People often focus on formal education and professional development while also turning to books and other resources for personal interest and learning. They often underestimate identity-centered education, especially when it comes to children. In fact, the strong sense of personal identity and belonging to a wider community can help a child grow into a more confident person who is able to better socialize as well. High-quality identity-centered education also helps a child to succeed, making a life of poverty a less likely long-term scenario.
6a2fab75c3db6.webp
As a person dedicated to education and life-long self-learning, Yael Poliavich fully appreciated the benefits described above and has strived to fill the gap in high-quality, identity-centered education among children. For this purpose, she became a co-founder of the Yael Foundation in 2020, a charitable organization that helps expand Jewish children’s knowledge of their history, heritage, and culture. Along with this identity-centered knowledge, Yael Poliavich also involves professional educators to develop up-to-date curricula, helping children gain essential knowledge and skills to succeed in their lives. While the desire to make high-quality, identity-centered education was the primary driver for establishing the foundation, Yael’s motivation was much deeper.
Personal Motivation Driving the Foundation’s Activities
Beyond developing up-to-date curricula and providing children with the most essential knowledge they need, Yael Poliavich pursued a comprehensive approach in this context. She strived to ensure the long-term implications of her charitable initiatives and create all necessary infrastructure so a greater number of children could join the classes. Yael also wanted to make such high-quality, identity-centered education accessible to children in different communities, whether in major cities or rural locations.
Yael Poliavich’s approach to educational initiatives is based on involving professional educators and partnering with different local organizations. Both groups involved have to be reputable in their areas of work. After choosing her partners, who share the same values and passion for education, Yael Poliavich also makes sure they obtain all necessary funding and facilities to practically implement the developed educational programs. When providing access to high-quality education, Yael never limits her charitable efforts to the borders of communities where her partnership organizations operate. She expanded her charitable initiatives across the globe as a person with a broad mindset formed during her successful professional career.
Yael’s Personality: From Origins to Professional Success
Yael’s commitment to education, planning, and success has been greatly determined by her previous life experiences. Those are closely related to the managerial and financial roles she had. However, the preconditions for these qualities were formed long ago.
Yael Poliavich was born in 1982 to a family of educators in Kyrgyzstan. Her mother, a music teacher at the M. Abdraev Republican Boarding School in Bishkek, was a person who treated education as her calling, but not as mere work. She strongly impacted Yael’s personal development and her future charitable initiatives, as well by providing a real-life example of how high-quality education can change lives.
Yael Poliavich is an experienced financial professional, holding a degree in Finance, Economics, and Credit. She received her education at the Academy of Public Administration in Kyrgyzstan (1999–2004). Until 2021, Yael Poliavich worked as a finance professional and top manager in many leading companies, where she gained a strong understanding of operational management and finance. She excelled in financial planning, organization, and scalability, among other things. These qualities and professional experiences helped Yael Poliavich build effective charitable structures in the future.
Yael’s Life Principles: Education, Culture, Community
Yael Poliavich adheres to a life philosophy that is based on empathy and compassion. She also likes working with people and caring for them. Yael Poliavich is also very supportive and cares about preserving the Jewish cultural heritage. As a person with strong managerial and organizational skills, she builds resilient charitable structures that span their activities across the globe. Beyond helping children receive high-quality, identity-centered education, Yael Poliavich also supports vulnerable groups of people.
The sense of belonging to the Jewish community also matters a lot for Yael. She pays special attention to building partnerships with many reputable local organizations operating worldwide. A sense of belonging to a broader community matters greatly to Yael Poliavich. While she experiences it herself, she also allows children to reinforce their sense of belonging, making it part of their life philosophies as well.
Activities of the Yael Foundation
The foundation actively supports different educational programs and institutions. It has expanded its geography to more than 45 countries on different continents. Yael Poliavich aimed to support education at all levels from the beginning of her charitable activities. Nowadays, her philanthropy covers both formal and informal education provided in kindergartens, primary schools, Sunday schools, after-school programs, etc.
In addition to formal education, curricula developed by the foundation help children learn more about Jewish culture and heritage. Many of them are also focused on sharing more knowledge about Jewish history and language. The after-school programs provided by the foundation also help children develop and enhance skills and additional interests beyond their classrooms. The educational activities provided by the foundation help foster children’s growth and reinforce their sense of identity. Yael Poliavich also makes sure that educational initiatives form and strengthen an international community of children, educators, and local organizations.
Charity That Impacts Children’s Lives and Beyond Today, Yael Poliavich has already achieved considerable results. She has partnered with 143 formal and informal educational programs across 45 countries worldwide. The foundation and its partner programs have supported different educational opportunities for roughly 22,500 children across the globe. Yael Poliavich steadily works on expanding the scope of programs supported by the foundation so that no Jewish child is left behind. She knows how to set goals and achieve them. Yael Poliavich continues to expand these programs, increasing access to high-quality, identity-centered education.
