience. They will learn directly from local business professionals in the Los Angeles community and create real-life applications of these lessons — from marketing, to a business plan, to a prototype. In addition, students will connect with peers in Tel Aviv, working with them throughout the year, and participating together for 10 exciting days in Israel.
Students will meet regularly on Sundays in the West Valley, with exceptions on Jewish and national holidays. Skype meetings with their Israeli peers will occur once per month. The program will end in June 2018, culminating with a 10-day trip to Israel in the second half of July.
Throughout the program, students will work in teams to identify a social problem, brainstorm business-oriented solutions, and build their own functional startup from the ground up to address the issue. Participants will learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship from experienced businesspeople and collaborate with their local and Israeli peers to ensure the success of their products.
The Jewish Federation’s Global Teen Twinning Program connects students in Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, and Vilnius using reciprocal delegations that allow for meaningful, personal, and lasting relationships, pluralistic understanding, and an affinity for Israel. Students who participate in the program are hosted by local families, participate in their partner’s school activities, and experience the local culture firsthand. Through this life-changing journey, participants strengthen their connection to their Jewish heritage and K’lal Yisrael.
Founded in 2001 and the Federation’s newest overseas partner, Unistream is an Israeli educational program that empowers teenagers to become innovative problem solvers through the hands-on creation of their own startup business. Through this partnership, the Federation is helping Unistream expand its capacity and deepen its curriculum.
Start Up Now! will bring Unistream’s unique one-year program to Los Angeles using the proven twinning model, for the first time giving local teens the opportunity to experience the Unistream startup process and connect with Israeli peers over the shared experience of entrepreneurship.
This program is being launched in partnership with a consortium of five local West Valley synagogues: Congregation Or Ami, Temple Aliyah, Shomrei Torah Synagogue, Temple Kol Tikvah, and Valley Outreach Synagogue. In Israel, Unistream is partnering with Ort Yad Singalovsky, a Tel Aviv high school that will host the parallel program for Israeli tenth grade students.
Program participants will collaborate with Israeli peers throughout their yearlong program, culminating in a 10-day trip to Israel. During the trip, the teens will be hosted by participating local families, celebrate Shabbat together, immerse themselves in Israeli teen life, and travel around the different sites of Israel. Together, they’ll explore their Jewish identity as well as Israel’s unique startup culture. Students will also take part in Unistream’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year competition, which brings together thousands of teenagers and successful Israeli businesspeople to compete for the coveted title and to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship in general.