The Walter Kastelan Periphery Scholarship Fund launched in 2021, has boosted accessibility to higher education among Israelis from disadvantaged backgrounds and outlying communities.

The Periphery Program recruits high school students based on their achievements relative to their classmates, rather than on standardized admissions tests that pitch them against privileged peers from the country’s wealthier central region.

It provides financial, academic, emotional and social support alongside career and employment guidance. In return, students perform community service.