Unpacked for Educators’ Avi Posen and Yoni Buckman spent the week of November 27 through December 3, 2023 in Los Angeles, visiting schools and presenting for hundreds of students from middle school to high school. They also led teacher training and held events for young professionals. They launched the Unpacked for Leadership Fellowship, a group of high school students from various schools that committed to being ambassadors in educating and fighting antisemitism. The objectives of the road trip were to connect directly with students on the current war in Gaza, increase awareness of OpenDor Media’s offerings to the educational community, and gather feedback directly from students on the new Fellowship program. In their (few and far between) free moments, Avi and Yoni also visited local community centers.
“Following the horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, there was a tremendous demand for information and tools for students,” says Yoni. “We reached the majority of the 20+ LA institutions we work with closely.”
“The tour also allowed us to interface directly with our growing donor base in LA,” says Avi. “Screenings during the Unsafe Spaces tour in LA in 2022 were very successful in increasing visibility and impact. On this trip, we built on that. We hope that local foundations, who have expressed an interest in supporting our work, will see the actual impact that Unpacked has on students, and will partner with us.”
