To be eligible to apply, teens must meet the following criteria:

• Are Jewish, reside in the Greater Washington area, and want to travel to Israel during 9th -12th grades or summers immediately thereafter (Post-high school year-course* programs are ineligible.).
• Have parents/guardians who will certify that the IQ grant (i) is financially required and (ii) would have a substantial impact on their ability and decision to send the teen on the selected trip.
• Are officially registered for an Israel trip which is a teen, peer, substantive educational program that has been approved or qualifies for approval under current IQ guidelines. (Family, day school and congregational family trips are ineligible.)   

IQ will award grants for 2011-12 as follows:

-$500 for teens enrolled in approved trips of 3 weeks in Israel.

-$900 for teens enrolled in approved trips of 4 to 5 weeks in Israel.

-$1,100 for teens enrolled in approved trips of 6 weeks or longer in Israel.

Weeks are defined as 7 days in Israel, not the full length of a trip for those that include other destinations.  Teen trips are eligible if they offer a minimum of 21 days in Israel and are for high school students only.

No matching funds are available; however, applicants are encouraged to contact other organizations (e.g. congregations, youth groups, trip providers and camps) to inquire about sponsorship.  Israel Quest grant funding will not exceed the cost of an Israel trip.

There is a limited amount of Israel Quest funding available.

We encourage you to submit the Israel Quest Grant application online as soon as possible to secure your grant before all funds are awarded and at least a month before the trip provider requires final payment.  Applications are grouped for processing three times per year.  The final date to submit an application is May 15.

If you have questions about eligibility, please e-mail israelquest@pjll.org, or call the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning at 240-283-6200.