Children International Receives $1M Investment From PMI Educational Foundation to Equip Vulnerable Youth To Be Social Change Agents

more than 20,000 youth in 10 countries will strengthen critical life skills as they execute social good programs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (July 16, 2020) – Children International (CI), a global humanitarian organization, today announced that the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), a nonprofit supporting organization of the Project Management Institute, will invest more than $1 million — including a $681,349 grant, plus in-kind expert project management coaching and educational resources — over the next three years to equip vulnerable youth as change agents who problem-solve community challenges through social good projects.

Project management will be integrated into CI’s existing Youth Empowerment programs so young people can better address societal issues such as public health and safety, the environment, infrastructure dilapidation and substance abuse and violence. To ensure collective impact, CI’s youth programming involves families as well as community members.

Each year, more than 20,000 young people participate in CI’s Youth Empowerment programs in these 10 countries: Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, the U.S. and Zambia.

In addition to its focus on Children International youth, PMIEF will provide training and a one-year mentored experience for CI staff so they can successfully achieve sustainable best practices in project management.

“Children International’s mission is to empower youth to create lasting change in their own lives and communities,” said Susana Eshleman, CI president and CEO. “With the support of PMIEF, our youth leaders will be equipped with new project management skills to enable them to lead community projects, become even more employable, and multiply 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,” Eshleman said. “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.”

Learning project management through this partnership will help youth eradicate barriers in their pursuit of academic, professional and personal goals. “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, CIs 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 during the latter half of 2020. The organization will pilot its project management-integrated programming for youth in four countries in 2021, and scale up to a full rollout of these activities in all 10 countries in 2022.

About Children International

Children International, based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a global nonprofit that delivers child and youth development programming to break the cycle of generational poverty. Through a customized approach, Children International serves young people in Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States for the first two decades of their lives. The organization provides access to health care, education, positive role models, and the life and job skills they need to become gainfully employed. When equipped to improve their own lives, young people also transform their families and communities, and, as a result, multiply good in the world. For more information, visit children.org.

About PMI Educational Foundation

PMIEF is a 501 (c) (3) supporting organization of the Project Management Institute, the world’s leading not-for-profit professional membership association for those who consider project, program, or portfolio management their profession. Founded in 1990, PMIEF cultivates long-term relationships with nonprofits across the globe to help them integrate project management in their youth programs and to build their own project management capacity. Visit PMIEF.org for more information.

About Project Management Institute

Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world's leading association for those who consider project, program or portfolio management their profession. Through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research, we work to prepare more than three million professionals around the world for The Project Economy: the coming economy in which work, and individuals, are organized around projects, products, programs and value streams. Now 50 years in the making, we work in nearly every country around the world to advance careers, improve organizational success and further mature the project management profession through globally-recognized standards, certifications, communities, resources, tools, academic research, publications, professional development courses and networking opportunities. As part of the PMI family, ProjectManagement.com® interactive website fosters online global communities that deliver more resources, better tools, larger networks and broader perspectives. Visit us at http://www.PMI.org, www.projectmanagement.com, www.facebook.com/PMInstitute and on Twitter @PMInstitute

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