Hello from Kien -- Vietnam Foundation Fundraising Event in Houston
Kien Pham
<kienpham@neverchange.com>Vietnam Foundation (VNF) is a US non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in Washington DC in 2008 and has a field office in Vietnam under an operating registration issued by the Vietnamese government. All donations to VNF or its programs such as Khan Academy Vietnam (KAV) are tax-deductible according to US laws. Our annual budget is about $500,000 and our expenditures are reviewed by US tax accountants and filed under US law every year. In short, VNF is legally accountable to US law and its annual budget is transparent and publicly available.
Since 2019, VNF has partnered with Khan Academy USA (khanacademy.org) to launch KAV (vi.khanacademy.org) in order to provide free, high-quality online educational lessons to schools, teachers and students across Vietnam. KAV has become a resounding success, recognized by the international community and putting Vietnam as the number two country in the world beside the US for using the Khan Academy platform in classrooms. The program has trained almost 150,000 teachers in nearly 11,000 public schools to integrate digital tools into their classroom teaching. The results of our program have been impressive. KAV has nearly 3.5 million students, more than half of them are school girls with inspiration to excel in STEM subjects and beyond. Since our launch, the learners have logged more than 760 million minutes of active learning, with annual growth rate at 3x in 2023 and 4x in 2024. More remarkably, the learners have come from all corners of Vietnam from the biggest cities to the smallest villages in remote mountainous areas, rural areas and isolated islands where educational resources are often limited and gender disparities in education can persist. In November 2025, KAV launched the Vietnamese version of Khanmigo for teachers which has 25 different AI tools to help teachers in delivering personalized instruction and advancing digital transformation in teaching.
KAV offers a diverse range of subjects, including Mathematics, Science, Coding, Financial Literacy, Internet Safety, and SAT, available in both English and Vietnamese. These courses are designed to foster curiosity and equip students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Importantly, the program has become a vital platform for school girls, empowering them to excel in traditionally underrepresented fields like STEM, unlocking their potential, and inspiring a new generation of female leaders.
You can also read success stories in the articles below:
Article 1: In 2024, Vietnam ranked second globally with over two million users on Khan Academy, reflecting a significant shift toward digital and personalized learning in the country’s education system.
Article 2: Despite having only 20 computers for over 400 students, the teachers at Pung Luong Day School in Mu Cang Chai go above and beyond to ensure their students can access Khan Academy’s online learning platform. Their dedication has resulted in significant progress, with over half the students regularly engaging in lessons, highlighting the power of perseverance in transforming education.
Article 3: Khan Academy Vietnam is empowering female students across urban and remote areas to excel in STEM by providing free, accessible courses in subjects like math, programming, and digital skills. These efforts are breaking stereotypes, fostering self-confidence, and inspiring girls to pursue STEM, shaping a more inclusive future.
Article 4: The article highlights how a Vietnamese-American teacher in California created a free online English class that now reaches nearly 300 students across Vietnam using Khan Academy and interactive digital tools. It shows how technology-enabled, borderless education can expand access to high-quality learning while building confidence and global skills for young Vietnamese students.
Article 5: The Vietnam Foundation launches the Vietnamese version of Khanmigo - an AI-powered teaching assistant free for teachers nationwide.
2. Event annoucement
I am delighted to invite you to support Dream Big: Khan Academy Vietnam, a special fundraising event in Houston on July 26, 2026.
I recently returned from a trip to Vietnam, where I had the opportunity to reconnect with Vietnamese American philanthropist Kien Pham, founder of Khan Academy Vietnam (KAV). Through the Vietnam Foundation, Kien launched Khan Academy Vietnam to bring free, world-class K–12 educational resources to students across the country.
We are honored that Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, will also join us virtually from Silicon Valley to share his vision for expanding access to high-quality education around the world.Together, Kien and Sal will discuss Vietnam's remarkable progress, the transformative impact of education, and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
We hope you will join us for an inspiring evening of connection, community, and purpose. To reserve your place, please use the Event Link to register your attendance. You will need to register your name, by clicking on + ticket and include an email address to confirm your attendance.
Thank you for your consideration and generous support. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this meaningful evening together.
Warm regards,
Nathalie Roff, M.D.
END.
Kien Pham
Imperfect Servant of the People
VN Mobile and WhatsApp: +84-98-5656-566
"You make a living by what you get and a life by what you give"
Sorry if you see typos. This email comes from a blind man on mobile device!