The Global Good Fund (GGF) sure did help One World Education (OWEd) rack up some frequent flyer miles this year! That wasn’t the direct goal, but GGF challenged us to be bold and expand our programs to schools across the country. So, with their help we attended our first series of national conferences and presented our innovative teaching and learning model to educators around the country.
While at the final of these conferences, SXSWEdu, I’m taking some time to reflect on how all this moving around started. First, nearly a year ago, The Global Good Fund 
assigned me the expertise of a sector professional to help refine my annual goals for my leadership in One World Education. They then provided the capital and coaching to ensure these goals were accomplished.
Prior to our work with the Global Good Fund, OWEd established itself as the largest, and one of the most successful and cost efficient, literacy programs in the Capital Region. However, it was relatively unknown beyond our immediate impact area. Naturally, one of our main goals was to expand our base of programs to schools and districts beyond Washington, DC. To do this, the GGF helped us invest in the development of marketing materials and covered the expenses for OWEd to attend the most prestigious, education conferences.
In November, One World Education attended and presented at two conferences. First, several of our teachers attended the National Conference of English Teachers. This was an appropriate destination because of the challenges teachers all over the country face trying to improve student writing skills. Teachers from all 50 states were introduced to our proven and student-centered model.
At the same time, I was in Boston at the National Conference of Social Studies Teachers. Our presence was critical there because I’ve always told my fellow social studies teachers that the One World Writing Program is really a humanities program in disguise. At this conference I also had the honor to lead a presentation for a national audience, called: Merging Common Core Standards with Innovative Writing Strategies.
As I write this, I’m in Austin, Texas for the final of these education conferences the GGF helped us reach. Among some of education’s most innovative thought leaders, I’ll be able to share the work that we, and many others, feel is part of the student and teacher-centered rethinking of education in our country. I know that I would not be here without the partnership of the Global Good Fund.
In another few weeks I’ll attend the Global Good Fund’s welcoming summit of the next class of Fellows. I’m excited for where this opportunity will take them. For One World Education, this fellowship not only helped us move around the country to expand our programming, it helped us move very far forward!