Archon Award Recipient

Dalal Al-Waheidi accepting on behalf of Free the Children

Founded in 1995, Free the Children is known as “the world’s largest network of children helping children through education.” Through the organization's youth-driven approach to development, more than 1 million young people have been involved in its innovative programs in more than 45 countries. The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize) and the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network.

Through its holistic Adopt a Village development model, the organization has built more than 500 schools in developing communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing education to more than 50,000 children each day. It has delivered over 208,000 school and health kits to students around the world, shipped US $15 million worth of essential medical supplies, given 138,500 people access to clean water and provided alternative forms of income to 23,500 women and families in need.