named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Career Resources Center
Connects students with summer internships and professional experiences to build career readiness.
Entrepreneurship Program
Teaches students to develop business ideas and compete in the annual ASYV Business Plan Competition, with projects ranging from mental health apps to smart glasses for the visually impaired.
IRIS Program
Supports refugee students in building futures through education and personal development.
Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship
Provides educational opportunities for refugee youth within the ASYV community.
Liquidnet Family High School
Secondary school offering academic instruction and leadership development to ASYV students.
activities · 10 groups
What they do
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Alumni Community Building 2 activities
- Alumni engagement and leadership developmentOperates an alumni internship program that brings back approximately 10 recent graduates annually to work professionally and mentor current students. Maintains an active alumni network of over 1,700 contributors in fields such as technology, sustainable agriculture, and education.
- Alumni-led giving and community supportEstablished the Aliveness Society, an alumni giving circle through which 110 alumni have pledged financial contributions to support current students at the Village.
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College Access and Success Support 1 activity
- Alumni tertiary education and career supportSupports alumni in pursuing higher education and employment, with 65% enrolling in tertiary education—significantly above Rwanda’s national average of 8%—and 70% employed, exceeding national youth employment rates by over 20 percentage points.
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School-Based Mental Health and Family Support 1 activity
- Comprehensive health and wellness support including mental health careDelivers trauma-informed mental health services and wellness programming that has reduced symptoms of depression by 92% among students after four years. Includes life skills education and culturally relevant mental health interventions.
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Program Evaluation and Impact Research 1 activity
- Evidence generation and program evaluation researchConducts longitudinal research on graduate outcomes, including a two-year study with Tulane University and a 2016 alumni survey showing over 80% university placement. Publishes annual impact reports such as _Building a Thriving Future Together_ to document program effectiveness and inform potential replication.
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Direct Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children 1 activity
- Residential care and holistic education for orphaned and vulnerable youthProvides residential care, education, nutrition, emotional support, and life skills training to over 500 orphaned and vulnerable Rwandan youth annually, many affected by the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. The program serves students regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin and ensures access to all educational and extracurricular rights and programs.
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Hands-On STEM Education Programs 1 activity
- STEM and gender equity education initiativesOffers specialized science and technology programming, including a girls-only 3D modeling class that mentors female students in STEM fields to promote gender equity. Hosted at the Gelfand Family Science Center.
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College Preparatory Secondary Education 1 activity
- Secondary education with national exam preparationProvides full secondary education resulting in a 100% pass rate on Rwanda’s national secondary school exam for the Class of 2025. Has graduated multiple cohorts of approximately 128 students annually, contributing to a network of over 1,700 alumni.
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Youth Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Education 1 activity
- Student-led entrepreneurship and innovation programRuns an annual Business Plan Competition where fourth-year students develop and pitch social enterprises, including technology-based solutions such as a tutoring app (Nyigisha), a mental health app (Gwiza), and smart glasses (Lexi Go) for the visually impaired. Also supported chemistry-based community projects like improved hand soap development.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Teacher training and pedagogical capacity buildingTrains teachers and school leaders from across Rwanda in digital skills, student-centered teaching, life skills, and trauma-informed practices. In one initiative, trained 500 teachers and 152 directors of studies from 171 schools, leading to peer trainings reaching ~3,300 additional teachers and ~123,000 students. Hosts national workshops at the Intore Learning Community facility.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Refugee education inclusion through scholarship programEnrolled 50 refugee students from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the inaugural cohort of the Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship (IRIS) program in 2025, expanding access to education for displaced youth.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$5.30M
Contributions & grants$4.27M81%
Program service revenue$440K8%
Investment income$215K4%
Other revenue$379K
expenses
Total expenses$6.15M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$2.82M
Grants paid out$167K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$21.64M
Cash$1.89M
Investments$4.77M
Liabilities$1.61M
Net assets$20.03M
Liquid reserves13.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue -8.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHIRI SANDLER | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 35 | $215K |
| LUCILE SCOTT | BOARD RELETIONS SPECIALIST | 35 | $139K |
| JEAN-CLAUDE NKULIKIYIMFURA | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $135K |
board members · 19
- BEN SNYDER — CHAIR
- BERTRAND KAYIRANGA — DIRECTOR
- BRIAN WALSH — DIRECTOR
- CARINE UMUTONI — DIRECTOR
- CELINE UWINEZA — DIRECTOR
- CHERYL KNOPP — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTY LAMAGNA — SECRETARY
- CRYSTAL RUGEGE — DIRECTOR
- ELIZABETH STERN — DIRECTOR
- JASON KOTIK — TREASURER
- JASON MERRIN — DIRECTOR
- JEAN KAGUBARE — DIRECTOR
- JEFF SCHWARTZMAN — DIRECTOR
- JOHN HOOVER — DIRECTOR
- JOSH KUCKLEY — DIRECTOR
- KATHY HARRIS — DIRECTOR
- LAURIE TOLL FRANZ — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL DELGIACCO — DIRECTOR
- MIKEY WALKER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- African Leadership Academy Partner — Hosted a three-day entrepreneurial boot camp for finalists of ASYV's Business Plan Competition.
- Bank of Kigali Partner — Supports ASYV through multi-year pledges as part of the Mango Tree Circle donor group.
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Funder — Board member Jean Kagubare represents the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, indicating an institutional affiliation or partnership.
- Certa Foundation Partner — Florida Kabasinga is affiliated with Certa Law Chambers and Certa Foundation, suggesting a partnership through board representation.
- Day of AI Partner — Collaborates with ASYV to pilot a teacher training program on AI literacy and ethical use of AI in education.
- Five Together Foundation Funder — Laurie Toll Franz, representing Five Together Foundation, serves as ASYV Advancement Committee Chair and Board Chair Emeritus, indicating a funding or strategic partnership.
- Five Together Foundation Partner — Supports ASYV through multi-year pledges as part of the Village Leaders donor group.
- Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology Partner — Co-created the Educational Resilience Program with ASYV and other partners to strengthen teacher capacity in Rwanda.
- Go Discover Africa Partner — Alumni-founded tourism company that employs ASYV graduates and supports student mentorship.
- HALI Access Network Partner — Partnership through Julius Kaboyo's volunteer role on the membership committee of this network supporting high-achieving, low-income African students.
- Isomo Partner — Collaborates with ASYV on the Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship (IRIS) program to support refugee students in Rwanda.
- Mastercard Foundation Partner — Partnered with ASYV in creating the Educational Resilience Program to train teachers and school leaders across Rwanda.
- PELS Tzedek Tirdof Foundation Partner — Supports ASYV through multi-year pledges as part of the Village Leaders donor group.
- Pears Foundation Partner — Supports ASYV through multi-year pledges as part of the Village Leaders donor group.
- Rwandan Ministry of Education Government — Partnered with ASYV in the development and implementation of the Educational Resilience Program.
- Shapiro Foundation Funder — Supports the Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship (IRIS) program in partnership with ASYV.
- The Shapiro Foundation Partner — Supports ASYV through multi-year pledges as part of the Village Leaders donor group.
- Tulane University Partner — Collaborated with faculty and staff to conduct an analysis of the ASYV model and its impact on students.
- Tulane University Partner — Conducted a two-year study on ASYV’s impact and recommended the expansion of its model through the Center of Excellence initiative.
- Tulane University Partner — Partnered on a two-year study assessing the impact of ASYV's model on graduate outcomes.
- University of Kigali Partner — Represented on the judging panel of ASYV's Business Plan Competition through Dorcas Kamau, Director of International Affairs and Partnerships.
- Yad Vashem Partner — Hosted ASYV alumna Liliane Pari Umuhoza for an internship at The World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
- Yemin Orde Partner — Model for ASYV's founding; inspired the youth village approach to care for orphans.
- Yemin Orde Partner — Model for Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village's approach to caring for orphaned youth.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Alumni-Led Intergenerational Support Systemmethodology: alumni_mentorship_modelBy engaging alumni as mentors, role models, and financial contributors within a lifelong family model, the organization strengthens current student outcomes and institutional sustainability, because relatable, lived-experience-based support increases student aspiration and belonging.
- Gender-Responsive, Equity-Focused Community Transformationmethodology: gender_equity_through_peer_mentorshipBy embedding gender equity through peer mentorship, celebration of women’s leadership, and non-discriminatory practices, the organization fosters inclusive community transformation, because representation and peer modeling shift norms and expand aspirations, especially for marginalized girls.
- National Scale-through Educator Training in Holistic Pedagogymethodology: educator_training_in_student-centered_and_life_skills_pedagogyBy training educators across Rwanda in trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and student-centered teaching methods, the organization extends its impact beyond the village, because systemic change in education requires shifting pedagogy at the national level.
- Student-Centered, Experiential Career Readiness Modelmethodology: experiential_career_readinessBy aligning education with students’ passions and providing hands-on professional experiences, the organization builds career readiness and entrepreneurial skills, because engagement and real-world application deepen learning and motivation.
- Youth Village Model with Trauma-Informed Healingmethodology: trauma_informed_holistic_developmentBy replacing unstable family environments with a structured, family-like residential community that integrates trauma-informed care, the organization enables vulnerable youth to heal and develop, because safety and emotional support are foundational to educational and personal growth.