The Ramon Foundation

The Ramon Foundation (Hebrew: קרן רמון) is a registered Israeli nonprofit association founded in 2010 by Rona Ramon together with leading figures in Israeli society. It commemorates the legacy of Rona's husband Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut, who died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003, and of their son Asaf Ramon, an Israeli Air Force pilot killed in a training accident in September 2009. The foundation pursues this mission through advanced educational programs focused on leadership, aviation and space. The foundation's mission, as stated on its website, is to lead educational programs operating in the spirit and image of Ilan, Rona and Asaf Ramon, aiming to inspire and develop values and capabilities that help every child realize their dreams, using the worlds of space and aviation. Its activity is organized around three core areas: leadership development, space education, and development of the Israeli space industry. Among its flagship programs are the 'Tayeset Club' (Squadron Club), a values-based leadership program for elementary and middle-school students mentored by active Israeli Air Force squadrons; 'Mamri'im' (Taking Off), a leadership program for elementary students; 'Ot Ramon' (Ramon Award), a leading Israeli leadership program for outstanding 12th-grade students; Ramon Spacelab, a two-year scientific leadership program in which teenagers compete to send experiments to the International Space Station; Columbia Spacelab, an international adaptation of Ramon Spacelab commemorating all seven STS-107 crew members; and Space Startups, an educational program for elementary students combining space with entrepreneurship practices. According to Hebrew Wikipedia, the foundation's board includes retired senior Air Force officers, businesspeople and philanthropists, among them pilots Eitan Stibbe and Mordechai Keren, attorney Shmulik Zisman, Barak Ben Eliezer (former commander of the Talpiot unit), Orna Saban, Yiftach Ramon, Tal Ramon, Oren Shadiv, attorney Lior Levi and Ehud Adelman. Rona Ramon, the founder, was honored with lighting a torch on Israel's 68th Independence Day and with the Israel Prize on the 71st Independence Day. In 2022 the association received the President's Award for Volunteerism for its activity in Israel's periphery. Since October 2022 Gil Doron has served as CEO of the association, succeeding Ran Levana. As of 2022 the association employed about 100 staff and instructors and operated in about 80 local authorities across Israel, with roughly 500 volunteers including aircrew from about 21 operational Israeli Air Force squadrons, space engineers and astronauts. It works on an intellectual-property-based model in which beneficiaries (local authorities, schools) share operating costs, complemented by philanthropy the foundation raises. Thousands of children take part in its educational programs each year, and tens of thousands attend its events. In November 2020 the foundation announced the sending of Israel's second astronaut, Eitan Stibbe, to space, making it the first organization in the world to send an astronaut on a scientific and technological mission.

The Ramon Foundation was founded in 2010 by Rona Ramon together with leading figures in Israeli society, as a registered nonprofit association. It was established to commemorate the legacy of Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut, who died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003, and of the couple's son Asaf Ramon, an Israeli Air Force pilot killed in a training accident in September 2009. According to Hebrew Wikipedia, several months after Asaf's death Rona opened her son's personal diaries and read a sentence that became the foundation's motto: 'We were educated, my brothers and I, to strive to fulfill our dreams based on the belief that each person must find their own purpose.' After reading the diaries she decided, together with family members, to establish the Ramon Foundation association. The association was created to promote pioneers and leaders in Israeli society in the spirit of Ilan and Asaf Ramon. Rona Ramon served as chair of the association from its founding and guided its growth into a central institution in Israeli public life until her death in December 2018. Ilan Ramon was a decorated Israeli Air Force colonel who took part in the 1981 strike on Iraq's nuclear reactor. In 1997 he was selected as Israel's first astronaut. During his stay in the United States preparing for the STS-107 mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia, he worked to make the first Israeli astronaut mission a national event, reflected in the design of the astronaut insignia he wore on his uniform and in the objects he took aboard, such as the Israeli flag, the Air Force flag, a mezuzah, kosher food, a kiddush cup and a drawing by a Jewish boy from the Theresienstadt ghetto. Asaf Ramon, a captain, died in a training accident in September 2009, several months after graduating with honors from the combat flight course; Asaf and Ilan are the only father and son in the Air Force to have graduated from the Israeli Air Force flight course with honors. After the Columbia disaster a series of memorial projects were established in Ilan Ramon's memory, including space centers around the country, Israeli Space Week held around the date of the Columbia crash in the first week of February, and the settlement 'Mitzpe Ilan'. The foundation operates a range of programs and projects in three core areas. In leadership development: the 'Tayeset Club' (Squadron Club), a values-based leadership program for elementary and middle-school students in which participants undergo personal and group mentoring from a certified instructor while receiving guidance from operational Israeli Air Force squadrons; the program is based on the doctorate of its founder, Reuven Tzemach, who joined the Ramon Foundation in 2011, and it has since expanded from 4 schools to 27. It has won the Ministry of Education's prize for an outstanding educational program, and it earned the Air Force the Chief of Staff's award for a volunteering unit due to the involvement of operational squadrons in its ongoing activity. 'Mamri'im' (Taking Off) is a leadership program for elementary-school students in which students in 'leadership' classes go through a series of activities and experiences such as writing a personal diary, workshops and exercises, serving as an initial arena for training and acquiring language and values such as choice, responsibility, giving, perseverance, not giving up, motivation, fulfilling dreams, cooperation and types of leadership; at the end of the year a grade-level entrepreneurship competition is held for the classes' signature project for society. 'Ot Ramon' (Ramon Award) is a leadership program for 12th-grade students; the partners in the program — the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, Bank Hapoalim and the Ramon Foundation — select 20 outstanding 12th-grade students who have demonstrated leadership ability and made an exceptional contribution to society and the community. These students, chosen from more than 300 candidates through screening committees and assessment tenders, participate in a year-long leadership program in which they meet with opinion leaders from government, the Knesset, the business and third sectors, academia and research. 'Ot Ramon' was formerly called 'Ot Tamari' after Major General Nehemiah Tamari, and has been managed at the Ramon Foundation since 2008. In space education: Ramon Spacelab is a two-year scientific leadership program for middle-school and high-school students in which teenagers compete for the chance to send an experiment to the International Space Station. The program is delivered by a school science teacher and a professional mentor from the Ramon Foundation. The annual curriculum consists of a few structured lesson units and is based on eight missions (each named after one of the Columbia disaster victims, plus a concluding mission). The program is an initiative of space engineers Dr. Raz Tamir-Yitzhaki and Daniel Rozenberg and the Ramon Foundation, and is currently operated by the Ramon Foundation. Participants take tours of the Israeli space industry and annual meetings with astronauts. The program also operates in the United States. As of 2022 the foundation had sent 33 different experiments carried out by astronauts on the International Space Station under this activity. Columbia Spacelab is an educational program based on Ramon Spacelab, lasting about a year and operating worldwide; as of 2022 it had operated in the education systems of Chile, Singapore, Slovenia and Ghana, commemorating all seven STS-107 crew members who died on the space shuttle Columbia. Space Startups is an educational program for elementary-school students that uses the world of space alongside practices from the world of entrepreneurship; its pedagogy is designed to encourage young students to specialize and excel in STEM fields and to help them acquire the skills required in the 21st century, combining principles from NASA's astronaut training program — teamwork, leadership, inquiry, coping with difficulties and various complex simulations. In November 2020 the foundation announced the sending of Israel's second astronaut, Eitan Stibbe, to space, making it the first organization in the world to send an astronaut on a scientific and technological mission. In 2022 the association received the President's Award for Volunteerism for its activity in Israel's periphery. Since October 2022 Gil Doron has served as CEO, succeeding Ran Levana. As of 2022 the association employed about 100 staff and instructors and operated in about 80 local authorities across Israel, with about 500 volunteers including aircrew from about 21 operational Israeli Air Force squadrons, space engineers and astronauts. It works on an intellectual-property-based model in which beneficiaries (local authorities, schools) share operating costs, complemented by philanthropy the foundation raises. Thousands of children take part in its educational programs each year, and tens of thousands attend its events. In addition to the programs it operates itself, the association partners in dozens of initiatives around the country and assists associations and organizations engaged in space education.

• 2022

  The association receives the President's Award for Volunteerism; Gil Doron becomes CEO in October.

• 2020

  In November the foundation announces the sending of Israel's second astronaut, Eitan Stibbe, to space.

• 2018

  Rona Ramon, founder and chair of the foundation, dies in December.

• 2011

  Reuven Tzemach joins the Ramon Foundation; the Tayeset Club program later expands from 4 schools to 27.

• 2010

  The Ramon Foundation is founded by Rona Ramon and leading figures in Israeli society as a registered nonprofit association.

• 2008

  'Ot Ramon' (formerly 'Ot Tamari') begins being managed at the Ramon Foundation.

Nonprofit educational foundation using space and aviation to inspire leadership and STEM values in Israeli youth, in memory of Ilan, Rona and Asaf Ramon.

• Tayeset Club (Squadron Club)

  Values-based leadership program for elementary and middle-school students, mentored by operational Israeli Air Force squadrons; based on the doctorate of founder Reuven Tzemach, expanded from 4 to 27 schools.

• Mamri'im (Taking Off)

  Leadership program for elementary-school students in 'leadership' classes, using diaries, workshops and exercises to train values such as choice, responsibility, giving, perseverance and cooperation.

• Ot Ramon (Ramon Award)

  Leading Israeli leadership program for 12th-grade students; partners include the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Bank Hapoalim; 20 students selected from over 300 candidates.

• Ramon Spacelab

  Two-year scientific leadership program for middle- and high-school students competing to send experiments to the International Space Station; as of 2022, 33 experiments had been sent.

• Columbia Spacelab

  International educational program based on Ramon Spacelab, commemorating all seven STS-107 crew members; operated in Chile, Singapore, Slovenia and Ghana as of 2022.

• Space Startups

  Educational program for elementary students combining space with entrepreneurship practices and NASA astronaut training principles to encourage STEM excellence.

1. 1קרן רמון – ע"ש אילן, רונה ואסף רמוןramonfoundation.org.il
2. 2The Ramon Foundation – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3קרן רמון – Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org