AED, formerly the Academy for Educational Development (1961 to 2011), was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focused on

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

for the "least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world." AED operated more than 250 programs in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and in 150 other countries around the world.

History and scope

AED was founded in 1961 by Alvin C. Eurich and Sidney Tickton. Originally focused on providing technical assistance related to

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

management in the United States, AED expanded into

instructional technology Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, edtech, it often refer ...

education reform Education reform is the name given to the goal of changing public education. The meaning and education methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, t ...

, and

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

through environmental communication,

social marketing Social marketing is a marketing approach which focuses on influencing behavior with the primary goal of achieving "common good." It utilizes the elements of commercial marketing and applies them to social concepts. However, to see social marke ...

and other disciplines. AED worked throughout the United States and in 167 countries. AED operated more than 250 programs to help people improve their lives through better education, health, and economic opportunities. It was a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Programs

AED had five main program areas: global health, population, and nutrition; global learning; leadership and institutional development; social change; and U.S. education and workforce development. Each group had between four and seven centers. AED was one of six partnership support organizations chosen by the

New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is t ...

to provide New York City public schools with technical assistance in a variety of areas. AED's Center for Academic Partnerships stated aim was to work with educational institutions and individuals in the United States and around the world to "strengthen and diversify academic exchanges and educational linkages." This Center facilitated international students' study in the United States, American students' study abroad and

service learning Service-learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs. Service-learning involves students in service proje ...

abroad through the AED Development Fellows Program, as well as faculty and professional exchanges and short term institutes. On July 25, 2009, Iraqi Prime Minister

Nouri al-Maliki Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki ( ar, نوري المالكي; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (), is secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party and was the prime minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and the vice president ...

announced plans to send up to 10,000 Iraqi students per year to colleges in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia through 2014 as a part of the Iraq Education Initiative, for which AED will provide advice and support. Other programs included the AED Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, which began the Promising Practices in Afterschool System in 1999 with funding from the

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1926 by Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, Michigan. Mott was a leading industrialist in Flint through his association with General Motors. The foundation administers funds ...

. AED's Middle Start program provided research-based professional development programs that invigorate teaching and learning resulting in improved rigor, equity, and achievement. The National Security Education Program David L. Boren Fellowships for graduate students, offered by

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

, are provided by AED. GreenCOM, sponsored by AED, is the strategic environmental communication project of the

U.S. Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 ...

, providing services to USAID missions and environmental and agricultural program managers worldwide. AED was a major partner in USAID's "DOT-COM Alliance," leading the dot-ORG program (one of the three programs).

Controversy

Executive compensation

In 2009, AED drew criticism when it was revealed that then-President Stephen Moseley was paid US$879,530 in total compensation in 2007. Moseley said his 2007 compensation, which included "catch-up" payments into an executive pension fund for prior years, was "in line" with competitors. Moseley announced his January 2011 retirement in November 2010.

USAID suspension

In December 2010, the

, or USAID, suspended AED from being awarded new federal service contracts from USAID for 12 to 18 months due to evidence of "serious corporate misconduct" revealed after investigations of the agency's expenditures in Pakistan and Afghanistan. At that time AED had 65 contracts and

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places * Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, ...

through USAID totaling $640 million.

Settlement agreement with US government

On June 30, 2011, AED signed a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which it agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle false claims act allegations. According to the U.S. Government, AED had failed to provide proper oversight and management of USAID projects in the semi-autonomous tribal regions of Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. Government received substandard service and products at inflated prices. The Department of Justice also alleged that executives at the Washington, D.C., office of AED did not properly disclose information about overcharges and other financial mismanagement.

Transfer of all AED programs to FHI 360

Concurrent with the settlement agreement AED executed a transfer of virtually all of its existing programs and employees to another USAID contractor NGO, Family Health International. The AED programs combined with FHI to create a new entity, FHI 360. With that, AED effectively ceased to exist.

References

External links

Academy for Educational Development
official website.
CitizenAudit.org
AED entry, including several Form 990 tax documents.
Internet Archive's Wayback Machine
archive of the AED website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aed Organizations established in 1961 International educational charities Educational charities based in the United States Charities based in Washington, D.C. Development charities based in the United States Dupont Circle