The mission of the Friends of the Arava Institute is to sustain the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies by providing financial support and through the development of a diverse constituency of supporting individuals and institutions.

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is the premier environmental teaching and research institution in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region's environmental challenges.

Our mission will be facilitated through:

• Fundraising
• Public Relations and Marketing
• Community Outreach and Events
• Student Recruitment

Friends of the Arava Institute is the U.S.-based non-profit tasked with providing financial support and increased visibility and recognition for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, an academic institution based in the south of Israel which brings together a diverse group of students from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and beyond to study regional environmental issues as a platform for developing the type of understanding and cooperation that advances both environmental sustainability and coexistence.  In order to ensure equality of opportunity for participation by students representing a microcosm of the region, Friends of the Arava Institute works to raise significant scholarship funds, which help to underwrite the participation of Arab students, including Palestinians, Jordanians, and Israeli Arabs.  It is hoped that participation in the Arava program will not only benefit the students themselves but also their home communities, as graduates return home and look to implement environmental changes.  An excellent example of this is a current alumni project aimed at introducing biogas technology aimed at eliminating health hazards and generating renewable energy in impoverished Israeli Arab villages.