PTI is on its first day trip of the summer - spending the day in Tel Aviv. This morning we joined Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) for some exercises in creative thinking, which helped the fellows develop process for tackling their ventures for new angles.

We've just had (a great) lunch at the Center for Educational Technology (CET) and are now sitting down for a presentation with Avi and Avital. Last year CET was one of the highlights of the summer, with some strong partnerships developing between PTI ventures and CET.

Check out the video as Aharon and Ariel explain some of the Center's background:

Huffington Post, one of the most widely read blogs on the Internet (monthly visitors come in at about 9 million), just featured PresenTense fellow Josh Keyak's newly established HuffPo blog. 

In it, Josh discusses the need for greening initiatives, his vision in particular, and his participation in the PresenTense Institute.

Check out Josh's inaugural HuffPo post, and make sure to follow it as it grows. 

If you're interested in a) the potential of philanthropic and social entrepreneurial partnerships, b) the future potential of the State of Israel to be a laboratory for ideas that are important on a global scale, c) the major issues facing the Jewish State and approaches towards solutions--if you're interested in any of these, you're going to be interested in meeting Ronny Doueck tonight. Ronny, an Israeli business leader and entrepreneurial philanthropist will join us to give his take on key issues that he's involved in. The presentation will conclude in a conversation with the floor thrown open for questions. Join us tonight at 8pm at 64 Emek Refaim (first floor).  Click here for full info on the summer speaker series lectures give and here for the full schedule. Click here to read an interview with Ronny.  For more information email rsvp@presentense.org.

Each fellow arrived at PresenTense Summer Institute ‘09 with an idea, a laptop, and a great deal of passion. 24 hours since their arrival, the energy at PTI '09 is contagious. Monday and Tuesday’s orientation is providing fellows with a educational jumpstart. PT co-founders Ariel Beery and Aharon Horwitz have led the fellows through transmedia, grassroots campaigns and social publishing. Within two days, websites are under construction, brands are being created, and ideas are becoming polished. Just imagine what the fellows will have to present at pitch night at the end of July.  

Monday night, fellows demonstrated the ability to work as a team even in the most arduous of circumstances, making a gourmet dinner silently - and putting together an impromptu web site for it from scratch. Through the next six weeks, the fellows will create a strong support system. The hub is the “home field” for “TEAM FELLOWS ‘09.” The team will brainstorm together, network together, and trade technical tools to make each individual vision a reality.  

From a fellow that plans the “Open Siddur Project” to give individuals a siddur of their own, to a fellow starting “Green Me Up,” a program encouraging people to reduce their carbon footprint through competition, the dreams of the PTI '09 fellows are diverse.  Yet each fellow has the same goal. Each came to PTI '09 to make their vision a reality, and each will leave to enter the world with a plan. 

Check back soon for more exciting updates, and follow our Twitter stream and hashtag #pti09 -

 As orientation draws near (1 hour to the first session!), things are eerily calm: welcome kits are prepared, the schedule is locked, the interns are in top form. All that's left to do is get to know one another and jump into the work.

Here's a video of us doing the former:

Last night our fellows gathered for an informal dinner, to get to know one another and meet the staff. The atmosphere was electric as the excitement in the room bristled. 

Here are some snippets overheard:

"So I told them I'd love to get some coffee with them, but I'm in Israel for six weeks to work on my project."

"Wow, this place is nice!"

"I'm sure by the end of the summer we'll be pitching each other's projects!"

"Please pass the guacamole." (That's right, there was guacamole.)

Want more? Follow #pti09 on twitter and stay tuned to this blog for videos, announcements, and more.