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The Asociación Alianza Educativa (AAE) is a non-profit organization established by three of the top ranking private schools in the city of Bogotá and the main private university (all of them not-for-profit entities) with the purpose of running the operations and educational programs of public schools that serve lower-income children in marginalized sectors of the city.

The AAE, advised pro-bono by the consulting firm McKinsey and Co, is participating in an innovative program developed by the Secretary of Education of Bogotá to better the quality and coverage of education in the city. The initiative called for building state-of-the-art public education facilities on government land and entrusting them, for a 15-year period, to private institutions for their management. Thus, the standards and quality of education of private schools would be available to children enrolled in the public-school system.

Of the twenty-two such facilities built since the start of the program in 2000, five are being run by the AAE, with a total of approximately 4500 students. Although the city's Department of Education pays the managing institutions a tuition fee per student for educational services and provision of a daily light meal, part of the costs of operating the AAE are borne by its members -the schools Los Nogales, San Carlos, and the American school, Nueva Granada, as well as the Universidad de Los Andes- whose staff and students do pro-bono work for the project. To carry out any additional projects to attain its objectives, the AAE must solicit private contributions.

The Genesis Foundation has provided funding to the AAE for the development of a specialized curriculum designed specifically for the students of these public schools. This curriculum seeks to meet children’s needs and future goals, combining rigorous academic standards with programs that address the challenging realities these inner-city youth face in their lives. Genesis’ investment in knowledge will be leveraged by making the curriculum available for implementation at other public schools in the city and across the country. In addition, Genesis funded a 16-month teacher-training program (at the Master’s level) implemented by the AAE for its teachers and those of other educational institutions.

For more information about this institution, or to make a direct contribution, please contact genesis@genesis-foundation.org.

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