Pathways to Peace: Arab-Israeli Preschool Initiative — Designing a Cross-Cultural Early Childhood Education Model for Peacebuilding

This capstone project proposes a bilingual, cross-cultural preschool model designed to foster peacebuilding between Israeli and Palestinian communities through early childhood education. Situated in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a cooperative Arab-Jewish village in Israel, the initiative leverages critical developmental windows to instill empathy, cooperation, and mutual understanding among young children. Drawing on case studies from integrated education models, neuroscience, and developmental psychology, the curriculum includes bilingual instruction in Hebrew and Arabic, dual narrative storytelling, and immersive cultural exchange. It also incorporates social-emotional learning and parent engagement to promote community-wide reconciliation. The project outlines a robust framework for implementation, evaluation, and long-term scalability, positioning early education as a foundational tool for conflict transformation. Through partnerships with organizations such as UNICEF and the Education Cluster in Gaza, this preschool model aspires to serve not only as a localized intervention but as a replicable curriculum for peacebuilding in conflict zones globally.