TALEF
The American-Liberian Education Fund, Inc.

Empowering Youth. Rebuilding Liberia. Inspiring the World.

TALEF helps young Liberians whose schooling was lost to war, poverty, or hardship gain the vocational education and skills to build productive lives and help rebuild their nation.

Vision Statement

TALEF envisions a transformed Liberia: a nation reborn from the ashes of civil conflict and rebuilt upon the intellect, resilience, and boundless potential of its youth.

We see a rising generation of young Liberians who are no longer defined by the devastation of the past, but empowered by education, skills, and purpose to become the architects of a prosperous, peaceful, and self-sufficient nation.

TALEF envisions every graduate as a literate, career-ready adult and committed lifelong learner, fully equipped to pursue meaningful vocations that meet the urgent workforce demands of Liberia, the West African sub-region, and the international community. By investing in the education and technical training of young Liberians today, TALEF is laying the foundation for a skilled national workforce capable of sustaining long-term growth and stability tomorrow.

We envision a future in which every young person who walks through TALEF's doors leaves with far more than a vocational credential. They leave with a transformed sense of self and possibility. Through world-class instruction and holistic development, TALEF students will transcend their own expectations, acquiring the technical expertise, entrepreneurial mindset, and civic responsibility needed to fulfill their personal ambitions while actively advancing the economic, political, technological, and social reconstruction of Liberia.

To realize this vision, TALEF is committed to recruiting and retaining the most distinguished educators and industry practitioners from Liberia, West Africa, and across the globe. We believe that exceptional teaching is the catalyst for exceptional outcomes, and that young Liberians deserve nothing less than instruction that meets the highest international standards of excellence.

Ultimately, TALEF envisions its graduates as more than skilled professionals. They will be leaders, mentors, and nation-builders. They will rise to the forefront of their respective industries, training and inspiring the next wave of aspiring young Liberians who seek to contribute to the reconstruction and advancement of their country. In this way, the impact of TALEF will extend far beyond its classrooms, multiplying across communities, industries, and generations to come.

Empowering Youth. Rebuilding Liberia. Inspiring the World.

Our Values

Four principles that guide TALEF

TALEF's values are expressed through four core principles, which guide its mission, vision, and institutional culture.

  1. Stewardship

    Stewardship of the environment, community, and self. Our educational conviction at TALEF is that stewardship is effectively nurtured when learning has a clear purpose expressed within real-life contexts. Stewardship means developing a consciousness, understanding, and appreciation for the environment. Concretely, it means doing tangible work in the environment you want to affect, as in our career pathways.

  2. Capacity Building in All Disciplines of Study

    By focusing on vocational and technological educational components, students at TALEF can explore issues in a cross-disciplinary, hands-on way. Our students will grasp the connections between math, science, humanities, arts, and human behavior, using problem-solving methods and individualized, self-paced learning.

  3. Cultural and Environmental Diversity

    TALEF will build curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments that respect learning differences and enhance the capacity for inquiry by providing multiple learning opportunities for developing student interest and curiosity. As students and teachers come to see diversity as a critical element in nature, they will learn to recognize the importance of diversity to a healthy social and academic milieu.

  4. Teaching and Learning

    Teaching and learning are valued as one interrelated process for students, teachers, administrators, families, support staff, and collaborating partners. A dynamic learning community built through problem solving, internships, apprenticeships, mentorship, field-based learning, an integrated curriculum, and ongoing weekly on-site professional development will ground our school in mutual respect that stems from sharing a common experience.

Founding Story

Born from a response to war

The American-Liberian Education Fund, Inc. (TALEF) was conceived by a group of diasporic Liberians in the United States in direct response to the Liberian civil war, which lasted from December 1989 until October 2003. The war created vast socioeconomic problems that must be addressed not only by the Liberian government, but also by Liberians in the diaspora, private sources, and international partners.

Many young Liberians born between the late 1980s and 2003 lost continued or consistent schooling. Some were forced to fight in the war, while others attended school intermittently or not at all. According to a 1980 survey by the Liberian Ministry of Planning Affairs, literacy in pre-war Liberia was about 40% of a population of 4.2 million. Today, Liberia has about 5.5 million people, and 75% are illiterate. This situation is alarming and must be addressed immediately.

TALEF was designed to help these young people pursue vocational education and specialized skills so they can become productive citizens and contribute to the overall development of Liberia. Our hope is that Liberia will produce a cadre of citizens with the skills to rebuild the country's infrastructure, strengthen its human services sector and agricultural base, improve its health services, and train others in rebuilding the nation.

To meet the country's high illiteracy rate, TALEF is establishing The American-Liberian Vocational Institute (TALVI). There is a dire need for such an institute, since many in the population we serve lack the academic preparation for a regular college degree or the means to pay for it.

Who We Serve

People who deserve a fresh start

  • Young people
  • At-risk youth
  • High school dropouts
  • Unemployed and unskilled adults
  • Former child soldiers and combatants
  • Survivors of sexual violence
  • Formerly incarcerated persons
  • Deportees
  • Indigent persons
  • Social outcasts
Programs

Disciplines of study

TALEF's vocational institute, TALVI, will place heavy emphasis on ten disciplines that meet Liberia's most urgent workforce needs.

  • Farming & Agriculture
  • Small Business
  • Computing
  • Carpentry
  • Plumbing
  • Construction
  • Masonry
  • Culinary Arts
  • Human Services
  • Nursing & Midwifery
Leadership

The people behind TALEF

Dr. Steven G. Little
Chairman of the Board

Dr. Steven G. Little

PhD, BCBA-D

Dr. Little received his Ph.D. in School Psychology from Tulane University and is Coordinator of the Applied Behavior Analysis program at Walden University. He is a former President of the Division of School Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Fellow of the APA.

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He is a licensed psychologist in New York, California, and New Zealand and a board-certified behavior analyst at the doctoral level. He has held faculty positions in the United States and New Zealand, was Walden University's Extraordinary Faculty of the Year in 2008, and received the APA's 2009 Jack Bardon Award for Lifetime Service to the profession of School Psychology. He has published over 150 articles and book chapters, including more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and three books, and has given over 100 presentations at professional meetings.

Dr. Mwalimu Steve Boley
Executive Director

Dr. Mwalimu Steve Boley

PhD, MA, MSW

Dr. Boley is a native of the Republic of Liberia and lives with his family in Willingboro, New Jersey. He arrived in the United States on September 26, 1985, with just $369 in his pocket, and went on to earn an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania (2021) and an MA (2022) and PhD (2023) from Walden University.

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A licensed Behavioral Specialist Consultant, therapist, and clinician, he has spent 27 years serving children, youth, and families, including court-involved clients, in Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Believing he has a moral responsibility to give back to Liberia, he plans to return within three to five years to lead a vocational program that steers young people toward productive lives.

Dr. Angeleque Akin-Little
Board Member

Dr. Angeleque Akin-Little

PhD, BCBA-D

Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, Dr. Akin-Little earned her degree in History and teaching credentials from San Francisco State University and taught for seven years in Bay Area schools and in Mississippi. She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi.

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She earned the BCBA-D in 2007 and, after academic appointments in New York, California, and New Zealand (Ministry of Health), is a contributing faculty member in the ABA MS program at Walden University. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, a licensed psychologist in New York, California, and New Zealand, and a Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT-500, YACEP). She has published almost 100 articles and book chapters and co-edited three books. Her research covers video self-modeling, applied behavior analysis, meta-analysis, and mindfulness-based interventions with children and families.

She is also a professional singer who has performed jazz at the Plush Room in San Francisco, formed the folk and country band Redwood Highway, and sung in Nashville and with The Classics. She lives in the Adirondacks near Malone, New York, with her husband, Steven.

George Komon Saydee
Secretary of the Board

George Komon Saydee

MA, BA

George Komon Saydee is one of the founding members of TALEF and serves as secretary of its Board of Directors. He has worked at the Department of Human Services in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 2008, where he is now a social services supervisor.

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He received his master's degree in Public Administration/Public Affairs from the Metropolitan College of New York in 2008 and a B.A. in Psychology Administration for Children Services from Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, in 1997.

Regina Wilson-Boley
Treasurer of the Board

Regina Wilson-Boley

AA

Regina Wilson-Boley is one of the founding members of TALEF and serves as treasurer of its board. She is a Clinical Care Coordinator at Brightview Geriatric Center in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

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She received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Rowan University in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, in 2018. Before her current position, she spent 20 years in the healthcare industry providing direct care support to patients and working as a medication technician.

Shirley Gbalee Seckey-Fahnbulleh
Country Coordinator, Liberia

Shirley Gbalee Seckey-Fahnbulleh

Shirley Gbalee Seckey-Fahnbulleh is a Liberian nurse leader, educator, and healthcare advocate with more than two decades of experience in clinical practice, nursing leadership, health education, and professional development. She coordinates all TALEF activities in Liberia.

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She is the Executive Director of Nursing Online, a continuing professional development (CPD) platform that strengthens the capacity of nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals through education, mentorship, and skills-based training. Under her leadership, Nursing Online grew from a social learning initiative into an accredited CPD provider supporting healthcare professionals across Liberia.

Her work spans faith-based, private, public, and international development sectors. She has held key leadership roles in health systems strengthening, program implementation, stakeholder engagement, and nursing education, and she serves in regional and international professional networks, including the West African Postgraduate College of Nurses and Midwives (WAPCNM), where she contributes to education and research initiatives.

She is committed to advancing nursing leadership, empowering women in healthcare, promoting lifelong learning, and improving access to quality health services in underserved communities.

Get Involved

Help us lift more Liberians

Donate

Your gift helps cover training costs, tools, and materials for students.

Volunteer

Share your time and professional skills as a mentor, instructor, or organizer.

Partner

Schools, employers, and organizations can work with us to expand opportunities in Liberia.

Tax-exempt status

The American-Liberian Education Fund, Inc. (TALEF) is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization effective September 12, 2023. Contributions are tax-deductible under IRC Section 170. EIN 93-3409184.

Contact

Get in touch

Email
talefund@gmail.com
Phone
+1 (609) 424-4191
Mail
The American-Liberian Education Fund, Inc. (TALEF)
89 Somerset Drive
Willingboro, NJ 08046
Web
www.talefund.org