OWEd originated as a classroom project in 2006 at the SEED Charter School in Southeast DC. Students were asked to write about issues that were important to them. Their writing was then used as the foundation for lesson plans to engage the class with youth perspectives on diversity, culture, and global topics. The high percentage of non-proficient writers in the class cited improved writing skills and increased confidence to write, while the smaller percentage of proficient writers were able to sharpen their skills. Learn more about the history of One World Education
OWEd’s expansion from one classroom to a citywide program was validated by the results of a pilot evaluation that was conducted with 200 students in five local schools (two public, two charter, and one independent). The evaluation,conducted by Dr. Powers of the Children’s Defense Fund, reported that students learning with the One World Curriculum demonstrated:
- Increased engagement (80%)
- Increased classwork completion (84%)
- Increased homework completion (72%)
- Decreased classroom disruptions (90%)
Evaluation remains central to OWEd’s work and growth. Over the last three years, we have evaluated different components of our programs through partnerships with the Midge Center of Evaluation and MBA Program at the George Washington University. These evaluations led the redesign of our new website, launched in 2011, and our transition of the One World Curriculum to a fee-based model, scheduled for implementation in the summer of 2012.
Download the 2009 One World Education Curriculum Evaluation (PDF)