Visit reinforces commitment to provide access to quality education in 60 academies by 2016

INDIANAPOLIS — On Friday, July 20, Building Tomorrow – a social-profit organization encouraging philanthropy among young people in support of access to quality education – will welcome President Bill Clinton to meet newly-minted students and community members as he tours one of the organization’s recently completed schools, the Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita. President Clinton’s one-day visit to Uganda will cap a six day tour of four African countries.

“We are beyond thrilled to host President Clinton at the Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita,” said George Srour, Founder and Chief Dreamer of Building Tomorrow. “President Clinton understands the importance of access to quality education for all, and we are humbled to have him visit with our communities and students.”

At the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, Building Tomorrow committed to launching BT 2.0, an initiative aimed at enrolling 15,000 primary-level students annually in 60 Building Tomorrow academies by 2016 throughout East Africa. BT 2.0 will also aim to train over 450 Building Tomorrow academy educators, grow the enrollment of girls, and develop a classroom curriculum designed for students living in rural areas.

The funding and design work to complete the Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita were furnished through Building Tomorrow’s student chapter at the University of Virginia. Completed in 2010, the academy was constructed through a community-driven model whereby members of neighboring villages provide over 20,000 hours of labor to complete construction of the building. Today, Building Tomorrow continues to work with teachers, parents and educators at Gita by growing and developing the School Management Committee overseeing the academy’s day-to-day operations.

“Our two-fold vision of providing access and quality education will require the continued investment of stakeholders and partners who share our vision,” said Srour, who will travel to Gita to meet President Clinton. “We hope President Clinton’s visit will bring attention to the unmet educational needs of millions of children throughout sub-Saharan Africa and encourage potential partners to step up to the plate and join us.”

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About Building Tomorrow
Building Tomorrow (BT) is an international social-profit organization empowering young people to invest their resources, time and talents in providing students in East Africa with access to an education. Over the last five years, supporters of BT, including a college network of over 25 chapters nationwide, have raised over $1.5 million to seed 14 BT Academies, eight of which are currently operational. For more information, visit www.buildingtomorrow.org.

About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.