by lwang | Mar 21, 2011 | Education, Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
Last week, we had the chance to meet Vicky Colbert, the 2011 Henry Kravis Prize winner and learn about her education-focused nonprofit organization, the Escuela Nueva Foundation. Today, we will post more of our interview with her and hear her thoughts on the challenges facing today’s educators. Kravis Prize: What are some of the obstacles facing education today in the developing world? Vicky Colbert: In my view, the main challenges in education, both in developing and developed countries, go far beyond the issues of access and coverage. The biggest obstacle worldwide is the lack of quality in education. A quality education is what really makes a difference in the growth and development of nations. Ernesto Schiefelbein, the former director of UNESCO for the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, said, “Poor quality has long-range consequences at a time when economic growth and democracy require high quality education.” The data supports our argument. In the last decade in the LAC region, 20 percent of students enroll late, 42 percent repeat first grade and 30 percent repeat second grade. This grade repetition is extremely expensive for schools. An estimated $3.5 billion is spent annually on the 20 million students who are repeating grades. At Escuela Nueva, we think education expenditures should focus on measures that are cost-effective in raising the level of student achievement. While access and coverage are important, investing in educational systems and teaching/learning approaches that guarantee a high quality education for all should be our main focus. After all, high quality education is what yields significant benefits for self-sufficiency, sustainability, democracy and peace. The societal implications are...
by lwang | Mar 14, 2011 | Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
Since 2006, the Henry R. Kravis Prize has recognized and celebrated visionary leadership in the nonprofit sector. Over the years, the Prize has provided funding for the extraordinary efforts of the Rural Development Institute, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, the Forum For African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the Afghan Institute of Learning and Pratham. However, the Kravis Prize is more than just a financial grant. We work with Prize recipients to share best practices with the nonprofit community and inspire students to become the next generation of nonprofit leaders. This year, we are delighted to award the sixth annual Kravis Prize to Vicky Colbert, the founder of the Escuela Nueva Foundation in Colombia. In this inaugural, three-part blog series, we’ll ask Vicky a few questions about her experiences as a leader in the nonprofit sector and how her organization strives to achieve its goals in educating children in developing countries around the world. Kravis Prize: Welcome and congratulations, Vicky! How does it feel to win the 2011 Kravis Prize in Leadership? Vicky Colbert: Thank you! It is truly an honor to be here with you and to be recognized for my work in education. I feel privileged to have been selected by the Kravis Prize and to join the company of the past winners. I look to people like Sakena Yacoobi at the Afghan Institute of Learning and Fazle Abed of BRAC for inspiration in my own work, and it is a wonderful feeling to be recognized for doing what I love. Kravis Prize: Tell us about the day you found out you had been awarded the Prize. Vicky Colbert:...
