By 2035, World Savvy’s goal is to engage a network of 10,000 K12 schools in diverse geographies across the US, representing 10% of the public schools across the country, and reaching an estimated 5 million students.

World Savvy was founded in 2002 by Dana Mortenson and Madiha Murshed in the wake of 9/11 to address the need to educate and prepare young people in the US to become informed global citizens. The founders believe that educating for global competence will ensure that students have the skills to be successful as professionals, citizens, and community members in a rapidly globalizing world.

The organization has grown from providing programs to one high school in Oakland, CA to 808,900 students and 6,836 teachers. World Savvy works toward systems change by creating the conditions for global competence to be deeply embedded into teaching, learning, culture, and policy.

The current K-12 education system is an outdated model designed for the 20th century when standardized learning and testing prepared young people to succeed in standardized jobs and homogeneous communities. This is no longer our reality, and thus it is no longer a viable educational option for our children.

We strive to create and support an educational system in which diversity is elevated, promoted, and celebrated as an asset. All kids deserve to feel safe, engaged and empowered. Our programs co-create inclusion and social cohesion by preparing teachers to integrate global competence into teaching and learning. It is not only possible for schools and classrooms to become spaces for students to engage in and lead deep, culturally and socially relevant learning. It is imperative.

We will leverage the learning and impact of our network toward broader policy change toward recognition of global competence as critical to a quality education across the country. Only then will our educational systems truly prepare young people for future jobs, citizenship, learning, and problem-solving.