Leading with Students at the Center

Tikvah Wiener is Founder and Co-Director of The Idea Institute, which, since 2014, has trained close to 2000  educators in project-based learning and innovative pedagogies. From 2018-2023, she was also Head of School of The Idea School, a Jewish, project-based learning high school in Tenafly, NJ. Tikvah was an Upstart Fellow, 2014-16, and was one of ten educators in JEIC’s 2016-17 HaKaveret Design Team, a group that innovated new models of learning for Jewish education. She also presented an ELI Talk on why we need more passion-based learning in the field. Tikvah started her educational career as an English and art history teacher and has been in Jewish education for 27 years.

Gary Pretsfelder is Senior Manager, Professional Learning and Growth (NY Day Schools) at The Jewish Education Project, where he consults with, and coordinates professional development for, Yeshiva/Day School educators in the New York area in support of educational and cultural change in their schools. Gary is a former long-time day school Principal and teacher who built school communities that put students and active learning at the center.