Every child deserves
an education.
Natalie Berg, President and Director (Outreach, International)
Natalie's family comes from a long line of teachers. At the time of her birth her grandmother was a director of a gymnasium (High School) and taught Russian literature and language arts. Her grandmother launched on a journey that was highly controversial at the time, by teaching her two year old granddaughter Natalie, passages from classical masterpieces by Russia's greatest poets. At three years old Natalie was reciting poetry by Pushkin and Lermontov. By four she was making her grandmother's students chuckle as she read pieces of classical literature from their textbooks, thus motivating them to do their homework
Her own thrilling childhood memories of early learning and discovering, as well as dissatisfaction with the fact that many other children were not given a chance to learn due to various socio/economic limitations or lack of resources or even social stigmas that "education is not for them", so motivated Natalie to spend the last 15 years being involved in providing educational, social, motivational and recreational programs for children from underprivileged families, orphans, as well as physically challenged children around the world. "Giving children a better childhood, granting children a better chance…" was one of her mottos over the years.
Natalie also played an important role as an independent international humanitarian aid consultant for various educational and charitable NGOs, who appreciated her expertise through the charitable work she was involved with in the developing world.
She also worked as a program coordinator and consultant for the Ukrainian Ministry of Family and Youth, and in Family and Youth Division of Kiev Area Administration. She organized and participated in the seminars for orphanages, administrators and teachers; organized programs for large families and underprivileged families different countries, including parenting resource seminars, early learning, and stress counseling.
Her other areas of expertise are: working with large families; post-traumatic stress counseling for youth and children in war zones or after natural disasters; social rehabilitation of youth delinquents; work with children and families with special needs or under special circumstances; organization of language & culture learning camps for children and youth; gifted youth programs; and international humanitarian aid.
Natalie has firsthand experience working and living in over 16 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Denmark, Moldova, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Romania, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Natalie got married in 2004 had a daughter 2009 and a son in 2010. She has since gotten more involved with providing resources for future parents on the topics of pregnancy, birth and early infancy, as well as early education for babies and toddlers. Her first child, Evangeline, learned to sign, talk and recognize written words by her first birthday, and her early learning adventure is an exciting work in progress with lots of opportunities ahead! Evangeline's little brother is following her in her footsteps.
It is Natalie's dream to provide the gift of early literacy and learning opportunities to children around the world, regardless of their socio/economic status, nationality, religion or creed. To give children the best possible start, and to broaden their spectrum of possibilities and visions is her upmost dream.
