Instead of staying home: teens who chose to volunteer for the community in a tech project

Dozens of teenagers from Acre, Lod, Yokneam, East Jerusalem, and communities near the Gaza border took part in the EcoTech program of the Good Thought (Machshava Tova) association. During an internship week, they built websites for local businesses, developed a smart irrigation system in Lod, and presented tech initiatives to assist people with special needs. The association's CEO, Tomer Samarkandi, emphasized the importance of combining technology with social values.

Dozens of teenagers from across the country, from Acre, Lod, Yokneam, East Jerusalem, and communities near the Gaza border, chose to use their summer vacation for technological volunteering as part of the EcoTech program of the Good Thought (Machshava Tova) association. During an intensive internship week, they became website developers and young entrepreneurs, setting up professional websites for restaurants, real estate agencies, and family boutique brands. In Lod, they developed a smart irrigation system based on advanced sensors for community gardens. At the final event, participants presented dozens of tech initiatives aimed at assisting populations with special needs and even saving lives. Tomer Samarkandi, the association's CEO, stressed that the combination of technology and soul succeeds in changing reality and turning students into exemplary workers. The initiative received support from the Cassirer Foundation and partnerships with business and public sector entities. The association emphasizes that the experience gives teenagers professional tools, a sense of capability, leadership, and social responsibility, constituting an investment in community and national resilience.