Monday, January 8, 2007

Oprah's Beam of Light

OPRAH WINFREY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOUNDATION

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls—South Africa is a project of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, an Illinois 501(c)(3) not-for-profit.

Meet the daughters of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls—South Africa.
www.oprah.com
www.oprahwinfreyleadershipacademy.org

My Note: This academy is a template for what schools should be like around the world. It does not have to be materially the same but with the same vision. I went to a very poor elementary school (All Saints Primary School) where classrooms were separated by chalkboards and text books were a luxuary but the vision of the teahers was to educate us as best as they knew how. For that effort, I'm grateful. Teachers like Mr Knowles, Mr Flowers, Ms Eiley, Ms Butler, Mr. Lopez, Ms Hemsley, Ms Mitchell were instrumental.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just a thought... couldn't this concept be applied here in the U.S. for children currently in our foster care system? Obviously not $40M facitlies, but schools funded through federal, state, and private donations (which would be enitirely tax deductable up to a certain amount). These would be Boarding Schools where children could live and learn in a STABLE environment until they graduate highschool, are adopted, or reach the age of 18. Foster care breeds insecurity and, though I don't know the statistics, I'd bet very few children raised in our foster care system go on to be well adjusted, productive, adults.

Harry Young said...

I'm truly excited about the idea posted by "auld lang syne". It is truly the type of innovative ideas that keep me optimistic about the future. This is an updated version of the old orphanges seen in Victorian England in such works as Oliver Twist. I think the "twist" here would be that the schools would offer every advantage and be totally part of teh society not treated as burden (and very cruel) as was done in Oliver Twist. Let's keep the ideas coming. PEACE