ETGAR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Israel is a global leader in the hi-tech industry, and its computer-science research is ranked among the best in the world.  This has been achieved despite the 3-4 year gap that young Israelis experience between high school graduation and university entrance. By the time the country's computer- science researchers have obtained their doctorates, they are at a minimum 3-year professional disadvantage relative to their colleagues abroad.

The ETGAR (Challenge) project (est. spring 2006) offers a 4-year University of Haifa Bachelor of Science degree program to gifted high-school pupils. Participants spend one full day and one half day per week at the University, where they take Computer Science Department courses academically identical to those enjoyed by the department's university age students and are taught by departmental faculty. The teenagers spend the rest of the academic week attending their local high schools and are responsible for simultaneously completing all high-school requirements. ETGAR participants return to the University of Haifa after army service to complete the program's 4th and final year.

Much thought has been invested in designing a program suited to gifted adolescents' special needs. ETGAR pupils benefit from a student-teacher ration of 30:1 (far below the university average). They are instructed by an academic staff composed of 15 university professors and lecturers chosen for the quality of their teaching and their devotion to students.  All teaching staff assigned to the program receive special training to prepare them for working with adolescents.

In early 2006, 44 10th graders joined the pilot group. In March 2007, 68 10th graders enrolled in the project's 2nd cohort. For next academic year, the aim is to enroll an additional 90 10th graders, which will expand the overall project to include more than 200 10th-12th grade pupils taking 15 computer-science and math courses distributed over 3 years of study. Ten needs-based tuition scholarships will be awarded to gifted youngsters who otherwise could not participate.