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| Last updated on October 14, 2008 |
World Bridges engages young adults from low-income backgrounds in global learning, community solidarity work, international exchanges, environmental stewardship, and most significantly, leadership development. Through a series of interactive workshops, retreats, service-learning projects, local internships and international volunteer work exchanges, participants begin to understand their individual experiences and potential roles within the global context, and develop skills as effective leaders in multicultural and international environments.
Our hands-on, educational training programs provide emerging leaders from marginalized communities with the cross-cultural competency they need to become agents for change in today’s globalized world.
Description:
Our Leadership Exchange Program engages young adults from low-income backgrounds in eight months of leadership, civic engagement, and cross-cultural training in the SF Bay Area, and provides first-time travelers from the Bay Area with an opportunity to take part in a volunteer project or internship outside of the US (2 weeks to 3 months abroad).
Our program is centered on principles of participatory, experiential education with a vision of social justice. Meetings and events are 2-3 times a month in the SF Bay Area. We cover 80% of the program & travel costs.
The Leadership Exchange Program begins in February every year. We accept applications in December and January. See our web site for details or to download an application.
OUR VOLUNTEER NEEDS center around supporting the program and other aspects of our organization, and they vary through out the year. We welcome individuals as well as large groups. We work with private corporations whose employees are looking for fun, meaningful activities to do together. These partnerships have been extremely successful for both World Bridges and our partner companies.
If you, or your company or group, are interested in forming a volunteer partnership with us, please call or email us. We would be happy to meet with you.
History:
World Bridges was founded in 1997 by a four Bay Area young adults who wanted other young people from low-income families to broaden their horizons and experience the life-changing opportunities they themselves had while volunteering and traveling internationally. They started World Bridges with a mission to create global citizens equipped with the skills and experience needed to make positive social change in the U.S. and abroad. Today World Bridges is one of only a few nonprofit organizations in the United States dedicated to making international educational and volunteer exchange opportunities affordable and accessible to low-income participants and people of color. Now in our eleventh year, our organization and work have blossomed to include paid staff, dedicated volunteers, and 100 program graduates.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Since our inception eleven years ago, we have engaged over 1000 individuals in global education through events and workshops. We have collaborated with over 80 local and international organizations to train and send 100 low-income youth leaders to participate in internships with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and volunteer work exchanges in 25 countries abroad. We have also hosted another 100 young people - grassroots organizers, speakers, and volunteers – from other countries on speaking tours and volunteer projects here in the Bay Area. We have organized international environmental camps that bring youth from around the world together to volunteer on habitat restoration projects while learning about the environmental movement. To accomplish all of this, we have maximized resources with the support of over 80 volunteers committing more than 5000 hours and over $12,000 in in-kind donations.
Contact people:
Office fax number: (510) 451-2996
Address:
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1230 Preservation Park Way
Oakland, CA 94612
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.world-bridges.org
Directions:
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Locations can vary based on activity. Directions provided for specific volunteer opportunities.
Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 12th St. BART,
Walk distance (in minutes): 5 min. |
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