Jun 7, 2011 | AIL, Education, Kravis Prize, Sakena Yacoobi
Kravis Prize winner Sakena Yacoobi is working to establish a mentoring partnership in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. How did the founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) end up working in Canada? In an interview with the Star Pheonix, Yacoobi spoke about the importance of mentors to professional growth and her partnership with Betty-Ann Heggie, a former vice president of Potash Corp., to create a mentorship program for six Afghani women at Saskatoon’s Edwards School of Business. While discussing the business school’s “womentorship” program, Yacoobi said AIL’s students “are doing a wonderful job right now in Afghanistan … but if they come here and they are exposed to a different system and different environment, they will be able to be very creative and innovative … and will have a great impact in the society of Afghanistan.” Yacoobi believes the program will build a bridge between Canada and Afghanistan, creating a better sense of understanding between both countries. “The women of Afghanistan are very strong; they are very intelligent,” said Yacoobi. “If the environment is given to them they are very fast learners.”... read more
May 25, 2011 | CMC, Kravis Prize
We’re excited to announce that Claremont McKenna College has opened the nomination period for the seventh annual Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership. You can now submit your candidate suggestions through the Kravis Prize website. All candidates submitted on the site will be considered along with nominations from a select group of individuals who are invited to serve as nominators based on their knowledge and experience in the nonprofit sector. Get your nominations in soon! The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2011. The 2012 winner of the Kravis Prize, which carries a $250,000 award, will be recognized during a celebratory dinner in Los Angeles in March of next year. Could your favorite nonprofit organization be accepting this prestigious honor? Submit the organization’s name and why you think they deserve the Prize and find out! Submit your suggestions for Kravis Prize candidates... read more
May 6, 2011 | AIL, Education, Kravis Prize, Sakena Yacoobi, Vicky Colbert
I would like to congratulate Vicky Colbert of the Escuela Nueva Foundation, this year’s winner of the Kravis Prize in Leadership. Vicky’s work in reforming education for children in Latin America is making a real impact for those let down by traditional education systems. This is incredibly important work and Vicky deserves this great honor. Speaking from my own experience, winning the Kravis Prize will allow Vicky and Escuela Nueva to reach a much larger audience of people interested in education. When I was awarded the Kravis Prize in 2009, I knew that it would help financially as well as help raise the visibility and prominence of my organization, the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). What I didn’t anticipate was how the reputation of the Kravis Prize would bring AIL increased credibility on the international stage. The Prize has opened doors to many new opportunities and inspired my staff to work even harder than they had in the past. We greatly appreciate the honor and the feeling that people recognize and appreciate the importance of our work educating women and girls in Afghanistan. To achieve our goal of educating women and girls in one of the world’s most oppressive countries, AIL responds to the needs of local communities. In our work, we have to think creatively in order to blend the culture and needs of Afghan women and children with new innovations in teaching, critical thinking skills, human rights, leadership and peace. Vicky and Escuela Nueva have developed incredibly innovative ways to improve the level of education through changing the roles of teachers and students in ways that really... read more
Apr 19, 2011 | CMC, Education, Escuela Nueva, Kravis Prize, Vicky Colbert
During her recent travels to the U.S. to receive the 2011 Kravis Prize in Leadership, Vicky Colbert visited Claremont McKenna College and spoke with students Cody Chang and Nikki Holzberg. In the video below, Colbert talked about the benefits of the Kravis Prize and its positive effect in allowing the Escuela Nueva to create change in the field of education. Colbert stressed the importance of Escuela Nueva’s cooperative learning approach, saying that students who dialogue with one another and learn to work with and accept each other’s ideas, will start to develop citizenship skills that lead to increased participation in their communities and the development of peaceful democracies. Escuela Nueva, said Colbert, is creating a new generation of leaders through democratic classroom elections that are providing a cultural shift in Latin America to promote cooperation and peaceful dialogue. Click on the video below to see Vicky Colbert’s interview. You can also view more videos on Colbert and Escuela Nueva here. ... read more
Apr 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
Last Tuesday, April 5, on CNN en Español’s Encuentro program, Claudia Palacios interviewed Escuela Nueva’s Vicky Colbert. During the interview, which was conducted entirely via Skype, Palacios praised Colbert for receiving the 2011 Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership, as well as for her work as the Colombian Vice Minister of Education and as UNICEF’s Director of the Regional Office of Education. While the interview took place in Spanish, we have translated the best bits for you here: Speaking with Palacios about Escuela Nueva’s educational model, Colbert explained: “What we have tried to demonstrate for many years is that yes, you can improve the quality of education of the poorest schools in the country. [By creating a student-centered educational model,] we transformed the learning environment to truly be active and participatory.” On teacher training, Colbert said: “[The Escuela Nueva Foundation created] a very effective teacher training [program], focusing on practice instead of theory. [As a result, the model was easy to replicate because it] demonstrates that we can transform the classroom with minimal teacher training.” Regarding the expansion of the Escuela Nueva model, Colbert added: “Not only did [the model] become national policy in Colombia but 40 countries have also visited us and we have exported this model to more than 16 countries, reaching over five million children. … So at this time Escuela Nueva Foundation is advising countries like India, Vietnam and East Timor. Countries that want to build social cohesion and citizenship.” Colbert alluded to a study published by the University of London, which revealed that Escuela Nueva’s students “not only improved in terms of educational results,... read more
