Ibtekar
A socio-educational venture promoting technology, making and lifelong learning. Providing affordable STEAM education to 1,500+ kids and families from underprivileged backgrounds.
مهمّتنا في ابتكار هي أن نساهم في إلهام وتمكين جيل جديد من المبتكرين الشّغوفين، الّذين يسعون للتعلّم مدى الحياة ويبادرون وينتجون لأجل عالم أفضل.
Towards an Inspired & Productive Generation
نحو جيل مُلهَم ومُنتِج
Ibtekar (Arabic for “Innovation”) is a socio-educational venture dedicated to promoting technology, making, and lifelong learning. We work to provide affordable STEAM education to kids and youth from underprivileged backgrounds, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future — and inspiring them to become active citizens who create and innovate to impact lives, make a change, and tackle the world.
Founded in 2016, Ibtekar became the first Arab academy for entrepreneurship and technological creativity — a place where knowledge meets productivity, and where technology is employed to create products and solutions for a better future.
The Origin Story
In a world full of change, and in a society full of need, it was imperative for us as passionate young men and women to take the initiative and work for change. And from here, Ibtekar was born.
Many Arab students struggle to finance their studies, especially female students who usually face even greater challenges finding appropriate jobs. At the same time, Arab children and youth lack access to quality STEAM education in their native language. The digital literacy gap is widening, and in a rapidly advancing technological world, programming and computational thinking have become essential skills — as fundamental as reading and writing.
Ibtekar was created to address this dual challenge: empowering youth through education while creating meaningful employment for Arab university students in STEM fields.
في ابتكار، نؤمن بالدّور الجوهري الّذي تلعبه التّكنولوجيا اليوم في جميع المجالات، وبضرورة البدء بالمعرفة ودعمها بالعمل والإنتاج، للوصول إلى أفراد ومجتمع عربي مُنتِج.
Our Programs
Future Makers — صنّاع المستقبل
Inspired by the global Maker Movement and the culture of D.I.Y (Do-It-Yourself), and guided by experts and researchers in learning sciences, we crafted the “Future Makers” program — an educational and practical initiative aimed at raising a new generation of innovators, producers, and developers.
Students experience a unique journey combining computer science, programming, art, and innovation — building projects that bridge the digital and physical worlds, exploring the technologies of the future they will help build.
Code4All
In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, programming is an essential skill. Code4All introduces students to the fundamentals of programming and algorithmic thinking — both as a practical skill and as a way of thinking that helps in solving everyday problems across various fields.
Change Leaders — قادة التّغيير
This program involves youth in the process of social change through technology and exposure to social entrepreneurship, while actively and practically contributing to addressing pressing social issues in society.
Courses & Offerings
Our research-based curriculum covers cutting-edge topics delivered in small groups of 8-12 participants:
| Course | Focus |
|---|---|
| Game Development | Interactive game programming |
| Virtual Reality (VR) | Programming immersive VR experiences |
| Arduino & Electronics | Building smart electronic circuits |
| Internet of Things (IoT) | Internet-connected devices and sensors |
| Mobile App Development | Smartphone apps with Google/MIT tools |
| Microbit | Physical computing fundamentals |
Beyond courses, we also offer Ibtekar Days (interactive day-long events in schools), parent-student workshops, school hackathons, innovation lab design & setup, and Ibtekar Space — our family innovation day bringing parents, children, and even seniors together.
What Makes Ibtekar Different
Our materials and activities are built on scientific foundations and research. We collaborate with the Creative Learning research group at miLAB (Media Innovation Lab) at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
We are proud of our Arabic language. Our core activity is in Arabic — reconnecting the language with innovation, modernity, and production.
We are a social business. Our instructors are primarily female CS and engineering students from the Arab community — providing them flexible employment. A portion of profits supports community projects and our scholarship fund.
We are committed to having at least 50% women on our team — primarily Arab female students in engineering fields, empowering them while they empower the next generation.
Social Impact — المسؤوليّة المجتمعيّة
Ibtekar is an educational business that believes in social impact. Our social responsibility is woven into everything we do.
1. Working with Underprivileged Populations — We primarily work with school students from underprivileged populations — children from minorities and from the social and geographic periphery. Through our scholarship fund, we ensure that financial circumstances never prevent a child from participating.
2. Empowering Women — We believe in the leading role of women, especially in education. Our team of instructors is primarily female Arab CS and engineering students who often struggle to cover tuition costs. We provide them with flexible employment in a field that enriches their resumes and futures.
3. Community Investment — A percentage of our profits is donated to social activities promoting technological awareness in the Arab community, including supporting the Hasoub association.
4. Volunteer Program — A program that allows hi-tech employees in the Arab community to volunteer in Ibtekar activities. For every hour of volunteering, we provide an hour of activity for students from underprivileged populations.
في ابتكار, نؤمن بضرورة التّغيير المجتمعي, ولهذا فالمؤسّسة مبنيّة على قيم مجتمعيّة منها مثلا أنّ من يقوم بتدريس الأطفال هنّ بالغالب طالبات علوم حاسوب وهندسة من مجتمعنا العربي, واللاتي عادة ما يواجهن صعوبة في تغطية تكاليف دراستهن, فنوفّر لهنّ فرص عمل ملائمة لظروفهن, وفي مجال مهمّ يمكن أن يضيف إلى سيرهنّ الذّاتيّة.
Values & Skills We Develop
At Ibtekar, we go beyond teaching technology. We instill values and develop skills that prepare students for life:
Values: Self-Efficacy (الإيمان بالقدرة) · Teamwork · Helping Others · Sharing · Patience · Originality · Innovation · Entrepreneurship · Open Source
Skills: Creative Thinking · Problem Solving · Critical Thinking · Algorithmic Thinking · Project Design · Creation & Design · Interpersonal Communication · Self-Learning
Our approach is based on 21st-century skills (ATC21S) and the STEAM methodology (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), combining scientific studies with technological, engineering, and artistic applications. Our teaching method is rooted in constructivism and project-based learning (PBL).
Testimonials — ماذا قالوا عنّا
يوم ابتكار كان بمثابة تجربة رائعة ومثرية لطلّابنا. حيث استفاد الطّلاب من تجربة التّعلّم المختلفة خصوصا أنّهم قاموا بإنتاج وبناء أشياء بأيديهم وهي تجربة لا يحظون بها كلّ يوم
— الاستاذ عبد الحليم صالح, مدير مدرسة الزّهراء
مخيّم ابتكار امتد على مدار خمس أيام في مدينة باقة وكان تجربة فريدة بكل معنى الكلمة حيث وصلتنا ردود فعل ممتازة من الطّلاب ومن أهاليهم.
— محمود مراد, المجلس المحلّي
الشّعور الّذي كان يعود به رامي إلى البيت وحماسه في شرح ما فعلوه اليوم في الدّورة يؤكّد انّ دورة ابتكار هي بالفعل تجربة رائعة أنصح كل الأهالي بها!
— كمال يونس, والد أحد طلّاب ابتكار
Partners & Reach
Ibtekar works with the Ministry of Education through programs that help cover activity costs, allowing us to deliver our courses to students for free or at very symbolic prices. We collaborate with local municipalities and councils across multiple regions, and with the Creative Learning research group at miLAB at the IDC Herzliya.
Geographic Reach: Wadi Ara · Southern Triangle · Northern Triangle · Nazareth & the North · The Negev (Hura, Kseife, Laqiye)
Academic Advisors: Dr. Oren Zuckerman (miLAB, IDC Herzliya) · Areej Mawasi (Arizona State University)
Recognition
| Achievement | |
|---|---|
| Forbes 30 Under 30 | Founder Hasan Abo-Shally recognized among influential youth |
| Stanford AMENDS | Selected by Stanford for Middle East community leaders program |
| Ministry of Education | Official program partner |
| miLAB Partnership | Academic collaboration with IDC Herzliya research lab |
| TheMarker 40 Under 40 | Youngest selected among 40 promising youth |
The Vision
Our vision is to foster a new generation of innovators, makers, and developers who will lead economic and social change within Arab society and the country as a whole — a productive society, from children to adults, led by a generation of technologists, creators, and entrepreneurs who internalize the culture of creation and lead transformative change.
أنا أبتكر، إذن أنا موجود.
"I create, therefore I am."