Aspen Institute and Bezos Family Foundation Launch Landmark Initiative for Youth
Through a transformational investment from the Bezos Family Foundation, the Centre for Rising Generations will ignite the leadership potential and civic engagement of young people for generations to come.
Washington, DC, August 13, 2024 – The Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation today announced the founding of the Centre for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute. Through a historic investment of $185.7 million, $175 million of which will establish a permanent endowment alongside $10.7 million to support initial operational costs, the Centre will exist in perpetuity as a resource for youth and young adults, as well as those who support their development and leadership.
The Centre will be led by the nationally recognised education leader Kaya Henderson, the former Chancellor of Washington, DC’s Public Schools and Founder and CEO of the education technology company Reconstruction, who will also serve as an Executive Vice President of the Aspen Institute. In service of the Aspen Institute’s purpose and mission, the Centre’s vision is for civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development to become an integral part of the journey to adulthood for young people in the United States and around the world.
“As a Fellow and former trustee of the Aspen Institute, I have witnessed its commitment to enriching the lives of young people of all backgrounds,” said Kaya Henderson. “Every young person has the potential to be an active participant and leader in their community and beyond. This extraordinary investment from the Bezos Family Foundation will enable the Aspen Institute to use our many assets and relationships in service of this vision of including, engaging, equipping, and empowering the young, and I am delighted to lead this work, building on the Institute’s 75 years of promoting civil dialogue and leadership development.”
The establishment of the Centre for Rising Generations reflects the shared commitment of the Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation to support young people and facilitate intergenerational dialogue. The Aspen Institute’s 2023 strategic plan identifies this emphasis as a major priority and the Institute has long invested in the leadership of young people by strengthening their skills, amplifying their voices, and connecting them to opportunities. The Centre’s primary activities will include:
Enhancing the Aspen Institute’s existing portfolio of programmes that serve young people and enabling the inclusion of young people in more Institute programmes and offerings;
Convening experts and building a global community of practice focused on the civic engagement and leadership development of young people; and
Supporting the development of promising new initiatives and partnerships with other organisations that work with young people.
“My wife Jackie and I are continually inspired by the bright ideas and hope that young people bring for our collective future,” said Mike Bezos, Co-Founder of the Bezos Family Foundation and Aspen Institute trustee. “Supporting the leadership, passion, and creativity of young minds to enact change today has been at the heart of the Foundation, and for two decades, we’ve worked side-by-side with the Aspen Institute to support new programmes and platforms for young people to put their education into action. With the Aspen Institute’s strong values-based leadership and expertise, and with renowned global education leader Kaya Henderson at the helm, we are confident the Centre for Rising Generations will exponentially expand opportunities for our rising generations, bringing their voices to the forefront to shape our world for the better.”
“This unprecedented investment from the Bezos Family Foundation is the largest gift ever made to the Aspen Institute. It will transform our ability to help young people reach their full potential—with all the benefits that brings to society as a whole—and we look forward to establishing new partnerships with all who seek to tap the dreams and talents of our rising generations,” said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “We are deeply grateful to Mike and Jackie Bezos and the entire Foundation for their vision and confidence, and know that Kaya Henderson is the ideal leader to launch this new undertaking.”
“The Centre for Rising Generations is the first endowed centre of its kind, and it addresses a critical need in today’s world. Our young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they’re leading today, and it’s crucial that we increase our investment in their potential,” said Dr. John Deasy, President of the Bezos Family Foundation. “With the Centre, we move closer to ensuring that civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development become a predictable and integral part of every young person’s educational experience.”
“Engaging, learning from, and investing in rising generations is one of the Aspen Institute’s major priorities in our new five-year strategic plan,” said Margot Pritzker, Chair of the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees. “The Centre for Rising Generations brings this commitment to life and will enable us to serve as a go-to partner to support young people on their leadership and civic engagement journeys now and far into the future. Thank you to the Bezos Family Foundation for making this possible.”
The Aspen Institute has many current programmes that focus on youth and young adults. These programmes engage young people both directly and indirectly and address a range of issues relevant to rising generations. Examples of their work include providing tools and platforms for youth to design solutions to community challenges; enabling cultural and educational exchange among middle-, high school-, and college-aged youth around the world; promoting intergenerational family prosperity; supporting networks and organisations that serve opportunity youth; and advancing best practices and leadership within the American K-12 and higher education systems.
The Centre for Rising Generations will complement and strengthen this distinctive portfolio and take the Aspen Institute’s current commitment to young people to the next level. It will enable the Institute to serve as a permanent anchor partner in the field that supports rising generations and the systems and organisations they rely on, ignites their leadership and civic engagement, and enables them to use their voices and platforms with even greater effect to create impact for their communities and the world.
The Aspen Institute will hold a public launch for the Centre for Rising Generations in 2025 and will share more information in the months to follow.