Jolie and Her Education Projects for Children

Jolie and Her Education Projects for Children

Angelina Jolie has made education one of the cornerstones of her humanitarian work, particularly for children affected by conflict, displacement, and poverty. Believing that education is the most effective way to break cycles of violence and poverty, she has supported numerous projects that provide learning opportunities to vulnerable children worldwide.

Jolie’s commitment to children’s education began with her personal experience as a mother. After adopting Maddox from Cambodia in 2002, she established the Maddox Jolie Foundation (later the Maddox Foundation) in 2003. The foundation has built and supported dozens of schools in rural Cambodia, providing access to quality education for thousands of children. It offers scholarships, including the Shiloh Scholarship Program, which supports orphans and vulnerable children. The projects also include teacher training, school infrastructure development, and programs that combine education with nutrition and healthcare.

Through her long-term partnership with UNHCR as Goodwill Ambassador and later Special Envoy, Jolie consistently highlighted the educational crisis facing refugee children. She has visited numerous refugee camps across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, where she witnessed firsthand how lack of education leaves children at risk of exploitation, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups. Her advocacy helped push for greater investment in schooling for displaced children.

One of Jolie’s most significant contributions is her strong support for the Education Cannot Wait fund, launched in 2016. As a high-profile champion, she has helped raise awareness and resources for this global fund, which delivers emergency education to children in crisis zones. She has spoken at major international forums about the urgent need to protect education during conflicts, arguing that learning provides stability, hope, and long-term peacebuilding.

Jolie has also backed legal and educational support for refugee children in the United States. Through her co-founding of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in 2008, she has helped ensure that unaccompanied migrant and refugee children receive not only legal protection but also access to education while navigating the immigration system.

Her efforts extend to storytelling as well. Jolie’s 2017 film First They Killed My Father, which she directed, powerfully depicts the importance of education and its denial during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The film serves as both artistic expression and advocacy tool to raise awareness about children’s right to learn.

Even after stepping down from her official UNHCR role in 2022, Jolie has continued supporting education initiatives. She has funded projects for Ukrainian children displaced by war and explored education programs for children in the Middle East. Through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, she provides sustained grants to local organizations that run schools and learning centers in refugee settlements.

Angelina Jolie views education as a fundamental human right and a powerful tool for empowerment. Her projects focus not just on building schools, but on creating safe learning environments that nurture resilience and opportunity. By combining direct funding, field advocacy, and public awareness, she has helped improve educational access for hundreds of thousands of children.

In a world where millions of children remain out of school due to conflict and crisis, Jolie’s dedication reminds us that investing in education is one of the most meaningful ways to build a better future.