The Good Deed Education Fund to invest two million euros in general education in Estonia over the coming three years
Today marks the beginning of a new season for the Education Fund, which was jointly established by private entrepreneurs and the Good Deed Foundation. In the next three years, the fund will contribute two million euros to initiatives that address key issues in general education in Estonia. A portion of the money will also be used to support the education of children fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“In its three years of operation, the Good Deed Education Fund has proven itself in several different roles – in addition to supporting and investing in educational initiatives, we have also launched new initiatives and made changes to the education system as a result,” said Martin Villig, one of the initiators of the fund and the co-founder of Bolt.
“A good example is the internship programme for educational leaders, which we launched with our partners. In the past three years, 28 school leaders have had the opportunity to acquire management experience in top companies, and subsequently implement innovations in their schools. This is important because teachers wish to work in well-run schools,” Villig added.
According to Taavet Hinrikus, co-founder of Wise, the Good Deed Education Fund has undertaken to support educational start-ups, i.e., the initial testing of innovative solutions: “As start-up entrepreneurs, we know that innovative ideas need to be tested quickly and flexibly in order to determine which solutions have the potential to grow and expand. The Good Deed Education Fund bears the primary risk, and the state and other patrons will receive an already tested solution. If the educational start-up proves itself, it will be a strong basis for extending the positive impact of the initiative to all Estonian schools,” Hinrikus said.
“We are looking for ambitious initiatives that wish to overhaul the Estonian education system in a good way and help it attain a new level,” Pirkko Valge, CEO of the Good Deed Foundation said. “We continue to look for solutions that will help secure the next generation of teachers and improve the quality of school management. In the new period, however, we would like to see more initiatives that help schoolchildren acquire the skills to learn. The fund is also ready to support the education of refugee children fleeing the war in Ukraine. We have planned up to 100,000 euros for this,” Pirkko Valge added.
Over the past three years, the foundation has contributed one million euros to initiatives that have brought nearly 200 new teachers to Estonian schools and provided students with useful skills for later life. A total of 15 initiatives have been supported, reaching 80% of Estonian schools and involving almost 40,000 students. The Good Deed Education Fund works closely with both the Ministry of Education and Research and local governments.
The Good Deed Education Fund is a philanthropic fund that aims to give momentum to initiatives that help solve the most pressing issues in Estonian general education. The fund was established by Martin Villig and Taavet Hinrikus, of Bolt and Wise, respectively, together with new generation entrepreneurs who have so far contributed three million euros to the fund. The Education Fund is managed by the Good Deed Foundation, which has long-standing experience in launching and developing high-impact social initiatives.
Additional materials (incl. photo material, the fact sheet about the fund, a more detailed overview of education statistics and a list of patrons) can be found in the folder of the Good Deed Education Fund.
See also: www.heategu.ee/educationfund
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