Youssef Jabreen Leads High-Tech Education for Arab High School Students

Youssef Jabreen – High-Tech Seeds

 

By By Enno Ebersbach

 

When Youssef Jabreen first heard about the Bara’em High-Tech Seeds program, he was not sure what to expect. The initiative was new, ambitious, and unfamiliar to many parents and educators in Arab communities in Israel. But over time the project became more than just a job. It became a mission.

 

Today, Jabreen manages High-Tech Seeds, an educational program launched by Givat Haviva in 2014 to help Arab students enter Israel’s high-tech industry – a sector widely seen as the engine of the country’s economy but one in which Arab citizens remain significantly underrepresented. Although Arab citizens make up about 21% of Israel’s population, they account for only around 3% of the workforce in the high-tech sector.

 

Experts point to a range of structural barriers behind this disparity, including differences in access to professional networks and the role of compulsory military service, which often serves as a gateway into the industry for Jewish Israelis. High-Tech Seeds was designed to offer an alternative path.

 

The program allows selected students to begin studying computer science in middle school and continue their studies through high school, enabling them to earn a bachelor’s degree by the age of 19. Participants also receive Hebrew language support and exposure to the tech industry through company visits.

 

For Jabreen, the initiative is not only about education, It also isa deeply personal.

 

He grew up in the Israeli Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, where he still lives with his family. His commitment to shared society projects began early.

 

“Throughout my life and career, I have participated in all kinds of social initiatives and in Jewish-Arab projects. The idea of a shared society was deeply ingrained in our family,” he says.

 

As a teenager, he played in a mixed Jewish-Arab football team and later took part in one of Givat Haviva’s seminars. After working for several years with at-risk youth in his hometown, he joined the newly established High-Tech Seeds program as its manager.

 

“At first, I didn’t really know what to expect,” he recalls. “But I quickly grew attached to the organization and the team. I felt a strong sense of belonging and that I could actually build something meaningful.”

 

In the early years, convincing families and schools to trust the program was a major challenge.

 

“No one knew what it was,” Jabreen says. “School principals, teachers, parents, they all asked, ‘Is it even possible to start a degree at 14?’”

 

Over time the program gradually gained credibility and structure. Today, it runs for five years, beginning in ninth grade. Students spend their first two years studying at Givat Haviva’s campus before continuing their education at Netanya Academic College.

 

Recruitment remains one of Jabreen’s central responsibilities. He regularly visits Arab schools across the region, presenting the program to students and interviewing candidates.

 

For students like Miriam from the village of Arara, the opportunity was immediately appealing. “The idea of earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science already at age 19 sounded great to me. It was what I had always dreamed about,” she says.

 

Ali, a recent graduate who now works as a teaching assistant in the program, remembers a similar sentiment when he first heard about the program. “It was the perfect chance to fast-track a computer science degree, so I immediately thought, let’s do it.”

 

Despite its opportunities, the program demands significant commitment from students. “It requires a lot of responsibility, discipline, and practice,” Jabreen says.

 

For many participants, the transition into academic life at such an early age is challenging. Miriam recalls struggling during her first year. “I never took an academic exam before. It was difficult just understanding how to prepare,” she says.

 

Language can present another hurdle. Because many Arab students complete their schooling primarily in Arabic and have limited interaction with Hebrew-speaking environments, some enter the program with limited Hebrew proficiency.

 

“At first, I was reading gibberish,” Ali says. “But after about a year and a half, it improved a lot.”

 

In recent years Jabreen and his students have also had to navigate a series of crises – from the COVID-19 pandemic to the October 7 attacks and subsequent regional escalation. Yet even during these periods of uncertainty, the program continued operating. Classes moved online when necessary, and students carried on with their studies.

 

The initiative has expanded significantly. From an initial cohort of 25 students in the 2014–2015 academic year, enrollment has grown to more than 100 students annually.

 

Many graduates move directly into the high-tech industry, securing positions at internationally recognized companies such as K2View and Verifone. Others pursue postgraduate education or return to High-Tech Seeds as instructors.

 

Beyond individual achievement, many students see themselves as role models within their communities.

 

“When you are the first to take this step, younger students come to you for advice,” Miriam says. “I love this feeling, to give back to people and have a positive impact.”

 

Ali expresses a similar ambition. “I want to inspire people to work on the challenges that we face in the Middle East and become a bridge between social needs, business needs, and the technologies we are currently using,” he says.

 

Looking ahead, Jabreen hopes to expand the program beyond its current geographic focus. “If it works here, it can work anywhere,” he says.

 

For him the work remains both professional and deeply personal. “Every year, it brings me motivation,” he says. “I’m proud of the students. It’s really, really rewarding,”

 

Enno Ebersbach is the Peter and Friedel Grützmacher Intern for International Partner Relations at Givat Haviva. He has lived in Israel in the past and came to Givat Haviva at the beginning of March 2026.