On March 17, 2009, CECI launched the pilot program of "The Ambassadors' Project" in Israel with a festive ceremony.  Present at this event were: Minister of Education - Professor Yuli Tamir, Chairman of the Strauss Group - Michael Strauss, Former MK -Yoash Tsiddon-Chatto, Former MK - Eliezer (Chita) Cohen, Advisor for the Minister of Defense - Uri Lubrani, Dean of Tel Aviv University - Professor David Menashri, and other prominent members of academia, the Ministry of Education and CECI Board Members. The attendees were shown a dynamic Powerpoint presentation, voluntarily prepared by Mr. Ziv Mendel - Executive Director of John Bryce, summarizing the current problems Israel is facing with the lack of governance and government stability, and suggesting different alternatives to confront the problems.
 
The Ambassadors’ Project features 20 volunteers, including high-profile government officials, business, and civic leaders, who visit 11th grade high school students nationwide and give presentations about the government's stability challenges and the electoral system.  This program has been created through a partnership with the Ministry of Education in Israel.  Within the framework of civic education, every class participates in a mock-up government exercise, and students are required to propose alternatives aimed at addressing the challenges of the current electoral system and government instability. The students have the opportunity to enter the competition by explaining how government stability can assist matters related to different aspects of their own lives.
 
The top 6 proposals (3 pairs of students) from the schools involved will garner the winning students an educational trip to the United States to meet with elected officials and get acquainted with the American Presidential system.  This competition will award students with visits to Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles to witness various forms of American democracy in progress. We expect the visit to take place by the first quarter of 2010.
 
CECI is committed to helping create strong, effective leaders for future generations and the success of the Ambassadors' Project will help propel us forward on that journey.