Venture: World Education Connection
Seed Lab Cohort: 2021/2022
Impact location: Global
Organization Structure: Nonprofit
IDEA & ENTERPRISE OVERVIEW:
Guide children along a journey that has them exploring the different ways in which we can connect with ourselves and connect with others.
Because we are social beings, we have a strong desire and need to feel connected to other human beings, feel like we matter and we belong. This is a recurring theme we are seeing with children in marginalized groups like LGTBQ, or located in marginalized areas, not feeling seen, heard and valued and because of this, seeing a rise in anxiety, depression and suicide.
World Education Connection (WEC) provides a bridge to learn empathy and the power of human connection, to those that may not feel connected. WEC creates global teams consisting of groups of children from different parts of the world, pairing like ages, and guides them along a journey of exploration, discovery and connection, by using the WEC journal and live video. The journal, introduced monthly by global mentors, prompts them to write about or illustrate what they like in nature, music, art, etc. giving value to them as individuals and when shared locally with their group, and finally with their global teammates. Through this exchange, children will derive strength from discovered similarities, empowered by understanding differences and valued as their unique, authentic selves. WEC earned recognition as a global Solvey Project recipient and was cited in Forbes magazine. In 2016, WEC earned recognition as a global Solvey Project recipient and was cited in Forbes magazine.
WEC was launched in 2016 with a pilot program that connected children in the US and Tanzania
PERSONAL BIO
Lisa Booth is the founder of World Education Connection. She is an Emmy award-winning Casting Director, who has spent over 35 years in Daytime TV. She has been inspired in her mission-driven work by her own personal experiences and witnessing firsthand the power of human connection and empathy and the way it moves children to take action. As the Founder of Wickman Kiva Kids, a volunteer program, Lisa developed a strategy to bring the program into every 6th grade class at Wickman Elementary School in Chino Hills, California, and designed and coordinated the Wickman World Summit which ultimately became her model for connecting students all over the world. Wickman Kiva Kids was a successful program for 10 years and in 2011, through the Kiva organization and the Rockefeller Foundation. The program was awarded The Young Innovators Award at The Rockefeller Foundations Innovation Forum. Through her work with Wickman Kiva Kids, Lisa also helped to develop the Kiva U program, which is currently being used by Kiva, to bring their micro-finance program into elementary, secondary and high schools, worldwide.
