In cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Yasser Arafat Foundation launched “The National Knowledge Competition” in November 2017, that aimed to evaluate and enhance students’ Palestinian national identity and contemporary history. 

The Foundation placed particular emphasis on the competition because of its potential to promote and develop awareness of the national narrative and culture in Palestinian schools, and a strong belief in the students’ ability to contribute positively to their society. 

The competition focused on 10th grade students.  The first phase was conducted in 170 schools in the northern and southern governorates, under the supervision of the affiliated Directorates of Education.  Of these, 17 schools from the West Bank, along with five in the Gaza Strip and one in Jerusalem, were selected for the second phase.  Six schools were selected for the pre-final phase, and three for the final phase. 

The pre-final competition was held at Al-Muntada Hall in Yasser Arafat Museum in Ramallah, and at late President Arafat’s residence in Gaza.  All competitions were broadcast on Palestine TV. The winners of the competition were:
The Awards for the three winning teams were:

*First Place:  High-quality laptop; US$400for each student; and a trip to Turkey sponsored by the Ministry of Education

*Second Place: High-quality iPad and US$300 for each student

*Third Place:  High-quality tablet and US$200 for each student