NFTE Voices: Educator Spotlight is a new series from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship that highlights educators who inspire innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. As subject matter experts in entrepreneurship education, these NFTE Teacher Corps leaders share experiences, insights, and best practices to advance NFTE’s bold vision to lead the global movement for equitable access to entrepreneurship education.
Today, during National Entrepreneurship Month, we shine a light on Juline Abdo, a teacher at Amal Nazareth in Nazareth, Israel. Not only has she made outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship education, but Abdo also believes that teaching entrepreneurship has propelled her professional growth.
“I began my career as a special education teacher and later expanded my teaching field to include mathematics,” she said. “Today, I combine both areas, while also serving as an instructor and the coordinator of the NFTE entrepreneurship project at our school.” Abdo gained key skills by embracing this new challenge in her career.
“This experience has greatly enriched me as a teacher and as a person, reinforcing my belief in the power of students to dream, create, and make an impact, ” she said.
Abdo teaches at a school that is part of NFTE’s Global Innovation Network (GIN)—a worldwide ecosystem linking schools, NGOs, funders, licensed partners, and institutions across 29 countries, all committed to expanding access to entrepreneurship education as a powerful economic engine. In Israel, NFTE partners with Unistream, which collaborates with the Amal Network—a leading educational organization. Amal Nazareth, part of this network, implements NFTE programs through Unistream, equipping students with essential entrepreneurial skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, opportunity recognition, and communication, while opening doors to global opportunities.
For the past four years, Abdo has led student teams in developing entrepreneurial projects that address real-world needs. Her students have consistently excelled in NFTE’s national competitions, earning second and third places with ideas that combine creativity and practicality. Among their standout projects:
- An innovative salon app that allows women and girls to preview hairstyles and colors before visiting a salon.
- A smart system to reduce traffic accidents near schools, using automatic protective posts synchronized with traffic lights.
- A smart medicine box with NFC tags and an alert app, ensuring timely medication reminders.
Her approach emphasizes hands-on learning and reimagining what’s possible.
“Each year, we develop an original entrepreneurial idea born out of a real need from our surroundings. My students consistently achieve impressive results, including second and third places in the national NFTE competitions, which fills me with immense pride.”
The impact has been profound, inspiring creativity and innovation.
“They were exposed to a whole new world of entrepreneurship. They learned to think creatively, solve problems, and express themselves. They went through a meaningful process of real-life practice, from developing an idea to presenting it in front of an audience and judges — a process that was demanding but also empowering and confidence-building.”
Abdo credits her success to collaboration and support:
“Throughout this journey, I was fortunate to receive tremendous support from the Amal Network team and from my principal, Issam Sheikh Suleiman, who has always believed in me and ensured we had all the resources we needed to succeed. I also want to acknowledge my wonderful colleague, Fiyad Mahamid, who has accompanied and supported me every year.”
Abdo said helping students develop an entrepreneurial mindset has been “fascinating, challenging, and full of learning.” She reflected on being chosen for NFTE’s educator spotlight and said: “Being recognized as an outstanding teacher in the NFTE program is, to me, a tribute to our shared efforts—the spirit of entrepreneurship and the meaningful learning we nurture every day at our school.”
Stay tuned for the next NFTE Voices: Educator Spotlight featuring an educator who inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and problem-solvers. Submit nominees to marketing@nfte.com. In the meantime, explore the NFTE Global Innovation Network (GIN).