Research Question: How do education programs like "Me to We" work against their own purpose either intentionally or inadvertently, for community development?
Foreign aid to developing nations for decades has resulted in further dependence as oppose to independence as predicted by the forces instituting the aid. The “Me to We” charity’s educational program acts as a source of alleged development, however, despite its appearance of positive development it acts to exploit and subject’s impressionable natives to neocolonial principles. After preliminary research, it is apparent that the Me to We Education program aims to improve access to schools, and provide additional resources like teacher training and supplies. The WE Charity’s Education pillar …show more content…
The idea of leaving your developed nation to assist those suffering in the developing nations, the measurement of wealth and development used are all Eurocentric and the emphasis on economic assistance demonstrates the neoliberalist agenda. WE Schools provides helpful resources for educators and exclusive learning opportunities for students—including AP with WE Service and Aboriginal Programming. WE Schools also gives teachers the opportunity to host perspective-changing speaking engagements in their classrooms. “WE Schools is a unique, four-step program—delivered by our educational partners in 12,300 schools in Canada and the U.S. as well as over 3,000 in the UK—that challenges young people to identify the local and global issues that spark their passion and then empowers them with the tools to take action. The WE Schools program provides educators and students with curriculum, educational resources and a full calendar of action campaign ideas. Through WE Schools, students gain an understanding of the root causes of pressing issues like hunger, poverty and lack of education, and explore what they can do to help. They also plan at least one local and one global action to improve their community and the …show more content…
The three primary “products” of the enterprise are: volunteer trips; motivational speakers; and, a line of ethically manufactured organic clothing and accessories, marketed as “Me to We Style.” In addition, each year the organization gathers thousands of youth in sports arenas for “We Day” events, featuring the Kielburgers, motivational speakers, and celebrities. These events are webcast to classrooms and re-presented in a television special. As a “new kind of social enterprise” (Me to We 2011b), “Me to We” “transforms consumers into world changers, one transaction at a time” (Me to We 2011a); it promotes a way of being good in the world as a consumer identity: “Every trip, t-shirt, song, book, speech, thought and choice adds up to a fun, dynamic lifestyle that’s part of the worldwide movement of we,” (Me to We, 2011b). The business model for the enterprise, the consumer is assured, “measures the bottom line, not by dollars earned, but by number [sic] of lives we change and the positive social and environmental impact we make” (Me to We, 2011a). Such a model has significant implications for both humanitarianism and global education. (Jefferess,
Foreign aid to developing nations for decades has resulted in further dependence as oppose to independence as predicted by the forces instituting the aid. The “Me to We” charity’s educational program acts as a source of alleged development, however, despite its appearance of positive development it acts to exploit and subject’s impressionable natives to neocolonial principles. After preliminary research, it is apparent that the Me to We Education program aims to improve access to schools, and provide additional resources like teacher training and supplies. The WE Charity’s Education pillar …show more content…
The idea of leaving your developed nation to assist those suffering in the developing nations, the measurement of wealth and development used are all Eurocentric and the emphasis on economic assistance demonstrates the neoliberalist agenda. WE Schools provides helpful resources for educators and exclusive learning opportunities for students—including AP with WE Service and Aboriginal Programming. WE Schools also gives teachers the opportunity to host perspective-changing speaking engagements in their classrooms. “WE Schools is a unique, four-step program—delivered by our educational partners in 12,300 schools in Canada and the U.S. as well as over 3,000 in the UK—that challenges young people to identify the local and global issues that spark their passion and then empowers them with the tools to take action. The WE Schools program provides educators and students with curriculum, educational resources and a full calendar of action campaign ideas. Through WE Schools, students gain an understanding of the root causes of pressing issues like hunger, poverty and lack of education, and explore what they can do to help. They also plan at least one local and one global action to improve their community and the …show more content…
The three primary “products” of the enterprise are: volunteer trips; motivational speakers; and, a line of ethically manufactured organic clothing and accessories, marketed as “Me to We Style.” In addition, each year the organization gathers thousands of youth in sports arenas for “We Day” events, featuring the Kielburgers, motivational speakers, and celebrities. These events are webcast to classrooms and re-presented in a television special. As a “new kind of social enterprise” (Me to We 2011b), “Me to We” “transforms consumers into world changers, one transaction at a time” (Me to We 2011a); it promotes a way of being good in the world as a consumer identity: “Every trip, t-shirt, song, book, speech, thought and choice adds up to a fun, dynamic lifestyle that’s part of the worldwide movement of we,” (Me to We, 2011b). The business model for the enterprise, the consumer is assured, “measures the bottom line, not by dollars earned, but by number [sic] of lives we change and the positive social and environmental impact we make” (Me to We, 2011a). Such a model has significant implications for both humanitarianism and global education. (Jefferess,