Wings for Wisdom

World Savvy's mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs.

Greater international awareness has always been needed, and recent events have demonstrated that we must all develop a comprehensive understanding of world events. To this end, World Savvy provides educational programs and services with the aim of informing young people about issues such as poverty, conflict and peace building, human rights, and the environment. World Savvy's goals are to develop students' skills to prepare them for their future as global citizens, enhance their understanding of world affairs and develop their sense of responsibility and global citizenship.

World Savvy's vision for the future is one in which all members of society are well informed about contemporary international affairs and act as responsible global citizens. We believe that change will occur if youth are educated about international affairs and are given the tools to think critically about such issues. Additionally, we believe that we must inform and empower youth to see themselves as lifelong global citizens and recognize their related rights and responsibilities.

Our IMPACT

World Savvy is serving more than 6,000 youth and 380 teachers this year through our three core programs - our Global Educators Program, World Affairs Challenge and Global Youth Media and Arts Program.

The Global Youth Media and Arts Program is an arts education program for youth ages 12-18 which employs arts and media education to address an annual global theme. This program clarifies connections between the individual student, local community and world affairs. Program feedback identifies specific examples of the program as a source of new ideas for youth learning to use art and media as tools for self-expression, dialogue, and community engagement.

The World Affairs Challenge™ is an academic program and competition for middle and high school students that addresses international affairs and builds important skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, public speaking and leadership. Through this program, students demonstrate to the larger community their knowledge and understanding of world problems. Through cooperative research, creative problem solving and competitive group presentations, students increase their awareness of fundamental issues facing the global community while honing their critical thinking and public speaking skills.

The Global Educators Program for teachers provides ongoing, comprehensive consulting support to help mainstream global issues into existing curricula in all disciplines, and builds the capacity of educators to continue to do so for their tenure as teachers. Students benefit enormously from teachers who are more connected to their work and who can create relevance through real world connections to required subject matter. Based on partner teachers' feedback, students in their classrooms demonstrate increased interest, knowledge and achievement with World Savvy support.

World Savvy serves middle and high school students after-school and during school time as well as educators of any discipline. We reach a diverse demographic of youth and provide unique, creative forums to address world affairs and gain a global perspective. World Savvy reaches a diverse population of youth, including those who are disengaged from academic school-based learning and who often don't have much exposure to global issues at home, in school or through travel. World Savvy engages these young people by building local to global connections and empowers them, encouraging them to express themselves. In a short time, World Savvy makes a big impact on students, creating life-long learners invested in global citizenship.