With each new year of service comes an excitement for new experiences and an eagerness to welcome new students to our mission, but it is also an opportunity to shine a light on the sustained engagement of our World Changers. An inspiration to all, these individuals have devoted their school vacations to giving back through School The World service trips for three or even four years, enriching their worldviews and illuminating their passion for learning. While other high schoolers are cramming for exams or catching up on their favorite TV show, our World Changers are reflecting on their service trips and brainstorming ways to intensify their impact on making education accessible to all. They are each able to pinpoint particularly poignant moments from past trips, illustrating the lasting impression their service has left in their hearts and motivating them to continue to incorporate this important work throughout their future endeavors.
Kate, Founder of School the World, happens to be my aunt. That doesn’t mean that my participation with School the World (STW) was built into my trajectory due to family ties. Although I was intrigued about School the World’s work at a young age through my discussions with Kate, in all honesty I wanted to travel to Costa Rica for Surf & Serve prior to even considering STW’s Service Learning Program in Guatemala. However, at the time, my aunts had recently traveled to Guatemala with Kate and quickly shot down the idea of Costa Rica, convincing me that the best way to leave the country for the first time would be with a group of friends and School the World.
Last fall, the 16 students of Washington Elementary School’s Student Council in Wyckoff, New Jersey had a decision to make. They were picking a charitable organization to fundraise for during the 2016-2017 school year. We were so lucky that they chose School the World!
