PMI Education Foundation to invest more than $1 million in Children International, equipping vulnerable youth around the world to be social change agents
PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) announced its partnership with Children International (CI) to integrate project management into programming that gives young people the resources, tools and skills needed to act as change agents in their community. PMIEF is a 501(c)(3) supporting charitable organization of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
As a result of the PMIEF and CI partnership, young people will be better prepared to address challenges such as infrastructure dilapidation, substance abuse and violence, public health and safety, and the environment. The next generation will be crucial to driving value for businesses and society now and in the future.
This initiative will help vulnerable youth build the competencies necessary to lead happy, productive lives as a result of PMIEF’s more than $1 million investment in CI over three years, including a US$ 681,349 grant plus in-kind project management fundamentals training, expert project management coaching, and educational resources. The experiential learning opportunities CI provides will strengthen young people’s understanding of, and appreciation for, civic engagement. Furthermore, CI’s youth programming involves families and community members to ensure collective impact.
“Children International’s mission is to empower youth to create lasting change in their own lives and communities,” said Susana Eshleman, President & CEO of CI. “With the support of PMIEF, our youth leaders will be equipped with new project management skills that enable them to lead community projects, become even more employable and multiply more good in their communities. We are grateful to PMIEF for investing in our mission over the next three years, and we are proud to be associated with such a world-class, philanthropic organization. We look forward to partnering in the 10 countries where we work to teach this very marketable skill to thousands of facilitators and youth. Together, we will prepare our CI youth to craft their own pathways out of poverty… for good.”
More than 20,000 young people participate in CI’s Youth Empowerment Programs each year in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Philippines, the U.S. and Zambia. In addition to its focus on youth, PMIEF will provide training and a one-year mentored experience for CI staff so they successfully achieve sustainable best practices in project management.
“For more than 30 years, PMIEF has helped put youth on the path to success by empowering them with effective project skills,” said Sunil Prashara, President and CEO of Project Management Institute. “Our partnership with Children International will help us to cultivate the next generation of project leaders – the young people who will build a brighter future for the world and turn big ideas into reality.”
Jeannette Barr, Executive Director of PMIEF, echoed these sentiments. “Learning project management helps youth eradicate barriers in their pursuit of academic, professional and personal goals. Not only do they gain the confidence and skills needed to lead themselves and others, but they also develop resilience and a never-give-up attitude. In addition, CI’s Youth Empowerment Programs touch entire communities through meaningful projects that engage stakeholders of all ages, so everyone gets involved. We are delighted to play a pivotal role to make this happen while we also help CI professionals hone organizational efficiencies.”
CI staff will begin project management training and coaching the latter half of this year. The organization will pilot its project management-integrated programming for youth in four countries in 2021, with scale up of these activities through a full rollout in all 10 countries in 2022.