** Yaacov Hecht ** (Hebrew: יעקב הכט) (born 1958 in Hadera), is an Israeli educator and worldwide pioneer of democratic education. In 1987, he founded the first school in the world called a democratic school. Following that, he helped founding around 30 democratic schools in Israel. In 1993 he convened 'in Hadera the first IDEC- International Democratic Education Conference, an annual conference that continues to connect educators, schools, and organizations. That led to the emergence of hundreds of democratic schools all over the world.

Career

Educational ideas and philosophy

Democratic Education

The Democratic Education is an education that prepares for life in a democratic culture, it is the missing piece in the intricate puzzle which is the democratic state. The democratic education is an educational approach that attempts to address the following key question: How to prepare the student towards life in a democratic society. A question that is supposed to be the driving force of the education system. In the democratic education, the student focuses on exploring and identifying his/her individual and social goals and develops strengths in such way that enables him/her to direct one's life according to these goals. The school assists the student in creating and acquiring the tools that will help him/her achieve one's goals.

Democratic Schools

Schools that operated with democratic principles have been in existence for the last century (Janusz Korczak's orphanage, Summerhill, and Sudbury school are a few examples) under different titles (alternative, Open, Free Schools, etc.). A democratic school operates as a microcosm of a democratic state and upholds human rights and children's rights. In most democratic schools the following principles are maintained:

Education Cities – the art of collaborations

According to the Education City concept, the entire city and all its resources transform into one big school. Education Cities has worked since 2010 with dozens of municipal authorities in Israel on implementation of the following principles: Two of the most significant tools Yaacov has developed in the frame of Education Cities are Classroom 2.0 or the Education Team model and How2MOOC model. The Education Team has only two principle guidelines: Much like in a sport team and with the same level of energy, the group strives for the realization of its goal, while utilizing its members' unique talents and nurturing a team spirit and pride. In this way, a desirable combination is achieved: high academic achievements combined with enjoyment and individual fulfilment. How2MOOC, Education Cities model for MOOC learning, has made a meaningful breakthrough in this area in Israel. It is based on a fusion between the Education Team Model's spirit, the flipped classroom (studying at home and processing the information in class together), and the use of Facebook, WhatsApp and other virtual media tools. The average rate of completion of MOOC courses in the How2MOOC classes is 88%

The Worldwide aspect

Learning in the third circle expands the limits of one's imagination and enables to think about new ideas. Therefore, a few times a year, Yaacov travels to different countries to learn about the most updated innovations, taking with him groups of educators and entrepreneurs. These Learning Expeditions are fantastic learning opportunities but just as importantly, they are also opportunities for bonding and creating new contacts and networks for future collaborative work.

Personal life

Hecht was born and raised in Hadera, Israel, where he lives today. He is married and a father to four children.

Publications