Innovative-minded Estonian business leaders establish an educational endowment, aiming to foster inventiveness and growth.
Hey there! Let's talk about this fresh initiative in Estonia that's all about shaking up education for the better.
The Game-Changer: Good Deed Education Fund 💰🎓
The Good Deed Education Fund is a new kid on the block, and it's got some serious backing – a group of visionary entrepreneurs and investors who believe in the power of education. This fund aims to dish out a cool €1 million to innovative educational projects in Estonia.
The Brain Behind the Operation 🧠
Leading the charge is the Good Deed Foundation, an organization with a proven track record in launching and growing impactful projects in Estonia. Pirkko Valge, the foundation's managing director, has some exciting plans for this fund. According to her, the fund can provide one-time support or finance projects over a couple of years.
The Agenda: Disrupt or Be Disrupted 🤨💡
Valge is on the lookout for ambitious initiatives that'll shake up the education system in a good way. She points to several great examples already in existence, such as Bully-Free Schools and programmes that encourage university graduates from other fields to become teachers.
Collaborations Galore 🤝
The Good Deed Education Fund isn't shy about collaborating. They're open to working with the leaders in Estonia's education sector, the ministry of education and research, entrepreneurs, universities, and anyone else keen on making a difference.
The Initiators: Champions of Innovation 🌟
Martin Villig and Taavet Hinrikus, the founders of Taxify and TransferWise respectively, are among the initiators of this fund. Both companies, successful global startups, have innovation in their DNA. They've identified several issues in Estonia's education system, like the lack of young teachers, an aging educator population, and high dropout rates from basic schools. They also stress the importance of focusing on STEAM skills in schools.
The Future: A Tech Hub for the Smartest Society 🚀
The founders of the Good Deed Education Fund believe that, to create a tech sector as strong as Silicon Valley, a cultural scene as versatile as Paris, and an industry as hi-tech as Germany, Estonia needs a world-class education system. That means smart kids, digital literacy, and social intelligence. While Estonia does well in PISA scores, we can do better, they say.
The Crew: Estonia's Finest
- The Good Deed Education Fund, backed by visionary entrepreneurs and investors, aims to inject €1 million into innovative educational projects in Estonia, driving change in the education system.
- Pirkko Valge, the managing director of the Good Deed Foundation, oversees this fund and plans to support educational initiatives both financially and over extended periods.
- Valge seeks out ambitious projects that will significantly impact education, citing examples like Bully-Free Schools and initiatives promoting university graduates to become teachers.
- The Good Deed Education Fund collaborates with organizations such as the ministry of education and research, universities, entrepreneurs, and anyone passionate about making a difference.
- Martin Villig and Taavet Hinrikus, founders of Taxify and TransferWise respectively, are key initiators of the fund. They identify challenges within the Estonian education system, such as a lack of young teachers, an aging educator population, and high dropout rates from basic schools.
- The founders envision a future where Estonia boasts a world-class education system, essential for the creation of a tech sector as powerful as Silicon Valley, a cultural scene as diverse as Paris, and a high-tech industry like Germany.
- Through this fund, they encourage the development of STEAM competencies in students, facilitating Estonia's journey towards becoming a smart, digitally literate, and socially intelligent society.
