Sometimes all it takes to change someone’s life is to show them what’s possible. The Show Me The World project does just that by providing young people from under-resourced communities with multicultural experiences abroad and entrepreneurship workshops.
Photo courtesy of Show Me The World Project
“Our programs consist of a strong curriculum across a variety of topics designed to develop well-rounded students.” Samantha Lurie Carroll, Co-founder and Executive Director of Show Me The World Project. “We pride ourselves on developing global travelers and leaders with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship and STEM.”
The Show Me the World Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 when a group of Vashon High School students participated in a school exchange with one of the wealthiest high schools in the area. According to U.S. News & World Report, as of this writing, Vashon High School has 100% minority students and 99% of its students are economically disadvantaged. During the school exchange, the Vashon High School students saw firsthand how different the classrooms, available courses, science supplies, and more are at the schools of kids just a few zip codes away.
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Photo courtesy of Show Me The World Project
“Education funding is largely based on local home prices and the taxes people pay, so in unfunded schools, students have less opportunity to learn. [comparable] “Their school exchange experience exposed these inequities and sparked their activism,” Carroll said.
One element that stood out in the educational experience was the access to international learning opportunities. Vashon High School students raised funds for a trip to Costa Rica, where they learned about science, culture, and more. Since then, Show Me The World students have made nine trips to Latin America, including to Nicaragua, Panama, and Ecuador (a June 2024 field trip).
But it’s not just a trip. Each week, students attend workshops in STEM subjects and build entrepreneurial and leadership skills that they put to use in Show Me The World’s specialty coffee shop, which is also one of the organization’s main fundraisers (the shop also accepts donations). Participants learn how to roast beans, import and export coffee, sell at farmers’ markets, and more.
Photo courtesy of Show Me The World Project
“We’re using coffee as a tool to improve educational outcomes,” says Sylvester Chisom, co-founder and managing director of Show Me the World. “It’s amazing how well it’s worked.”
The results of Show Me The World have been impressive: In the first two years of the program, Vashon High students’ GPAs increased by 50 percent and 90 percent scored proficient or advanced on the state biology exam, compared to 7 percent of the school’s overall student population.
Of the students who participated, Chisom said, “They’re just full of confidence. They have presence, they have poise, they’re raising their hands for leadership opportunities like class president and other experiences. They’re determined to own their own businesses. This is the framework they learned about: setting audacious goals and finding success within them. It means something to them.”
Show Me the World Project, Chaumet the World Project
