History
The Hope Centre for Cognitive Education was founded in 1993 by British parents of children with special needs who received help from Professor Reuven Feuerstein at his Institute in Jerusalem. Their primary aim was to create a centre of excellence in the UK, using his unique methods to enable children with learning difficulties to reach their full potential.
In the early 1990’s, BBC television screened “the Transformers”, a documentary about an educational psychologist called Professor Reuven Feuerstein, whose revolutionary teaching methodology transforms the lives of children with learning disabilities. The professor over the last 50 years, has pioneered his unique, innovative approach to cognitive education.
As a result of the BBC programme, many British parents took their children to his Institute for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP). They weren’t quite sure what to expect, and at first were slightly dubious of what they saw as the Professor’s unrealistic claims of what their children might achieve.
They changed their minds as they watched their children make dramatic progress – often in a space of weeks – where there had previously been at best slow or patchy change. In addition, as parents they were taught, often for the first time, how to become active participants in their child’s learning.
After managing to raise minimal start-up funds, these parents set about building the organisation that exists today. Established as a charity in 1993, Hope’s aim was to set up a centre in the UK, a centre of excellence, which would use Professor Feuerstein’s methodology to benefit children with special needs. At times, the task seemed impossible, but by 1997, the first children were being taught in temporary premises. Today Hope employs twenty-one members of staff, and works with more than sixty children on a regular basis. The Charity has an active board of trustees.
Now that one of our major goals has been achieved - the move to our permanent premises – the next target is a programme of major expansion. We are already working to full capacity and have a waiting list, both for places at the centre and for assessments. In order to enable us to see more children, and to build on the exciting work that has begun over the last few years, we will continue to seek further funding from statutory authorities and we will continue our own programme of fund-raising, through a variety of initiatives, including sponsorship and major events. A lot has happened in a few short years and we look to the future with Hope.
The Hope Centre is the U.K Feuerstein Centre headed by Jennifer Rigby and supported by Ruth Deutsch, the Lead Accredited trainer in Feuerstein’s Methods.
