by lwang | Oct 5, 2011 | AIL, Community Development, Education, Sakena Yacoobi
We’re honored to be able to help nonprofit leaders all over the world, such as Sakeena Yacoobi, make a difference. In Forbes’ “Dr. Sakena Yacoobi: A Case Study in Leadership, Courage, and Conviction,” it is clear that others recognize the inspiring mission of Yacoobi’s Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) too. Forbes interviews Yacoobi on the conception of AIL, what the organization does and how it has transformed. The core philosophy behind AIL, she says is to “involv[e] people, listen to them, honor and respect who they are, trust will grow and, working together, individuals and communities can be transformed to be peaceful, happy, fair, just and prosperous.” With this philosophy in hand, AIL continues to shape community development in Afghanistan in so many different ways! “Listening to the community members, we offer what they ask for. Over the years, that has meant that we are offering many different kinds of services. We offer schools for children; educational learning centers for women and children which offer many types of classes including literacy, tailoring, beauty shop management, carpet weaving, calligraphy, miniature painting, computer, English , Arabic and many more subjects; health services and health education in our clinics; and training in such topics as pedagogy, leadership, human rights, gender issues, management, women’s health and many other specific health topics, peace, self-immolation and...
by lwang | Sep 29, 2011 | Award Ceremony, Education, Escuela Nueva, Kravis Prize, Vicky Colbert
We’re thrilled to share with you this great video that shows Vicky Colbert receiving the 2011 Kravis Prize in Leadership earlier this year. In her acceptance speech at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Vicky talks about Escuela Nueva and its impact on the lives of children through innovative education techniques. During his remarks at the award ceremony, Henry Kravis said he most respects and appreciates Vicky’s ability to “lead with innovation.” We also thoroughly enjoyed the interview with Vicky conducted by Henry and Marie-Josee Kravis, who established the Prize in 2006. During their conversation, Mrs. Kravis pointed out that education models such as Escuela Nueva rely on networks of parents, teachers and communities, and that these networks provide “hope that societies will move in the direction” of educating their children in a way that focuses on innovation. Vicky is a truly inspiring leader who sees the mission of Escuela Nueva in a broad context: “We want to learn how to build citizenship through education. We are working to establish affordable schools of excellent quality, where children, teachers, parents and the community are empowered to learn to learn and contribute to a culture of peace and economic development.” Enjoy the video below and let us know how Vicky and her work with Escuela Nueva inspires...
by lwang | Aug 24, 2011 | AIL, Education, Kravis Prize, Sakena Yacoobi
Here at the Kravis Prize, we are proud that our winners have noble aspirations that impact regions across the globe. This article in the Associated Press highlights our 2009 Prize winner, Sakena Yacoobi, and her tireless efforts to bring education to women and girls in Afghanistan. Yacoobi envisions the work of the Afghan Institute of Leadership (AIL) as a vehicle for peace in the region, although she admits that she is “no idealist” when it comes to large-scale change: “She said she hopes to one day have centers in every province of Afghanistan ‘and there wouldn’t be one single individual uneducated or not able to read and write,’ Yacoobi says. ‘But reality is reality. Fact is fact. Education takes time. It takes a lot of time.'” Part of Yacoobi’s approach to making AIL successful is recruiting employees who are “more dedicated to the cause than their paychecks.” “We have lots of students who are with the U.N. programs, the USAID program, they are making triple my salary,” Yacoobi explained. “I say go ahead, do a good job, go. I am proud of them.” Pragmatic Afghan woman educates thousands [Associated Press] To learn more about Sakena Yacoobi and AIL, click...
by lwang | 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.”...
by lwang | 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...
by lwang | 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. ...
