Sindiana - the Arab Youth Village High School

Sindiana – The first Arab Youth Village for Leadership, located in the central Triangle Region of Israel, is changing the way people in Israel think about secondary education for Israeli-Arabs.

Founded on the principles of multiculturalism, pluralism, and civil and social equality, Sindiana provides a holistic educational framework, offering the student personal development, strengthening of his or her educational and social skills, and cultivation of activist leadership based upon the roots of Arab culture.

Sindiana was created to address the needs of Arab students in the northern and southern triangle region of Israel. Because of limited regional educational options, hundreds of Israeli Arab children travel several hours each day to study.  They had few opportunities for meaningful extra-curricular activities and few opportunities to meet students of other backgrounds and participate in co-existence activities. Many students complete high school lacking critical thinking skills, practical knowledge, and broad-based perspectives necessary for future academic studies and contribution to society.

In partnership with leaders from the Israeli Arab community, SAE opened Sindiana in September 2017. Sindiana (meaning “Oak” in Arabic) operates under an educational framework designed to develop a cohort of young leaders for the Arab community. Sindiana cultivates the values of excellence, leadership, and identity among Arab youth with the goal of opening paths to success in academia, employment, and society.