Shachar Kaplan Dadon

Shachar grew up in a small community in the Galilee. During her year of service in the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel in Haifa she got involved for the first time in both nature conservation and informal education and discovered the special connection of the two. Spending time volunteering in social periphery cities in Israel had given her a new perspective about social change and the great impact that ordinary people have on their community. After her national service, she took a year off to volunteer in Nepal and travel. There she experienced the devastating 2015 earthquake and witnessed the resilience of the Nepali people. This life-changing event left a mark on her, shaping her subsequent social and educational activities. While pursuing her bachelors degree in special education she co-founded and led a student organization aiming to improve teachers training. Through this endeavor she learned that with the right partners, welcomed changes are possible even within conservative systems. In the past few years Shachar has been living in Haifa and working as a special education teacher for youth at-risk alongside tour guiding in Israel. Now as a master’s student in the Ruderman program for American Jewish Studies at Haifa University, she is excited to see how her diverse experiences will contribute to the Yahel Israel community.