ONE WORLD YOUTH PROJECT ISSUE 1, APRIL 2015 #OWYP Connections http://oneworldyouthproject.org Our Impact In This Issue One World Youth Project trains university students in 6 hubs to deliver core global competency curricula: currently we reach 22 middle school classrooms worldwide. 21,872 550 325 6,000+ Followers on Social Media Students per Year University Students Trained Students Reached in Total Page 2 Student Spotlight OWYP 10th Anniversary Friendraiser: Tues. April 28th 6 – 8 p.m. Page 3 Message from OWYP: Executive Director & Board Page 4 Ways to Get and Stay Involved Thank you for helping to make our impact a reality. “I think OWYP is special because we get to express our feelings and show videos to people around the world! We don’t get to do this in other classes.” – Tre’Quan Jones, D.C. Middle School Student ONE WORLD YOUTH PROJECT APRIL 2015 Middle School Spotlight Recent Middle School Data: Global Citizenship Comes to Life! • • • • 5 Years in Washington D.C. middle schools: 2010-2015 3 Years in Boston middle schools: 2012-2015 960 U.S. middle school students connected 560 pieces of internationally exchanged media (Statistics are drawn from 2 of 6 hubs worldwide and are specific to the U.S. only) OWYP 10th Anniversary Friendraiser Tues. April 28, 6 – 8 p.m. Jefferson Middle School students will perform poems they created during a special OWYP poetry workshop. See YOU(th) there! Watch your inbox for an invitation! University Spotlight OWYP-Inspired Global Bicycle Trip OWYP Washington D.C. Program Manager, Kyla McClure: “OWYP has absolutely made an impact on my decision to travel. Learning from the other [participants] about the countries they come from has only increased my desire to see them for myself… My bike trip is an effort to inspire others to dream something and then make it happen.” Starting this May, Kyla plans to cycle 60 miles per day for one year through four continents. Check her out at #OWYPBikeGirl https://twitter.com/kylanmcc http://twitter.com/therenbikeagain Nobel Peace Prize Telenor Youth Summit Attendant OWYP Pakistan Program Manager & Co-Founder of eTutionHub, Maaz Imran: “All these successes that I have garnered, I think it has a lot to do with my work with OWYP... It helped me develop my skills, how I deal with people, [and] how I manage different things.” Maaz is the co-founder of eTutionHub, an innovative combination of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and in-person tutoring. Maaz also represented Pakistan, OWYP, and eTutionHub at the Nobel Peace Price Telenor Youth Summit. Check out eTutionHub at #etutionhub http://twitter.com/etutionhub http://www.etutionhub.com International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT) Attendant OWYP Guyana Program Manager, Stacey Gordon (pictured second from right): “One World Youth Project had brought life and culture into a different perspective for me. I had an epiphany as to how pivotal preparation for interconnection would be…to tackle Corruption, the theme of ISFiT 2015.” ISFiT is the world’s largest international student festival, and hosts 400 participants from 120 different countries. Check out more at http://twitter.com/ISFiT 2 ONE WORLD YOUTH PROJECT APRIL 2015 From Our Executive Director Whoever said, “it takes a village” was right. The myriad challenges that arise along any path to systemic change require substantive collaborations. Increasingly, we find ourselves confronted with questions common to 21st century partnerships. In a global climate fractured by “guruistic” education movements and “selfie” social change, how do we provide children (for example, middle schoolers) with knowledge characterized by core-driven certainty? How do we encourage young people (for example, university students) to build careers that unleash the power of individual selfdetermination as well as the stabilizing strength of practice and tradition? Many of the answers to these questions lie in each OWYP classroom. The answers lie in every student that is struggling to defy statistics and graduate, into and from high school, then into and from university. The answers lie in every university student navigating torrents of postsecondary debt and economic uncertainty to formulate a working life-story capable of withstanding the 21st century storm. The answers lie in the communities supporting those students. At One World Youth Project, we are keenly aware that our “Youth” project is not possible without “You”. We provide fertile ground for young minds to blossom while creating innovative solutions to common questions and challenges in education that can either fell or unite us all. Please join us. -Catalina Talero From Our Board The work of the One World Youth Project today is more important than ever. We live in a world far more globally aware and interconnected than ever before. Our ability to reach out and know anyone, anywhere is almost limitless. Diversity is a fact of life. How we understand and learn to deal with difference will determine the kind of people we become and the societies we create. Neuroscientists have proven that sustained, in-class programming of the type implemented by OWYP for middle schoolers is most effective in achieving deep learning. OWYP university students benefit from international teacher-training and professional development. OWYP is training new generations to navigate difference, appreciate culture, and value the contributions of others. Our Board supports the empathetic education that is One World Youth Project. We invite you to find new ways to become involved. -Dr. Lynn Kunkle OWYP 2015 Winter Team Keeps it Cool! David Shapiro, International Training Intern: “I am thrilled and honored to take my experience in youth development to a new level with OWYP. Its dedication to global education and exchange paired with its extensive network of innovative and empathetic partners and allies equals a truly powerful force of good and change.” Christine Movius, Development & Communications Intern: “After spending a year in Malaysia working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue working in the field of international education and exchange. OWYP’s commitment to global citizenship is inspiring.” 3 ONE WORLD YOUTH PROJECT APRIL 2015 Get Involved & Stay Involved While other programs dabble in service to middle schools, we dedicate ourselves to it. OWYP links schools and universities around the world. We intentionally serve disadvantaged, middle school students that are least likely to gain exposure to the benefits of international programming, an experience that is (all too often) the privilege of the elite rather than a rite of passage for all. One World Youth Project trains university students in 6 locations worldwide to provide core global competency curricula in their local classrooms. Join Us Get involved with #OWYP! Sign Up Connect Click the link to fill out a brief form to: http://tinyurl.com/l4mb27b http://tinyurl.com/ogpjzfp • • Register for future e-Newsletters Stay Up-to-Date on Upcoming #OWYP Events • Schedule a Meeting with #OWYP https://twitter.com/OWYP http://tinyurl.com/p8smdb3 http://oneworldyouthproject.org/donate Your support means the world to us! 4