At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school, year FTI launched two brand new major academic programs. FTI’s new Bekiyus Reading Program and STEM. The bekiyus program includes in-class reading exercises with a chavrusa, reading for the class, comprehensive word lists, reading-based questions on quizzes and tests, and the reading chazara incentive element. Thanks to several generous sponsors, FTI students receive $5 when they correctly read, translate, and explain an amud of Gemara in front of a rebbe in five minutes or less. Ninety-five percent of the student body has earned this incentive already with many hundreds of amudim read B”H!

FTI also launched our new 9th and 10th grade STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in conjunction with CIJE (Center of Initiatives for Jewish Education). Students are enjoying learning about electrical engineering, electricity, light, and coding. Our STEM students are working on a semester-long project where they are tasked to design and create a prototype of an electrical engineering-based invention. Students will present their invention at a culminating event hosted by STEM’s sponsoring organization, the Center of Initiatives for Jewish Education. Some of the projects FTI students are working on include a solar charger which will shift based on the location of the sun, eye-glasses that sense objects in front of the viewer, garbage dumpsters that will sense and communicate when the dumpster is full, among others.

Next year, we are planning to offer even more exciting learning opportunities to our students. Please contact Rabbi Kramer or the FTI office if you would like to enable or sponsor a new program for the upcoming academic year.