The Achva Academic College is located on the seam line between the Negev desert and central Israel. The College was established in 1971 and is implementing a unique academic model which allows students to combine a B.Sc degree with thorough pedagogical training which also includes a hands-on practicum experience. This model is set to effect a long-term change in the quality of teaching in general and the teaching of the sciences in particular within the educational system in Israel. Achva Academic College comprises three major units: the School of Education where students study towards a B.Ed degree or a teaching certificate; the School of Graduate Studies which offers courses towards an M.Ed degree, and the School of Sciences which offers the B.Sc degree in a variety of disciplines, some under the autonomous management of the college (e.g. Psychology, Environmental Studies and the Life Sciences) and others under the auspices of the Ben-Gurion University. Achva Academic College encourages a multiculturalist approach and a fruitful dialogue between members of different communities. This approach is manifested in the heterogeneous composition of the college’s student community and faculty as well as in its curriculum. The college currently serves 3500 students and employs some 250 members of faculty. Alongside its drive for academic excellence, the College also places much emphasis on making its physical and intellectual environment accessible to people with special needs.