About

Transforming Lives & Sustainable ChanGe

Purpose
Forum Foundation (the “Foundation”) focuses on improving education for disadvantaged children, particularly in the area of Caimito, Penonomé, Coclé Province, República de Panamá.

Established in 2006 by the late John Y. Keffer, Forum Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt private foundation advancing community development through education and learning support.

John’s vision was rooted in his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1966, where he and Janet F. Robinson, also a Peace Corps volunteer, developed a lasting commitment to community service, and the belief that access to educational opportunities transforms lives, and breaks the cycle of poverty.

In the República de Panamá, Forum Foundation’s sister organization, Fundación Academy Forum, carries out Forum Foundation’s programs.  Fundación Academy Forum is led by Ms. Omaira Martínez Ovalles and Ms. Elvia Martínez Ovalle.  John knew the Martinéz sisters as children during his Peace Corps service, and today, the Martinéz sisters proudly continue in that same spirit of dedication, service, and grassroots community determination for lasting improvement.  

Why Central Panama
The Foundation’s roots trace back to the late 1960s, when John Y. Keffer and Janet F. Robinson served together in the Peace Corps in Coclé Province. Today, that experience inspires the Foundation’s mission in the rural mountains of Panamá, about 160 kilometers from the Panamá Canal Zone.

40 Years Later
When John returned to Caimito in 2007, he sat down with local leaders to ask a simple question: What does the community need? After addressing early priorities—like building community bathrooms and buying a school bus—John began focusing on the children, determined to improve their access to education and learning tools.

When Janet joined John, they partnered with two lifelong residents of Caimito: Ms. Omaira Martínez Ovalles and Ms. Elvia Martínez Ovalle. Because the sisters’ father had worked with John back in his Peace Corps days, this collaboration carried on a generational partnership as they set out to help local children secure an education.

Academia Forum
In the rural mountains of Coclé Province, the Foundation once ran a truly transformative institution: Academia Forum. Operated in partnership with Panamá’s Ministry of Education, this pioneering International Baccalaureate high school offered disadvantaged children free education, room, and board. Its bold programs included sending top-performing students to study at The Hun School of Princeton in New Jersey. Though the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately forced the academy’s closure in 2020, the school left a lasting legacy.

Essence and Spirit of Forum Foundation and Fundación Academy Forum
To understand the essence of Forum Foundation and John Y. Keffer’s vision, we encourage you to view the accompanying video from 2014. Today, Forum Foundation continues to operate with the same compassion, enthusiasm, and hope for the future. Together we can continue the change!

The Foundation Today
Forum Foundation supports the education of disadvantaged students through alternative initiatives.  Working alongside communities, the Foundation strives to foster meaningful and sustainable change through programs such as:

  • awarding scholarships and direct financial assistance to underprivileged students to support their enrollment, retention, and success in formal education, from preschool through university;
  • providing financial support for the purchase of school uniforms, educational supplies, learning materials, footwear, backpacks, and other necessary items for academic development;
  • contributing to the cost of school transportation or other means of transit that ensure regular student attendance;
  • making donations and offering material support and structural improvements to public schools located in rural or underserved urban areas, aiming to enhance educational, physical, and sanitary conditions;
  • establishing partnerships with educational institutions, public and private organizations, both national and international, to strengthen the Foundation’s programs and broaden its impact; and
  • promoting tutoring programs, academic reinforcement and career guidance, and other related activities.
Panamá Location

Our community center is located in a multi-purpose classroom that the Foundation renovated at the José de los Reyes Vásquez school in Caimito.

The center provides students with school supplies, computer and internet access, a library, printing, and photocopying services.

From the center we conduct learning workshops, group and individual tutoring, computer and English courses, recreational activities, documentary film discussions, and school and career counseling.

John Y. Keffer

We celebrate the life and legacy of our founder, John Y. Keffer, through a memorial video highlighting his profound impact on our Foundation and programs.