Practice Makes Perfect CEO Karim Abouelnaga Named To Forbes 30 Under 30 2015 List
Education thought leader joins fourth annual list of young game changers for ground-breaking summer program
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Practice Makes Perfect CEO Karim Abouelnaga was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 2015 list today in the education category. Abouelnaga is included among those who are rethinking learning with the three Cs: code, college readiness and community impact. All those selected were personally chosen by Forbes writers and editors and were then vetted by a blue-ribbon panel of judges. This is Abouelnaga's first time being named to Forbes 30 Under 30.
Nearly two-thirds of the academic achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning. Through his nonprofit organization Practice Makes Perfect, Abouelnaga has eliminated the "summer-slide" for hundreds of underprivileged students in New York City.
The four-year-old company has reinvented summer education through a proven "near-peer" model, which supports students from kindergarten through college matriculation. The program pairs skills development for younger students with leadership development, career training and college prep for older students during a five-week, full day academic experience. Academically struggling elementary and middle school students are paired with older, higher achieving mentor peers from the same inner-city neighborhoods. Trained college interns and certified teachers supervise the "near-peer" relationship.
"I am honored to be a part of this prestigious list, and humbled to be included in the company of innovative leaders who are working to fix the broken education system one student at a time," said Abouelnaga, a former inner-city kid turned Cornell graduate. "Our main goal has always been to help students succeed over the summer months. I am proud of how far we have come, and look to 2015 as the year to motivate political change for summer programs, provide more support for students, and inspire low-income kids to engage in their education."
Practice Makes Perfect has been the recipient of a number of grants from Pershing Square Foundation, the Heckscher Foundation for Children and in-kind support through nonprofit incubator BeeSpace. The Clinton Global Initiative has also recognized the organization.
About Practice Makes Perfect:
Practice Makes Perfect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 by six Cornell students—three of whom graduated from two of New York City's most struggling public high schools. The organization was created on the strong belief that all children—regardless of race or socioeconomic status—have an equal potential to compete intellectually in our society. PMP achieves this through a comprehensive summer enrichment program and engaging students to better prepare them for the next school year. For more information about PMP, visit PracticeMakesPerfect.org.
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SOURCE Practice Makes Perfect
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