Teenagers’ House – Preparation for Life
Beit Tuvia supports its teenage students as well as possible with a special framework adjusted for adolescents and beyond, during and after their army service. In 1997, when the first dormitory students reached adolescence, the Beit Tuvia Teenagers’ House was opened in an attempt to provide for the needs of those students aged 15 and above. The home houses students who grew up in the dormitory, along with other teens who needed an out-of-home solution due to their life circumstances and were received during adolescence by Beit Tuvia.
Life in the Teenagers’ House is marked as much as possible by a home-like atmosphere, and features extensive social programming. We place strong emphasis during these years on acquiring practical, independent life skills; preparing for army service; and assisting students as they take their first steps as independent citizens working to integrate into society. The vocational training and work placement program plays a major role in this process. As part of this process, all of the Teenagers’ House residents work and experience a variety of jobs inside and outside the kibbutz.
During 2012, a new home for teens and program graduates was constructed with the help of the Joseph and Christina Kasierer Foundation and the Israeli National Insurance Institute’s Foundation for Disabled Services Development. This house allows us to respond to the many requests to accept new teenage residents, and to provide living space to those Beit Tuvia graduates without family support who have been recognized as lone soldiers.
