ABOUT US
The Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative is an innovative philanthropic experiment. In an unprecedented collaboration, national and local funders work together to develop, nurture and scale new approaches to teen engagement. Informed by up-to-the-minute research and data, and drawing on the collective strength of local organizations, multi-faceted initiatives in ten communities across the country aim to reverse the trend of teens opting out of Jewish life in their high school years.
The Funder Collaborative is deeply committed to enhancing and sharing learnings that shape contemporary approaches to Jewish teen education and growth. Early research and insights have led to a richer understanding of modern teenagers, spurring inspiring new engagement methodologies which reflect this understanding. The Funder Collaborative invests in shared frameworks and tools which may be adapted by any experiential or immersive program, and shares its learnings widely with the goal of advancing the entire field of Jewish teen engagement.
COMMUNITY-BASED TEEN INITIATIVES
WHAT WE’RE LEARNING
Communities participating in the Funder Collaborative together have embarked on a linked, multi-year experiment. To understand and reflect on our progress and outcomes, both locally and across the ten communities, we invest in two concurrent evaluation efforts. Local evaluators study regional initiatives, and a Cross-Community Evaluation aggregates and analyzes key learnings on a national level.
We believe the insights we glean can have wide-ranging implications for any city or organization working to improve its Jewish teen engagement and education. We will publish all reports, case studies, and research here as they become available.
Research
Generation Now details the interests, desires, fears of today’s teens, along with what brings them meaning. It offers shared outcomes and indicators that can gauge Jewish learning, engagement and growth among teens participating in Jewish experiences.
Case Studies
Preparing to Deepen Action: A Funder Collaborative Finds its Way documents the most recent stage of the group’s evolution. The case study highlights key learnings and reflects a commitment to share its internal process with anyone considering collaborative ventures.
Evaluation
Initial Outcomes Across Communities: First Fruits from the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative is the first report aggregating baseline data from four Funder Collaborative communities. To understand the progress and outcomes of teen programs, the cross-community evaluation will capture, explore and share learnings over multiple years.
STORIES & LATEST NEWS
Connection, Community & Conversation: Teens Take the Mic
JTI Peer Leadership Fellows talk about what it’s like being a Jewish teen today. Three JTI Peer Leadership Fellows sound off on what it’s like being a Jewish teen in Greater Boston, how they’re helping to connect [...]
New Website Connects Teens to Jewish Life
Are you a teen? A parent of a teen? JewishBostonTeens.com is the site you’ve been waiting for. I usually write about kid-friendly topics here at JewishBoston, and often that news skews younger, toward the tween-and-under [...]
Greater Boston Makes Youth Mental Health a Priority
Boston, along with several other communities, is making adolescent wellness a priority. Today, teens and young people are struggling. More than 3 million adolescents, representing over 13% of the population, have experienced a major depressive [...]