by lwang | Feb 1, 2013 | Community Development, Education, Pratham
Since its inception in 1994, Pratham, India’s largest non-governmental advocacy organization for quality education, has opened doors of opportunity for millions of underprivileged children. The Kravis Prize congratulates Pratham USA as this year’s winner of the Times of India Social Impact Award in the category of “International Contribution to India.” In a press release announcing the award, Pratham includes remarks by Arvind Sanger, chairman of Pratham USA’s board of directors. “This award not only recognizes the efforts of Pratham USA, but most importantly, it recognizes the continued generosity of our donors, both large and small…Every donor to Pratham USA has a strong belief that education provides the foundation for individuals to raise themselves socially and economically. Our donors understand that they have succeeded because of education and they want their resources to support the children of India in their own path to success.” The release details Pratham’s immense contribution to India’s future through its range of educational programs, as well as the organization’s annual research study that tracks the educational investment across the nation. “Pratham USA should serve as a model for many communities in the U.S. as they support global, social and economic transformations,” says Dr. Molly Easo Smith, Executive Director of Pratham USA. “The Indian American community understands the concept of organized and impact-focused philanthropy as a basis for significant social change globally.” We applaud Pratham USA on earning this prestigious award and trust their efforts to redefine educational quality in India will continue to receive the international acclaim it deserves. Please read the full press release...
by lwang | Jan 18, 2013 | Community Development, Education, FAWE, Female Empowerment, Poverty Reduction
At the Kravis Prize, we’re proud to honor those at the forefronts of their fields and exemplary leaders in the nonprofit community, knowing that their work has a tremendous impact on the larger world. In 1992, female education ministers of from five African countries established Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) to advocate for the education of girls across Africa. At the time, an estimated 24 million girls were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa and FAWE’s founders recognized not only the personal benefits for girls who attend school, but also the extensive benefits for society at large. Since then, FAWE has been a tireless and effective advocate for education, constantly innovating and implementing programs to address the multifaceted problems facing educators and students throughout the region. Among the group’s activities is co-chairing the annual GIMAC (“Gender is My Agenda Campaign”) Summit, which this year featured as keynote speaker the African Union’s first woman chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. All Africa contributor Samantha Nkirote Mckenzie reported on Dlamini-Zuma’s address during the summit’s first day, which focused on education: With the majority of Africa’s population being youth, there is a particular responsibility to ensure that the continent’s young people have the skills they need, Dlamini-Zuma said. “Education does not wait – it is a window that closes in time,” she said, underscoring the urgency of the situation. Several FAWE scholarship recipients attended the 21st annual summit, which also featured a welcoming address by FAWE Executive Director Oley Dibba-Wadda She said: “It is imperative that women and youth are supported and provided with the right tools so that they can engage and make...
by lwang | Jan 14, 2013 | Community Development, Education, Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
Since founding the nonprofit educational organization Fundacion Escuela Nueva (FEN) 25 years ago to improve the quality and relevance of basic education in Colombia’s low-income schools, 2011 Kravis Prize winner Vicky Colbert has gained international acclaim as an educational innovator. The cornerstone of the world-renowned Escuela Nueva (“new school”) education model she co-authored is its Learning Guides – interactive tools that help children learn concepts through activities. As shown in this video, these educational tools promote collaborative learning and encourage reflection on the concepts being taught. This has a tremendous impact on students in low-income schools – and their teachers. In the coming weeks, FEN has announced that Learning Guides will be provided to nearly 200,000 students in need. Escuela Nueva Learning...
by lwang | Dec 28, 2012 | Education, Female Empowerment, Health, Sakena Yacoobi
As the keynote speaker at Global Washington’s Redefining Development Conference, Kravis Prize winner Sakena Yacoobi inspired and challenged her audience to help educate the women and children of Afghanistan. Yacoobi was selected to deliver the event’s opening address in recognition for providing education and health services to more than 9 million Afghan women and children since the founding of her organization, the Afghan Institute of Learning. Global Washington published an article by contributor Nina Carduner, who detailed Yacoobi’s speech. Yacoobi began by describing her own “happy and secure” childhood in Afghanistan. Her family did not have much, but their needs were met. After travelling to the U.S. to complete her education, Afghanistan was invaded and Yacoobi and her family became refugees, unable to return to their home. But Yacoobi’s heart remained in Afghanistan, and so she pursued a career in public health in hopes of someday returning to provide medical resources to women and children. The turning point in her career, Yacoobi said, came during a visit to an Afghan refugee camp. Her shocking testimonial described how women “were like animals. … They felt less than human,” as their fathers, husbands, and brothers were taken away from them. Yacoobi rejected the idea that women were incapable of doing things for themselves, and dedicated her life to educating Afghan women and children. She began in Pakistan, where a majority of Afghan refugee camps were located. Met with criticism at first by religious leaders who believed that education was not appropriate for children, Yacoobi eventually convinced many of them to become teachers themselves. According to the article, she reached 27,000 children...
by lwang | Dec 14, 2012 | Community Development, Education, Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
2011 Kravis Prize recipient, Vicky Colbert of Colombia, is a renowned innovator in the field of education. As the founder of Fundacion Escuela Nueva (FEN) and the co-author of the Escuela Nueva (or “new school”) model of education, Colbert has dedicated her life to improving the quality and relevance of basic education in schools that serve low- income students. Pearson Education, the world’s leading education company, recently launched a campaign to promote affordable learning, featuring Fundacion Escuela Nueva as a quality service provider in Colombia. In a case study on their website, Pearson Affordable Learning described the evolution of Escuela Nueva from a local initiative into a national policy in Colombia. According to Affordable Learning, this is “How it works”: In all programs, Fundación Escuela Nueva strives to improve the quality, efficiency and sustainability of rural and urban basic education, formal and informal. It does this by implementing the New School learning model which is cost effective, replicable and scalable. They work with students, teachers, educational administrators and communities to transform conventional schooling and the learning process. This is achieved through enhancing curriculum and classroom strategies through renovated teaching practices and experiential teacher training. We applaud Vicky Colbert for her continued success with the Escuela Nueva education model, and the Kravis Prize is proud to congratulate Colbert on being recognized by Pearson Education. To visit the Affordable Learning page and learn more about the FEN case study please visit:...
by lwang | Nov 16, 2012 | Education, Poverty Reduction, Pratham
Pratham, the 2010 Kravis Prize recipient, is a renowned leader in the field of education, and frequently praised for presenting innovative, low-cost solutions for mass literacy and numeracy in the developing world. The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) recently announced Pratham CEO and co-founder, Madhav Chavan as this year’s winner of the WISE Prize for Education. According to an article in MarketWatch, the WISE award was established in 2010 to recognize “world-class” contributions to education. This prestigious accomplishment reflects Chavan’s dedication to social justice, and his application of years of scientific training to develop systems that revolutionize access to education in the world’s most impoverished areas. “Just like you need air, just like you need water, just like you need food, you need education,” he has said. The WISE announcement singles out Pratham’s work in the slums of Mumbai, noting that its students perform at a higher level than other children in their age group. Chavan and the Pratham team have long been winners to us, and the Kravis Prize is proud to congratulate them on this latest recognition. 2012 WISE Prize for Education Award to Madhav Chavan [MarketWatch, November 13,...
