Letter From The Founder
EXPANDING MINDS, HEARTS AND HORIZONS and making educational tours abroad possible for disadvantaged youth
Greetings,
As the Founder of Students Going Global and as a former Teacher and Guidance Counselor totaling fifteen years for Detroit Public Schools, I established this non-profit organization to give academically motivated, low-income Detroit area high school students opportunities to travel out of the country on educational tours abroad. Students Going Global provides the funding necessary to make this possible, and we utilize only Educational Travel Program Providers that are reputable and that specialize in educational tours in countries all around the world.
I am excited about the future of Students Going Global and its potential to greatly enhance the academic, social, and personal lives of many academically motivated and deserving students from economically disadvantaged families who would otherwise not have this opportunity – an opportunity to explore the world outside of their immediate surroundings and to travel to far, far away places around the world to discover cultures uniquely different from their own and to experience other ways of living and being.
I would love to see a world where every high achieving, low-income student has an opportunity to travel out of the country on an educational tour abroad and open their eyes to a world of new possibilities.
My vision originally began as a club idea formed at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan in 2011 (The International Exploration Club). I then decided to expand my vision into a non-profit organization, Students Going Global, founded in February of 2012 and publicly launched on August 31, 2012. This allowed me to open the opportunity up to students throughout the city of Detroit. Detroit has some amazing students with awesome potential, and they deserve innovative, extraordinary, wothwhile and potentially life changing opportunities that will inspire them to reach their full potential.
Having lived and worked in Detroit for many years, I feel a strong connection to the city of Detroit and look forward to contributing to the future success of Detroit area high school students. I have experienced wonderful working relationships with students in Detoit throughout my 15 year career and have received several recognitions as a result: Outstanding Educator Award 2012, 2011, 2009 & 2008 and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2003/2004 & 2001/2002.
As a strong advocate of social change, youth development and innovative educational initiatives, I value and support several non-profit organizations other than my own: Farther Foundation www.fartherfoundation.org, ChildFund International www.ChildFund.org, United Negro College Fund www.uncf.org , Southern Poverty Law Center www.splcenter.org , Detroit InsideOut Literary Arts Project www.insideoutdetroit.org, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan www.thewright.org, and Detroit Rescue Mission www.drmm.org.
My vision for inner-city students is made possible through community partnerships and the generous support of the public. Non-profit organizations like Students Going Global thrive from fundraising efforts, government, public and private grants, and the generous support of the public through donations, sponsorships, annual giving, workplace giving and planned gifts. I, therefore, extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all past, present, and future supporters of Students Going Global for helping to keep what is now our vision alive.
With warmest wishes,
Sharreen Hardy
Founder & Executive Director, Students Going Global
LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sharreen-hardy/17/96a/617
Students Going Global
Students Going Global 