Do You Know Why We are Grateful?
Here is a list of Our Top 10 2012 Things We are Grateful For:
10. Educate! Efficacy Gets Co-Founders Recognized.
Our co-founders were named to Forbes magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs, joining a cadre of top global innovators and entrepreneurs who are “impatient to change the world”.
9. University X: Educate! is Going Global!
Co-founder Eric Glustrom is expanding Educate!’s mission to the U.S. by launching University X. This U.S. adaptations of Educate aims to prove the impact of our model in diverse contexts (Uganda and the U.S.), thus providing a strong foundation to create a truly global solution.
8. System Change Has Begun…
Working with the Ugandan government, we changed the structure of the national entrepreneurship curriculum exam, which is the driver of the education system. Students will now be tested on what they’re actually doing, rather than memorizing, signaling a new shift in the government’s approach to learning.
7. The Experts Are Talking.
During a recent conference on youth development, a researcher from Results for Development Institute, one of the nation’s premier international development think tanks, was sharing her insights on youth development, and then gave an example of an organization doing things right. The organization she described was… Educate!!
6. The Educate! Scholars in Eastern Uganda Have Been Buzzing With Activity.
Our Scholars from eastern Uganda have been exceptionally busy this year:
- Silaj uses soccer in his community to encourage participants to stay in school.
- Sarah Nambozo began the Hope Youth Saving Scheme, an initiative to inform members of her community about the importance of saving.
- Juma Mugambe was concerned about the amount of plastic bags littering his village so he started a paper bag making business to reduce waste.
- Isaac Ngolobe was concerned about the lack of access to affordable clean water so he organized a meeting with water distributors in his community to encourage the creation of a reservoir with a tap system.
5. Countless Partners and Investors Committed to our Work
Thank you to Halloran Philanthropies, Segal Family Foundation, Forward Foundation, Cubit Family Foundation, Project Redwood, Red Empress Foundation, Global Fund for Children, The Youth Employment Network, International Labor Organization, The Tomberg Family Philanthropies and others. Thank you as well to the countless individual investors who have made our vision a reality in 2012.
4. Our Scholars (Because they really are THAT amazing!)
Our 1,300 graduates have started more than 600 team enterprises, that involve an average of three people each, ranging from an initiative to plant over 10,000 trees, a fair trade social enterprise that exports products to three countries and employs 66 women affected by HIV/AIDS, the creation of two schools, and even a project which brought electricity to an entire village, among many others.
3. Educate! Awarded the Ashoka Fellowship
The Fellowship is composed of a global community of leading social entrepreneurs, tailored programming and mentorship, and financial support that will help Educate! take important steps towards developing the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
2. Curriculum Launched to Over 25,000 Across Uganda!
The Ugandan government has incorporated Educate!’s leadership and entrepreneurship curriculum into the national education system, guiding thousands of secondary school students annually in every corner of the country.
1. YOU!
Our success thus far is a direct result of your generosity and support. Thank you for being an Educate! champion. We look forward to working with you to accomplish even more in 2013.