LALA is a non-profit organization in Medellín, working for sustainable economic development and democratic governance in South America. Launched only in 2018, LALA delivers a range of programming for Latin American youth to build skills and networks in entrepreneurship and social innovation. You can learn more about their mission and accomplishments at their website:

https://www.latinamericanleadershipacademy.org/.

FOC is proud to partner with LALA on our first pilot initiative: English Mentors ’21.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our FOC volunteers, we were able to match 12 mentors and mentees from the United States, Colombia, Brazil, and Paraguay! These pairs meet virtually almost weekly to practice conversational English, discuss and plan for professional goals, and share experiences ahead of LALA youth starting intensive Academy programming in February 2022.

Ideally, our two organizations will continue to support one another in the years to come by building on programming such as this, and connecting our networks for the further advancement and achievement of Colombian youth. For more information about LALA, please visit: https://www.latinamericanleadershipacademy.org/. If you are interested in engaging in this work, please contact Alli Spring, alli.spring@gmail.com.