What We Do > Our Approach
Innovation
Our global development and exchange programs prize innovative thinking to meet the many challenges of a complex and high-speed world. Innovation helps us connect with more people in difficult-to-reach communities, create new opportunities for them in a rapidly changing workforce, and find creative solutions to global challenges.
Technology has opened new doors for outreach. Virtual platforms make our services more accessible and relevant to even more people. Not everyone can take advantage of traditional exchange or training programs—travel can be prohibitive for cultural, economic, political, and health-related reasons. Virtual platforms help us bring our programming to them, whether we’re training teachers in English language education or connecting young people to learn about new cultures.
In the 21st-century workforce, it’s critical to leverage technological skills to help people advance and succeed. With the support of private sector partners like Boeing and Cisco, we train our program participants in the technical and STEM skills that help them find and create employment opportunities—and even go on to develop their own world-changing innovations. We also work with corporations to understand the skills they need, and match employers to employees in programs like our Youth Employment Project in Algeria.
But it’s not only technology that drives our innovation. By constantly incorporating new research and ideas into our programming, we remain at the vanguard of international development. We believe it is fundamental to listen to local perspectives from diverse cultures and contexts. Solutions that work in one setting may not fit another, while different projects and regions can inspire new ideas and create new tools. We also regularly evaluate our work to look for better and more efficient ways to pursue our vision of a more peaceful and just world.
Learn more about how innovation enriches our work across our six program areas.
PROGRAM AREAS
People-to-People Exchanges: World Learning offers dozens of exchange programs each year, promoting tolerance, empathy, and respect among people from more than 150 countries at all points in their careers and academic lives through professional development, academic, and youth exchanges.
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Global Education: World Learning believes everyone has the right to a high-quality education. We help make that vision a reality through our cutting-edge global education programming tailored to each country and context—including Basic Education and Higher Education.
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Capacity Strengthening: Institutions work best when they fulfill their missions strategically, connect with key allies, and expand to serve a broader constituency. We work beside our partner organizations to help them shift their organizational culture toward one of continuous improvement.
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Youth Workforce and Entrepreneurship: Societies and economies are stronger when each person contributes to community prosperity. World Learning helps youth and adults find a pathway into the workforce through career center development, STEM education, English for the workplace, civic engagement, and more.
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Civic Engagement: People are their own greatest champions. World Learning believes society is stronger when people can influence the life of their communities, stand up for their rights, and hold their government accountable. Our programs seek to foster strong systems of civic engagement everywhere.
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TESOL | English Teacher Training: English is increasingly vital to success in higher education and the 21st-century workplace. Our TESOL teacher training—which includes customized courses, leadership building, and more—helps position teachers around the world to motivate and empower their students in their language learning.
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