"Circles" –
A Joint Academic Project - Tel Aviv University and "Freinds for health"
The "Circles" ("Ma'agalim") Project is based on a unique partnership between "Haverim" and the Occupational Therapy Department and Social Involvement Section at the Dean's School at Tel Aviv University.
"Circles" is an optional course in which Occupational Therapy students are integrated into social activities in the community for four hours a week throughout the academic year, a total of 120 hours including training. The course also offers academic credits.
The course structure is different from a regular college course.
The student volunteers to help or mentor different populations in the community. Each student accompanies someone who needs support and/or works in an organization involved with promoting and helping special needs populations. At the end of the year, the student is asked to present an end-of-year project on a subject related to "Occupational Therapy in a Social Context."
A professional Occupational Therapist accompanies the students throughout the year.
The Social Involvement Section at the University, headed by Mrs. Sigal Adar, has been working for years to build a generation of students with social awareness and an appreciation of the value of giving, so that this volunteer spirit will accompany them long after they leave the University.
The Section aims to expand the number of students donating their time and talents to special needs people in the community, in order to further deepen the relationship between the University and Israeli society.
It is no coincidence that the initiative is being spearheaded by the Occupational Therapy Department under the leadership of Dr. Tal Yaros-Hakkak. This is one of the health professions linking therapy, occupation, health and the quality of life, that views a person's environment as one of the most important factors in a therapist's work. Environment includes a person's social, cultural and institutional surroundings, so the service includes not only direct assistance for the individual but also activities in wider frameworks to benefit the entire special needs population.
The course opens up a number of opportunities for students:
Experiencing paradigm shifts and influence on a social level; applying and practicing theories of connecting people, occupations and environment to assist health preservation; empowering the student to react amongst populations similar to those they'll work with in the future, and training to use interpersonal skills with their charges, students and other staff members.
Because "Haverim" has such vast experience in providing support to the needy in various medical frameworks, and from it being an information center for unique needs and solutions, it provides the infrastructure for accepting the students and partial funding of the professional program coordinators throughout the academic year.
"Haverim" proposes the following frameworks in which to implement the social activities:
The MAGEN clinic at the Wolfson Hospital, the "Reut" Rehabilitation Hospital, the Hertzfeld School , Levinstein Hospital, Geha Hospital and the AKIM Club.
Julia, a student: "I learnt what tolerance is, what it means to give of my time, the different physical and mental pace between me and the child (from Geha Hospital.) I encouraged him, gave him reinforcement, believed in him and learnt from him that it's no shame to ask for help. It doesn't indicate helplessness, rather it connects us. It's fun to give and I didn't expect the power of what I received in return. I learnt from him what balance means and how to look at someone on his or her level.
The ball I made (for the final project) symbolizes colorfulness and a voyage around the world (we enjoyed many walks in the park together) with a thin string joining all the points together. I learnt both to be with him and to see things from the side. It was interesting and very challenging."
There is no doubt that this joint initiative between Tel Aviv University and "Haverim" places social volunteer work on a par with academic studies themselves.
Mrs. Iris Terry is the project coordinator. She is a volunteer for Haverim and also an administrative assistant in the Nursing Department at Tel Aviv University.
Other academic institutions wishing to take part in the project are invited to call the "Haverim" offices for more details.
