Israeli students learn critical life skills overlooked in the classroom

In a country where resilience is now more vital than ever, JOIN Israel’s Outdoor Training (ODT) project is tackling the challenge head-on. Led by Meir Bisk, the project encourages students to take on challenges that push them to trust, collaborate, and lead. Its hands-on curriculum focuses on teaching critical life skills often overlooked in traditional classrooms, such as teamwork and perseverance.

The ODT approach has gained increasing recognition in education, and Bisk is utilizing it to support JOIN Israel’s Bolster Education mission. His project currently serves two dozen underprivileged schools across the country, helping students from diverse backgrounds build confidence and develop problem-solving capabilities.

While traditional education often focuses on knowledge, it can fall short in fostering character. ODT helps bridge this gap through immersive, team-based challenges that foster collaboration. Students learn to manage conflict, overcome self-doubt, and rely on one another—lessons that extend well beyond the classroom and, in Israel, often into the army.

Meir’s journey into experiential education began as a camp counselor in a wilderness program, where he saw how physical challenges could unlock confidence and leadership in young people. With 11 years of ODT experience and a degree in Informal Education, and as a current teacher in a high school for special needs students, he brings a wealth of knowledge to this position. Meir’s natural ability to engage and motivate students is integral to the program’s success.

The focus of Meir’s program is on building four key areas: communication, connection, group problem-solving, and trust. Trust is nurtured over time, starting with simple exercises and gradually moving to more complex challenges.

“We talk about life challenges that affect us as a group, and the importance of working together. You’re not going to like all the ‘players’ on your team, but in life you don’t always get to choose,” Meir explained. “You have to learn to put your differences aside, learn how to work together optimally to succeed. They need to be prepared beforehand, like a soldier in basic training, so they will be ready later when the bullets are real.”

The schools Meir works with serve low-income students from diverse backgrounds, including immigrants from Ethiopia, Russia, and France. The geographical, cultural and socioeconomic diversity breeds cliques, and many students face social challenges, family issues, and language barriers. The schools must support students as they navigate these challenges, and ODT has become a vital part of that support.

To tackle bullying in a unique way, Meir uses an exercise that shifts the dynamics of the group: 

“The group’s goal is to try to hit the student with these yarn balls,” Meir explained. “But in the next stage, I add two defenders who have to protect the student no matter what. The students have to physically shield the student from the yarn balls. Then, I casually switch the group around and have the bullied student take the center. Suddenly, those who were bullying the student are now the ones protecting them. It puts them in a mindset of: ‘Our job is to protect this kid,’ and it helps change their behavior, often without even realizing it.”

Meir’s work and interactions with the students has also been impacted by the war, particularly working with schools near the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

During an intense moment at a school in Northern Israel, Meir and his students were forced into a bomb shelter due to a missile attack. While the students were scared and hesitant to continue after they exited the bomb shelter, Bisk encouraged them to not let their fear stop them. He reminded them that the goal of the attack was to terrorize, but together they could overcome it. Despite their initial reluctance, the students succeeded in completing the challenge.

Meir explained: “I think it was important for them to see that if you don’t let your fear get to you, you really can overcome any challenge.”

Through ODT, Bisk equips students with the skills to navigate adversity in school and in life. Teachers have noted the impact, saying they see a real difference in the classroom—students work together more effectively and treat each other with greater respect, patience, and consideration. Whether facing personal struggles or external pressures, students gain from the ODT program a deeper sense of their own potential, a strengthened ability to work together as a team, and the confidence to overcome the obstacles they may encounter in the future.