Leo Baeck is one of the original participating members of Israel's Gifted Program, which began in 1974, and is the only institution in Northern Israel to meet the needs of these special children, grades 7-12. Based on the rationale that every student must be given an equal opportunity to fulfill his or her own potential, 150 gifted students currently develop their intellectual skills, character, and values in a rigorous academic environment that focuses on depth and mastery of subject material. Key program highlights are special interest courses, project-based learning and assessment, cooperation with programs and Universities outside of school, and an approach to teaching that focuses on higher-ordered thinking skills.
The specialized classes for the gifted allow students to explore topics of interest. Every year, students choose 3 special subjects to study in depth, including Chinese, chess, film and media production, logical thinking, and swimming. In addition to these on-site courses, students have numerous enrichment opportunities, which include a 3-day coexistence-Holocaust seminar at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot, connections with the Hebrew Universities "Talpiot" Intelligence training program, and courses at Israel's Open University.
Students are assessed through an alternative system to the national matriculation examinations, in their place producing University level work that is evaluated by more rigorous evaluation standards.
