Board of Directors
Antonia McGrath: Founder and Director
Antonia lived and worked in El Progreso, Honduras for a year in 2014/15 as a teacher and mentor in a home for ex-street children. She also co-produced a political documentary about Honduras, and holds a Masters degree in International Development Studies.
Lisa van Holsteijn: Founder and Grants Team member
Lisa lived and worked in Honduras for a year and a half in 2014/15, first teaching English in nine rural public schools and an orphanage in the department of Santa Bárbara for one year, and then at an international school for the remaining six months. She recently completed a degree in Economics and International Relations in Amsterdam.
Andrea Torrens: Grants Manager
Originally from Spain, Andrea has a background in International Relations and has conducted fieldwork in Colombia. She moved to Amsterdam to study her Masters and is currently working there while collaborating with educate..
Lachlan Craig: Treasurer
A lawyer and former Non-Commissioned Officer in the Australian Army, Lachlan has traveled through Honduras and Central America and now lives and works in Amsterdam.
Honduras Leadership team
Walter Dubon: Community Projects Coordinator
Walter began his journey in educate. as the president of the Las Lagunas library committee. A young leader and role model in his village, he speaks with passion about the environment, reading, and the importance of working with youth. He loves involving communities and now leads and coordinates educate.‘s library projects on the ground.
Edgardo Pérez: Scholarship Programme Coordinator
Local businessman, father and former long-term volunteer worker for Plan International Honduras, Edgardo coordinates educate.‘s scholarship programme in Trinidad, working with schools to do outreach, find and select students, and supporting scholarship students and their families throughout their studies.
Grants Team
Brin Andrews: Grant Writer
Brin is from the U.S. and has a Masters degree in Urban and Environmental Planning. She has a long history of working and volunteering with nonprofits, including across Central America, and also spent a semester studying sustainable economic development in Nicaragua.
Jaclyn van Arkel: Grant Writer and Trainer
Jaclyn is originally from Minnesota and hold a Master’s degree in Addiction Studies. She has a history of working in the non-profit sector and experience with counselling teenagers in a school setting.
Abby Roberts: Grant Writer
Abby is originally from the United States where she completed her bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations. She moved to Amsterdam for an LL.M. program in 2018 and is now working for an international non-profit.
Nicole Pal: Grant Writer
Nicole is originally from Canada where she studied Psychology, and she is currently completing a Masters in Global Health in Amsterdam. She has a history of working with non-profits focusing on health and education and has spent six months living in Central and South America.
Laura Pilz González: Grant Writer
Laura has a Central American/European background and recently completed a Master in Global Health in Amsterdam. Having the opportunity to call these two very distinct “worlds” home, made her passionate to fight for equitable education as key for a just and sustainable tomorrow.
Events Team
Marieke Knorz: Events Team Leader
Originally from Germany, Marieke is currently studying Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, with a focus on Organisational Psychology. Marieke leads educate.’s events-based fundraising activities, online and offline.
Orielsy Blanco: Events Team
Orielsy is from Venezuela, where she got her bachelor’s degree in International Studies. She later completed a Master in International Public Affairs in Italy, and is currently living and working in Amsterdam. While she has been working in business development and marketing for some years, she now wants to return to her passion for public affairs, health and education, and she sees working with educate. as a great opportunity to support outstanding work with a real impact.
Noor Assa: Events Team
Noor is originally from Amsterdam but mainly lived abroad while growing up. She moved back to Amsterdam in 2017 to study Political Science with a focus on International Relations, and Global Youth Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Noor is very passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community, she joined the educate. events team in October 2020 and is very excited to see what this year will bring!
Neda: Events Team
Neda is originally from Iran and was born and raised in Cologne, Germany. She lived in Barcelona and London before moving to Amsterdam 4.5 years ago and has worked in Marketing ever since. She joined the educate. events team in October 2020 and is very excited to support an NGO that focuses on the community and makes such an impact.
Sarah: Events Team
Sarah grew up in Germany but moved to the Netherlands when she was 18 years-old, in order to start her Bachelor’s in Psychology. In 2018, after some traveling and working, she started her master’s in W&O psychology in Amsterdam. Now she is done with uni she wants to dedicate some of her time to something she is passionate about: education and the organisation of events. She is impressed by what started so small and is now educate. and is happy to support this NGO together with the events team.
Communications Team
Laura: Communications Director
Laura is originally from the UK and is currently living and working in Utrecht. She has a Masters in International Criminology and a background in volunteering in the education and youth justice sector.
Florencia Moreno: Ambassadors Programme Coordinator
Florencia comes from Mexico where she studied a BSc in Nutrition. She moved to the Netherlands to pursue a MSc in Health Food Innovation Management and has been working here ever since. Believing that education is the key for a better tomorrow, Florencia is happy to work with educate as our Ambassadors Programme Coordinator.
Nidia León: Graphic Designer
Nidia lives in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. She graduated from the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (UNITEC) with bachelor degree in Graphic Design in 2019. She is enthusiastic about volunteering work and currently works with us from Honduras as a graphic designer.
Corporate Partnerships Team
César Reyes: Corporate Partnerships Manager
César is Chilean, and currently lives and works in Amsterdam. He holds a bachelor in Economics and has been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and NGOs in Latin America since 2012, covering different areas such as entrepreneurship, economic development, education and youth development.
Lariza van der Poel Ventura: Corporate Partnerships Team
Lariza comes from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She has a Masters Degree in International Development Studies. While she has been working in business development for a couple of years, she misses working in the field of development. At educate. she has found the right balance between international development, volunteering, and the corporate world. Lariza is based in Amsterdam.
Michele works as strategy consultant at a leading global consulting firm in Amsterdam, focusing on Corporate, M&A, and ESG strategy. Before his Amsterdam days, Michele studied in Italy, the US, South Korea and The Netherlands, graduating in Engineering & Management. Michele supported multiple educational initiatives for local youth during his teen-years in Milan (Italy), and believes education provides the most free & long-term impact on communities.
Impact teaM
Chris Abbott: Director of Data and Impact Measurement
Chris is originally from the UK and recently completed a Master degree in Economics at the University of Amsterdam. He has continued to live in Amsterdam, working in financial technology.
Alexandra Karl: Impact Team
Alexandra is from Germany and is currently studying Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. With her experience in working at a girl’s home in Nicaragua and her interest in statistics she has been part of developing educate.’s data and impact measurement project.
Community Leaders: Honduras
Nery Molina: La Florida School
Nery Molina is the only teacher and the school director of the La Florida primary school in Olancho. He led his students and community in starting the La Florida School Library in 2019.
Lorena Jimenez: Las Lagunas School
Lorena is the only teacher and school director of the Las Lagunas primary school in Santa Bárbara. She led the community in starting the Las Lagunas School Library project in 2019.
José Luís Trochez: Guadalupe Ulloa School
José Luis is the director of the Guadalupe Ulloa school in the town of Trinidad. He was the community project leader of the Guadalupe Ulloa School Library project in 2018.
Zaida Bonilla: Adrian Mejia School
Zaida is the school director of the Adrian Mejia primary and secondary school on the outskirts of El Progreso. She led her community in starting the Adrian Mejia School Library project in 2018.
Magdaly Pérez: Trinidad Kindergarten
Kindergarten Director and former Secretary of Education in the municipality of Trinidad, Magdaly led the start of the Trinidad Kindergarten Library project in 2018.
Carlos Manuel Urbina: Talanga Nutrition Centre
Carlos is the director of Honduran non-profit Manos Que Ayudan Talanga. He led the Los Pozos community in Talanga in starting the Los Pozos School Nutrition Centre in 2018.
María Jesús: El Hogar Orphanage
María Jesús is one of the women who run the El Hogar de Niños orphanage in Santa Bárbara. She led the start of the El Hogar Animal Therapy Farm, our very first community project, in 2017.
Members
Members of educate. work in a variety of areas. In Amsterdam, members support with events, school partnerships, grants and advocacy. In Honduras, members represent us at events and act as tutors and mentors to our scholarship students, providing academic and career support.
Click here to learn more about the opportunities available and how you can become a member.
