Reach the World

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reach the World, is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization with its headquarters in New York City. Reach the World was founded in 1998 by Heather Halstead and Marc Gustafson. Reach the World's mission is to connect students and teachers in under-funded public schools to online journeys that bring the world into the classroom.

Reach the World’s partners include Teachers College, Columbia University and the Explorers Club. In 2006, the National Geographic Society Education Foundation named RTW a “Model Program in Geography Education.” RTW was also awarded the 2004 GENIP Award for Excellence in Geography Education.

In 1997 Reach the World launched its first online journey, the two-year world voyage of Makulu, a 43-foot sailboat. The second world Voyage of Makulu concluded in May 2004, and the third will conclude in June 2007. Aboard Makulu, five crewmembers serve as journalists for students and teachers. The crew, teachers, and students develop online resources that supplement the curriculum and make learning more real.

Around the U.S., Reach the World supports networks of severely under-funded public elementary and middle schools. Students take annual field trips and are given the opportunity to interact directly with Reach the World's online travelers. Teachers are provided with extensive training in how to use technology as a teaching tool, via graduate student Interns Programs. The New York program serves more than 2,000 students every year. In 2006, RTW launched its first program replication in Chicago, IL, where it will serve more than 500 students during its first year of operation.