FFL | About

about

Foundations for Leadership is a non-profit, education organization dedicated to equipping young people for success in education, career, and civic life. With Model UN as a cornerstone, we promote experiential learning that develops a collaborative approach to solving problems.

Supporting educators is core to our work. We offer teacher professional development and classroom resources to help schools and districts build Model UN programs or professionalize existing ones. Our team has more than 30 years combined experience in program design, implementation, and resource development. Foundations for Leadership is particularly attuned to the needs of public school educators. Thanks to generous partnerships with higher education institutions and community leaders, we provide year-round support and learning opportunities to both teachers and students.

Who We Are

Amy Ruggiero

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Amy is responsible for overall strategic planning and program oversight. Her business acumen has been cultivated over 20 years in both corporate and nonprofit settings. She has a wealth of experience in building and supporting Model UN programs across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Kelly Siegel-Stechler

Co-Founder and Director Emeritus

Kelly advises on educational content and program strategy. With recognized expertise in curriculum design, Kelly facilitates teacher professional development and student training. She works closely with school district partners to effectively integrate standards-based learning activities into required K-12 coursework for the Social Sciences.

Allyson M. Holley

Model UN Events Coordinator

Allyson is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing logistics for Foundations for Leadership annual conferences and events. She has over 10 years of experience running Model UN conferences and has held positions at all levels for more than 16 conferences.

Liz Rebecca Alarcón

Model UN Facilitator

Liz is a communicator, facilitator and social entrepreneur. She leads Pulso, a digital organizing platform working to increase the political power of the 32 million Latinx voters across the United States. Throughout high school, college and graduate school, Liz was actively involved in the Model UN circuit as a delegate, volunteer and coach.