LEO Newsletter

Extraordinary Resolve! Reflecting on 2024, one truth stands undeniable: the students we work with at LE.O are extraordinary. Over the years, we have tried to share with you their lived reality – a daily battle against crushing poverty, restricted movement, and a maze of identification requirements and travel regulations. Our students face a stark landscape: […]

A Huge Thank you! On behalf of all of us at LE.O, we want to thank our loyal supporters: board members, foundations, private donors, universities, host families, business networks, and volunteers for their tireless support, words of encouragement, guidance, and love. Without you, we would not be entering our tenth year of operations! I also wish to

It has been many months since you have heard from me, not because we had little to report, on the contrary, we have been extremely busy, as you would expect, stepping up to address: 1. The emotional impact the genocide has had on all of our community. To this end, we added more therapists and

Our Gazan LE.O Community as they gathered on our 8th anniversary in August. Brokenhearted, exhausted, overwhelmed can barely describe our current feelings at LE.O. We know we are not alone. And we are not giving up.  We are caring for our Gazan student community: Yes, we expect many, many more needs to be brought to

The bedroom of our dentist Ibrahim  Ahmed our radiologist  At LE.O we have been accustomed to managing innumerable challenges to ensure that our younger generation have a chance at a brighter future. Thirty of our LE.O student community are from Gaza:  However, all of our community is severe impacted: We are striving to provide support

It is once again that time of year when we share with pride the achievements of our LE.O Student Community. It is a time to celebrate for sure, as these hardworking, dedicated and focused young Palestinians reach yet another milestone in their lives. Their sacrifices and persistence are to be commended, for by now you

When students and I conceived of LE.O eight years ago, we imagined opening doors for higher education for our Palestinian youth living in Gaza, The West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon through existing scholarships and our funding, abroad- in Egypt, Europe, Asia, Canada and North America. To a great extent, LE.O has achieved this vision, and

Dr. Graham Leonard 1957 Dr. Graham Leonard, Dr. Farouk Shami in front of photo of Sheikh Abu Abdallah Shami.  It is almost impossible to write a one-page obituary about a man who has lived such a long, productive, healthy, and extraordinary life. His life’s work was dedicated to education, particularly to that of his beloved

Muna has been a valued part of the LE.O Community since our inception. She is our lead mentor and advisor for the West Bank, and helped organize and run a week long college advising seminar on behalf of LE.O for a local initiative , six years ago. And recently met with a LE.O board member,