I know that there are numerous Davidson professionals and participants who will laugh or at least smile at the title of this post, since it's based on a story I've been telling – not to say, relentlessly poking– myself and them more or less once a quarter for seven-something years: the need to ask ourselves, every day, who are we and what are we doing here.
So I'm warning in advance: this post will do it again.
Who are we– it's not enough to say that we are an institute for science education. It's not even enough to boast that we are the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. We need to understand what our professional identity is. What are its components, emphases and how is it unique. What is that "added value" that distinguishes us at Davidson from any other organization engaged in science education. Who are we, in the deepest professional sense of the question.
What are we doing here – in light of this professional identity, what is our special vision. By virtue of which concept are we operating, which disciplines do we learn from – educational, scientific and cultural alike; what are our goals, which strategy is best to achieve them, what are the main values that guide us, what challenges and strengths stand before us; and how can we harness all this to create groundbreaking, innovative and state-of-the-art programs. What's our raison-d'etre, our added value that is different from what other science education organizations are doing. What are we doing here, in the most practical sense of the question.
More than asking myself these questions, I constantly reexamine, adapt and change the answers that I give to them. For example, during my entire six years as CEO of the Wolf Foundation that awards the globally-renown Wolf Prize, one of the questions I constantly asked myself was why do we humans give each other prizes; This is the basic question that is needed if we wish to understand two more questions – what is the special identity of the Wolf Prize, and what is its purpose? obviously, these are questions that should be addressed by an organization whose main and stated goal is to award prizes.
The same is true in the case of Davidson. From day one, the main question I asked was, why should one of the world's leading scientific research institutes, such as the Weizmann Institute, invest precious resources - physical, financial, space, and especially time - in order to engage in something that is not really part of its direct mission? The answer to this question is needed to accurately and meaningfully define Davidson's unique identity as an educational arm of the Weizmann Institute, and more than that – it serves as a compass of what is required to bring this identity to optimal, practical expression.
Answering "it's our responsibility to give back to society" is one that every organization, corporation or research institute can and should give. It's a kind of participation in Tikkun Olam, a leading Jewish. But the Weizmann Institute is already "giving back to society" and is engaged in "repairing the world", in doing a great deal of good by virtue of its research and breakthroughs for the benefit of all humanity. This answer, therefore, is a necessary but not satisfactory one.
So why invest in science education as well? I will focus here on one of the main reasons: the connection between groundbreaking research, vital technological developments, global collaborations, value clarification, cultural growth, and the resources required – that multifaceted, complex connection is a Gordian knot without which none of these can be complete or effective. It is not a cliché to say that the State of Israel's existence depends on it. To achieve it, sustained public support is critical. Only a society that understands the achievements we make through science and its importance for advancing quality of life, health, security, economy and cultural growth - will invest in the support required to continue its prosperity. This is achieved through science education for all, from early age. This is a humanistic view of science education; one that builds the insights that link knowledge, skills and values. It isn't based only on general responsibility, but on a sense of mission that stems from the commitment to actively participate in shaping the culture in which we live in order to secure its future and our part in it.
Since the Weizmann Institute is an outstanding and leading scientific research institute, its educational arm should also be outstanding and leading in science education. Excellence and leadership. Two separate, complementary and required words.
With this in mind, we began to examine the practical expression of these two words within Davidson's various frameworks. We re-examined our various programs – those aimed at outstanding youth who may be the next generation of Israeli scientists; those aimed at families who will come for one-time activities; those aimed at enhancing the sense of capability of children at risk; those that operate on the Davidson Institute campus itself and those that operate throughout the country; Those who deal with computational astrophysics, those that deal with nutrition and those that deal with the relationship between senses and functioning in the environment; And we tried to understand how to make sure that they are all both excellent and groundbreaking. We tried to understand when do we need to try again, what to change or what to discontinue, even when it hurt.
Have we always succeeded? Absolutely not. Sometimes we failed miserably, sometimes we succeeded on a modest scale, and sometimes we broke new and exciting paths, exciting and game-changing for others as well. There's still much more to do.
More than anything, we weren't afraid to try. It's how science is developed, it's how humanity develops. In a world where change is the most constant thing, the main success is to understand that what worked yesterday may not necessarily fit tomorrow, and to create new answers to old and new questions to come. Within the toolbox I am leaving at Davidson, this is perhaps the most significant tool: remembering to ask every day, who are we and what are we doing here. Based on my experience, I have confidence that the excellent professionals of the Davidson Institute of science education will know how to both ask - and answer.
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