Yotvata received the first group of 23 kids belonging to the "Naaleh" project in 1995.

The level of achievement in their studies at school was very high - all the students graduated and completed their "Bagrut" studies, some with distinctions.

Apart from one project member who left at the end of the project, all went into the army for their compulsory military service, most of the boys serving in combat units.

Approximately half of the kids have parents living in Israel, parents who came to live here because of their kids. All the kids who completed the project see themselves living here permanently and have chosen Israel as their country.

6 of the kids who have no family in Israel live on the kibbutz as "solitary soldiers", a special arrangement by which the kibbutz is their home during their army service.

The project manager of the kibbutz who guided them, taught them, helped them and educated them throughout the 3 years was Shalom Zaussmer, a kibbutz member, tragically no longer with us, who imbued in them a love of the land and of the Jewish people and showed them the importance of being involved in and giving to their new society.

 
In 1998 the second group of kids from the Naaleh project arrived at the kibbutz, 22 in all, 15 girls and 7 boys. They arrived with no knowledge of Hebrew, isolated from all associations with their home country.
They needed to be strong in order to cope with the demands made on them, a new language, a new country, new customs, kibbutz life, the desert climate, belonging to an unknown group, seperation from family and friends, new food and a new culture. All this in the uneasy framework of adolescence.

The first year was dedicated to the intensensive study of Hebrew at school and the social introduction to, and acceptance by, the Israeli pupils.

In the social framework they had to learn new ideas, to become a group, to learn about mutual and individual responsibility and obligations to their places of work. They, like all kibbutz children in Yotvata, work in one of the kibbutz branches one day a week from the age of 14 as part of their education.

They were each provided with a family by the kibbutz, a family to give them the feeling of home, to provide them with the warmth and to help them achieve a greater understanding of kibbutz life.

At the end of the first year, the kids of Naaleh, those with families abroad, go to visit them.

The second year involves a harder regimen of studying, their timetable the same as that of the Israeli pupils. They are divided according to their preferred subjects and their individual levels together with the Israelis. At the end of this year the kids of Naaleh take their first bagrut exam, the subject - Hebrew Language!

Apart from school there are other activities provided by the area "Matnas" - the centre for culture, youth and sport. These include: horse riding, D.J., internet, playing a musical instrument and various sports.

There are other social activities with their contemporaries, born on the kibbutz. The kids of Naaleh take an active part in the activities of the 10th, 11th and 12th graders inside the kibbutz.

During the school holidays some spend time with relatives in different places throughout Israel.

The management of Naaleh organize seminars during the school breaks - each seminar with a different central subject - the process of absorption into Israeli society, strengthening the individual and the group, Jewish history etc.

The kibbutz team also organize various activities including local treks and nationwide tours.

There are 3 "Educators" on the kibbutz team. One at school and two in the kibbutz, all 3 are Yotvata members . They fulfill the functions of: parents, guides, leaders, helpers, educators, advisors etc.