ORT ISRAEL

Their core work

ORT Israel is an educational institution based in Tel-Aviv that works on reforming how schools relate to science, community, and civic life. Their H2020 participation focused on two interconnected challenges: increasing young people's scientific engagement (framed through the concept of "science capital") and transforming schools into open community spaces for scientific inquiry. In practice, they contribute educational expertise, pilot methodologies in Israeli school settings, and bring a non-EU national perspective to pan-European science education reform efforts. Both projects they joined were Coordination and Support Actions, meaning their role was less about research output and more about testing, adapting, and disseminating new pedagogical approaches across partner countries.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (OSOS, 2017–2020), ORT Israel's focus was on the sociological and civic dimensions of science education: why students do or don't see science as part of their identity, how open schools can cultivate responsible citizens, and how to measure science capital as a community resource. By their second project (SALL, 2020–2023), the framing shifted from measurement and aspiration toward a more practical methodology — the living labs model — where schools themselves become sites of applied problem-solving embedded in local community needs. The trajectory moves from "what does science engagement look like?" toward "how do we structurally redesign schools to make it happen?"

ORT Israel is moving toward hands-on, place-based educational models that embed schools in community problem-solving — a direction well-suited to future projects on science communication, informal learning, or community-driven innovation.

How they like to work

ORT Israel has participated in H2020 exclusively as a consortium partner, never as a coordinator — suggesting they join established networks to contribute national implementation expertise rather than drive project leadership. Both of their projects were large multi-country CSAs (25 unique partners, 18 countries), indicating comfort working within complex international consortia. Their consistent participation in pan-European education reform projects points to a role as a trusted national implementing partner, likely valued for their on-the-ground school network in Israel.

ORT Israel has connected with 25 unique partner organizations across 18 countries through just two projects — a notably broad reach relative to their portfolio size, reflecting the large multi-country nature of the CSA consortia they joined. As an Israeli institution in predominantly EU consortia, they bring a geographically distinct perspective that adds value to projects seeking non-EU associated country participation.

What sets them apart

ORT Israel is part of the global ORT educational network, giving them access to a large, established school infrastructure rarely found in purely academic institutions — a practical asset when projects need real schools as pilot sites rather than just theoretical frameworks. As an Israeli HES operating in H2020 associated country status, they offer consortia a geographically and culturally distinct testing ground for European science education approaches, which strengthens the comparative validity of results. For any project needing Middle Eastern or Mediterranean educational context alongside European partners, ORT Israel is one of very few higher education institutions in that position with a documented H2020 track record.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SALL
  The largest of ORT Israel's two funded projects (EUR 156,875), SALL introduced the living labs model as a structural redesign of schools — a more ambitious and replicable concept than the preceding open schools framework.
• OSOS
  ORT Israel's entry into H2020, OSOS established their positioning in the pan-European open schooling movement by applying the science capital framework across multiple national school systems simultaneously.