Who we are - החממה

Who
we are

The Ecological Greenhouse at Ein Shemer is a research and learning center for global and local environmental challenges.

It is a place where people from the entire spectrum of Israeli society meet in order to invent, learn, research, create ideas and find solutions for a greener future through innovation, sustainability, agriculture, science, technology and culture. Here, start-up entrepreneurs meet with high school students, artists and scientists, Jews with Arabs, secular with religious, new immigrants with locals, young with old, under one roof to work on issues in climate, food, water, waste, energy, consumption, and culture.

The Greenhouse was established by the artist Avital Geva in 1977, and was built by tens of thousands of students who have learned here over the past 45 years. From it’s very first day, the Greenhouse was a laboratory for ideas in education, environment and society and has created a model that connects youth with experts, researchers and teachers who together learn, research and create solutions to real challenges. Over the years, the Greenhouse has produced a variety of projects, research and ideas, many of which had been adapted in Israel and around the world.

The Greenhouse represented Israel at the “Biennale” art convention in Venice in 1993, and later at Dusseldorf (1996), Vienna (2000, 2019), Stockholm (2003), New York (2013) and Delhi (2016). Avital Geva won the lifetime achievement award from the Ministry of Culture in 2013 for his artistic work, culminating with the Greenhouse. In 2022 Greenhouse students won the ISDG competition and represented Israel at the FAO in Rome. In 2023, two groups of students from the Greenhouse won the ISDG completion and are due to fly to Rome to presents Israel at the FAO conference. The Greenhouse also won the World Award for Sustainability from the Global Energy Award in 2022.

We work 24/7 in collaboration with schools, educational programs, enrichment classes, courses, advanced training, conferences and events for the general public. The Greenhouse is a “sand box” for young inventors of all ages with a variety of learning environments, including hydroponic systems, systems for growing algae, makerspace, a joint kitchen, water lab, molecular lab, algae lab, medicinal plants, agricultural robotics, and fishponds.

Over its years of operation, the Greenhouse had raised thousands of curious graduates, who today run high-tech companies, work in the fields of technology and agriculture, researchers, leaders, educators, and social entrepreneurs.

The Greenhouse assists schools and educational centers in developing innovative environmental and social education, and is an inspiration for many Israeli entrepreneurs in the fields and educations, society and environment. We assist and consult others who wish to establish ecological-educational centers that model the Greenhouse.

We believe in working together, in optimism, in drive, in pluralism, and in changing the world. We believe that together we can create a greener future!