Dear Friends, It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Graham Leonard, after whom the Leonard Education Organization (LE.O) was named.   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 …

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 …

Dear Friends, Cultural anthropology is unique in the sciences for it attempts to see a whole system and not merely label from an outside observers’ perspective. LE.O programs are also unique in letting the whole potential learner travel in both directions from home to different cultures and back. To see, …

Dear Friends, In writing this, I ask you to look into the future of the Palestinian community and remember what always made Palestinians the most reliable workforce in the Middle East for decades; their level of education. Alas, today Palestinians are sliding rapidly from that treasured peak of accomplishment because …

Holiday Greetings, With the ending of yet another year, we have much to reflect upon. The challenges facing our younger generation back home are becoming even more complex, and the economic conditions are worsening daily, however we cannot let these facts impede our mission. I am asking for your support. …

Dear Friends, It is with great pride that I write to you today to inform you that the Leonard Education Organization ( LE.O ) was honored last week by the noted Takreem Foundation, we received the International Contribution to Arab Society award. Words do not express our appreciation for such …

Dear Friends,  On the 13th of July, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People at the United Nations held its 407th meeting. At the meeting, the Committee approved the accreditation of three NGOs recommended by the Committee Bureau this year. The Leonard Education Organization (LE.O.), United States, …

With so much bad news around us, one welcomes the occasional good news, the signs of hope that inspire many of us to keep moving forward. This Spring, we at LE.O celebrate the graduation of 14 students from within our community, from High School all the way through to Ph.D. …

Today we celebrate the courageous, hardworking and dedicated women of LE.O, our students, mentors, host mothers, and board members. We also celebrate you, our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and all the women who have set a fine example for us to follow, and inspired us to become who we are.    …

Time is our most valuable asset and is proof that our unique philosophy and vision has yielded faithful and desired results. How are we unique? The students of the Leonard Education Organization ( LE.O ) are more than just scholarship recipients. They serve as the backbone of LE.O now and …

The purpose of my recent trip to Lebanon was two-fold; my aunty Faheema Abou Nassar passed away at the age of 98, and I wanted to pay my condolences to her son and grandchildren. And to visit and meet with our new students and LE.O students’ families. Due to the …

Dear Friends, We hope our Newsletter finds you and your loved ones, in good health and spirits. Film maker and journalist Diana Al Shaer who generously gifted LE.O a documentary has kindly made a teaser for those of you who didn’t have the chance to watch the full documentary.We hope …

I am pleased to report we are over the hump of securing visa’s, managing travel logistics, and have completed the LE.O student orientations. Our Freshmen are on their way to their campuses. This is the time of year where we ensure that their transition into their new schools runs smoothly. …

Dr. Sa’ed Atshan Interviews Deya’ Leonard Dresner Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Deya’. I’m deeply interested to learn more about your personal background and life trajectory.  – Dr. Atshan  Could you tell us a little about where you were born and the circumstances of your birth?  …

Please join us in our efforts to further our mission for Palestinian Youth Education!

Like many of you our LE.O Community far away from home sat helplessly watching the news, our mobiles and social media these past few weeks, praying that nothing would happen to our families and too terrified to sleep, and unable to eat. The terror and pain was felt by all …

It is with great pride that the LE.O Community introduce you to our 2021 graduates. Our successes would not have been made possible without the support of all of you—our donors, colleges and universities, host families, and our boards. Thank You! The remainder of our student community will be spending …

The Leonard Education Organization ( LE.O ) remains amongst the top-rated charities for transparency, public accountability, and program effectiveness. Even in these unprecedented times we have continued to provide our Palestinian youth with opportunities and integral guidance. Please remember us in your end of year gift, the impact of your …

LE.O is privileged to count Fred Rogers as a board member, he and his wife Jenny Hartley, are also valued host parents.VIEW FRED ROGERS BIOAn open Letter from Fred Rogers and Jenny HartleIn preparation for an email promoting the Zoom conversation with Mahmoud Abdelfattah, I was reading the LE.O website …

We wish to invite you to join us for a Zoom event with our special guest Mahmoud Abdelfattah. Mahmoud is the first Muslim and Palestinian American head coach in NBA and G-League history.   We believe in the value of education at LE.O and we also believe that this must …

Today we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Leonard Education Organization (LE.O ). As you know, thanks to our scholars, our board, and supporters like you, we have overcome tremendous challenges and achieved some incredible successes.   We enter our 6th year humbled by the reality that we cannot continue to sustain …

The LE.O Community is devastated by the news from Lebanon, so many of our families and friends have been impacted, and this added to the already disastrous economic and political state of affairs. Next week marks our 6th year anniversary, we had planned to write to you to share our …

Dear Friends, This month we would like to celebrate the fact that LE.O exists thanks to each one of you, the members of our LE.O Community. Without your drive, dedication and hard work, LE.O would never have been founded, it would not exist. And without your participation, it would not …

So what of our students in the LE.O Community, how have the many changing models of education impacted them? Firstly, we would like to commend the institutions that are educating our community whether in the US, Canada and Europe or in countries in the Middle East, for the tremendous work …

On behalf of all of us at LE.O, we wish you good health and high spirits. We invite you to celebrate with us the tremendous achievements of our scholars graduating this Spring. We couldn’t be prouder of our scholars and more honored to serve them. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, …

Dear Friends, We wanted to update our donors, supporters and friends, on how our LE.O Community has been managing in these uncertain times. We think it is crucial to take this opportunity to reflect on the fact that while everyone is at risk at times of global crises, the most …

We continuously reflect on the work we do at LE.O., the reasons behind establishing this program, the tremendous challenges the Palestinian youth we work with continue to face and overcome, and ultimately our purpose. Are we doing enough? Are we doing it right? What processes can we include to truly …

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LE•O Mentorship and U.S.–based Scholarship Program Call For Applications About the Program The Leonard Education Organization (LE•O) is pleased to announce a Call for Applications from Palestinian high school students who would like to pursue U.S.-based scholarships for the academic year beginning in fall of 2020. The program offers qualified …

If your web browser doesn’t have a PDF plugin, you can click here to download the LE•O Winter Newsletter PDF file!  

On behalf of the students, board members, volunteers, and staff at LE•O, we wish you and your families a Happy Holiday Season and a peaceful New Year. We are committed to continuing our essential work by opening doors to a brighter future for Palestinian refugee youth living in Lebanon, Jordan, The West Bank, and …

If you were to give a bright marginalized Palestinian child a $50,000 gift for their college education, they would have just that. If you give $50,000 to Leonard Education Organization (LE•O) that gift will become at least $175,000 in tuitions for three bright marginalized Palestinian students, plus systemically influence thousands …

LE•O supports two groupings of Palestinian students: LE•O Scholars who receive the lion’s share of our scholarship dollars, and LE•O Student Service Recipients (39 in all) who receive guidance, guardianship, soft skills development some financial assistance to fill their scholarship “Funding Gap.” It is important for our donors and supporters …

As part of the Big Sister/Little Sister program, girls 18-25 years old in the Gaza Strip and Beirut can choose a successful Arab businesswoman who lives either in an Arab or other foreign country as a big sister. They can consult with their big sisters by videoconference about the most …

The Friends of the Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF) held their 22nd annual benefit gala on Oct. 23 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. The proceeds from this year’s gala were allocated to RMF’s vocational school, which provides alternative education as well as healthcare services to the needy. Master of …

LE•O’s core mission is to invest in the education of outstanding and successful leaders. For many Palestinians, international scholarships have been the key to success. Though rare and increasingly difficult to secure, academic scholarships have allowed underprivileged Palestinian students to thrive and become distinguished leaders in their fields and their …

Article published on APWA This past year, APWA supported and funded Leonard Education Organization (LEO), a woman run non-profit NGO. LEO facilitates the US college admission and matriculation of Palestinian youth. A Heartfelt thank you! I wish to offer American Palestinian Women’s Association (APWA) our appreciation for supporting Leonard Education Organization (LEO), whose …

Article published on Arab America BY: Deya’ Dresner/Contributing Writer As an Arab student, there are many ways to get the most out of your US college educational experience. For many years now, nations have encouraged their best and brightest youth to pursue study opportunities in foreign lands. This has proven to …

On behalf of all of our Team, scholars and board members at the Leonard Education Organization we wish to thank you for your support this past year.   As we, review, prepare, and support the next round of applicants I can’t help but reflect on all that we have achieved …

  We recognize that the future of Palestine is in its villages, cities, and refugee camps. LE•O strategically cultivates experienced grassroots partners that identify and help prepare promising students, especially students from underserved communities that represent all genders, religions, and cultural backgrounds. Over the past three months, we have been …

Challenge to Change is a Swiss Non-Profit Organization founded in 2014 to raise awareness on mental health among women in the Middle East through the sharing of digital content and through running online and on the ground interactive programs. Challenge to Change empowers women so that they may take on …

In the middle of August we celebrated the one year anniversary of the Leonard Education Organization! Established by a dedicated and experienced American Palestinian woman, in honor of her father’s lifelong work in the field of education, LE•O’s mission is to support the education of Palestinian youth in order to …

A few months back LE•O scholar Yazan’s old computer broke down in the middle of his exams. LE•O partner THAKI responded quickly and supported his need by providing him with a brand new HP laptop! They are also generously suppling computers for our scholars this fall. Thaki.org

Ahmad Al-Fakeer My name is Ahmad Al-Fakeer, a Palestinian refugee from Lebanon. I finished the International Baccalaureate program at Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway. I got accepted with a full scholarship at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In my freshman year at Methodist University, I was …

Mohammad Noubani  writes: My semester was thankfully great but very cold. During the semester, I shadowed a neurosurgeon as you know and I was busy with studying gym and reading. As for this summer, I will be working in a library and will be participating in a community service project. I …

Marah Abdin Marah Abdin to attend University of Rochester I was born to a Palestinian family in the city of Jerusalem. Throughout my life, even though my parents never got the chance to attend college, my two sisters and I have always been raised to put education before anything else …

Dr. Graham Leonard and Deya’ Leonard Dresner Dr. Graham Leonard is the man for whom we named our education organization. He has made the education of Arabs his life’s work with the primary focus on the education of Palestinians and to this day devotes half of each year to this …