Schools Program

The OWEd Schools Program enables students to improve, share and publish their reflective writing about culture, local and global issues on our website, www.oneworldeducation.org.  This unique peer-to-peer learning model returns the student voice back into classrooms, allowing local middle and high school students to learn about core academic subjects and 21st Century Skills from the writing of other students. 

Our Curriculum Committee offers professional development and mentorship to local educators from public, charter and private schools to create our engaging, interdisciplinary, standards aligned and classroom-ready curriculum based entirely on the student Reflection.  Free teacher memberships allow access to all OWEd resources that are designed to engage and improve classroom learning.  Over the 2008-2009 school year, our first year of operation, the OWEd Schools Program has:

• Completed a Schools Program Pilot Evaluation that worked directly with 200 students and assessed the impact of the OWEd Curriculum.  A five-minute documentary of the Schools Program Pilot is enclosed in this packet.  Led by Dr. Alicia Powers, the evaluation confirmed that our approach is effective.  Teachers and students both testified to increased engagement and greater interest in learning from a peer versus a textbook.  As one student said, “I enjoyed learning about someone else's life and how we are similar and different.  I also liked learning about myself”.  OWEd’s programs directly address the problems of low literacy rates, disengagement and the gap between academic learning and students’ lives that challenge DC schools.

• Received 115 One World Reflections from twenty-two schools participating in our 1st Culture & Global Issues Reflection Contest.  The winning Reflections were honored at the Youth, Culture & Learning Celebration and will be developed into curriculum by the OWEd Curriculum Committee.