From Learning to Leadership: What USAID Made Possible
Show notes
A career spent investing in global education didn’t just build schools. It built futures.
In this episode, former USAID Foreign Service Officer and Education Specialist Siena Fleischer shares what it takes to create opportunity through education: from teaching children to read, preparing youth for the workforce, and building global research partnerships.
But this isn’t just about what worked. It’s about what’s now at risk. Siena was days away from boarding a plane to lead a flagship youth leadership program when everything stopped.
With the dismantling of USAID, entire education systems are losing support. Siena explains what “learning loss” really means: not just missed school days, but lost generations, stalled economies, and fewer leaders equipped to shape the future.
Education isn’t optional. It never was. And right now, it’s disappearing.
Interested in learning more? Resources Siena Recommends
* Balanced vs. Structured Literacy
* Dyslexia and The Reading Wars
* Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education
* Educating Kids in the Age of AI
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