Episode 218 | The Brilliant Global Gem Called Christel House, 11 am Eastern, 1/11/2025

Silver Lining for Learning will start 2025 with a phenomenal project called Christel House International (https://christelhouse.org/) involving youth around the world. Christel House is a global network of schools in India, Mexico, South Africa, Jamaica, and Indianapolis in the United States. Its mission is to provide high-quality, free education from preschool age until they can secure employment after their tertiary education. For the past 25 years, Christel House has strived to provide a comprehensive approach that involves not just educational programming but also healthcare, nutrition, and family assistance. Such an approach helps to ensure the complete holistic development and well-being of every young person in their program. At its core, Christel House has been dedicated to helping empower children from under-resourced communities to maximize their potential, and, in effect, transform lives around the planet. Across their 25 years of existence, Christel House has impacted over 20,000 students across the world with the establishment of 9 schools in 5 countries. They are currently spearheading a new fully funded Fellowship program called the Global Pathbuilders Fellowship which hopes to identify and support high-potential visionary leaders and entrepreneurs in establishing Christel House schools in new countries. Among the countries under consideration are Peru, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, and Bangladesh. They are presently looking for partners in those countries. Selected Fellows will receive customized support to design and launch new schools, including opportunities to be embedded in different Christel House schools to learn from their experienced CEOs and their teams. Clearly, Episode #218 of Silver Lining for Learning will be one of great interest to those seeking innovative solutions to educational problems around the world.

David Harris – President and CEO, Christel House International

David Harris is President & CEO of Christel House International. Before joining Christel House, he was a partner with The City Fund. David founded The Mind Trust in 2006, which became a national model for driving urban education reform. Before founding The Mind Trust, David spent five years as Mayor Bart Peterson’s Charter Schools director, where he built a charter school office that received Harvard University’s Innovations in American Government Award. In 2024, David was recognized with the Leader in Education Innovation Award from The Mind Trust. The Indianapolis Business Journal named David one of the city’s 40 Influential People of the Past 40 Years in 2020. He has received College Summit’s Let Talent Shine Award, Teachers’ Treasures Caring Spirit Award, Hope Academy’s Faces of Hope Award, Marian University’s Franciscan Values Award, and Indy’s Best and Brightest Award from Junior Achievement of Central Indiana. He was featured as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2013 Profiles of Change series. He also was named one of Indianapolis Business Journal’s ‘Forty Under 40’ and was the inaugural winner of the St. Richard’s Episcopal School’s Eugene S. Pulliam Founders Medal for alumni who “demonstrate creative leadership and service that has benefitted society.” David received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Indiana University.

Adri Marais – CEO, Christel House South Africa

In April 2018 Adri Marais joined Christel House South Africa as CEO. Adri has a Masters in Biochemistry, an MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Studies (cum laude). Science, business and education inform her view of the world. As a social entrepreneur, she is passionate and tenacious. As a leader, deeply empathetic, straight-talking and standing in her integrity. She drives innovation from conceptualization to implementation, balancing risk and reward with humanity. The business of education was a natural home for her work towards social change. In 2004, together with three co-founders, she started TSiBA (Tertiary School in Business Administration) dedicating her life full-time to post-apartheid redress. TSiBA is a private not-for-profit business school that provides all students with full, or part, tuition scholarships to study towards an enriched, fully accredited BBA degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Lauren Daniels

My name is Lauren Daniels; I am 25 years old and currently residing in South Africa. I attended Christel House South Africa from 2013-2017, which was my high school career. I matriculated top of the class in 2017 and was also the valedictorian. I went on to study business and marketing for one year at a private college on a full scholarship, and then proceeded to complete my undergraduate degree at Stellenbosch University, a Bachelor of Arts in Social Dynamics in 2021. I completed my BA Honors in Social Anthropology at Stellenbosch University in 2022. I graduated in March 2023, and I am currently working as Project coordinator in the Bursaries and Student Recruitment management division at the Growsmart Educational Program at Growthpoint Properties CSR department. I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in medical Anthropology, with a focus on public and reproductive health at the University of Johannesburg.

Indianapolis Star (front page article from January 4, 2025) This high school mentors its students long after they graduate, and it’s seeing results
The 74 – Op-Ed by David Harris: How Indiana is leading the way in measuring schools by what matters most
Mail & Guardian – Op-Ed by Adri Marais: There is a way to address poverty in South Africa
Chalkbeat Indiana – (College & Careers Collaboration): Christel House expands postsecondary support program to traditional public, charter schools
South Africa - The Good News (CH Expansion): Christel House SA to open a new high school

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