Small But Mighty- IIE Empower Award
Dear Friends of World at Hand,
I am excited to sharesome incredible news!
This year, World at Hand (formerly Blessed to Be a Blessing) has been honored with the Institute of International Education (IIE) 2024 Empower Award, recognizing our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) in international education. This prestigious award validates our mission, confirms the success of our programs even without large student numbers, and opens new doors for partnerships, visibility, and funding opportunities. You can read the full press release here.
What the IIE Empower Award Means for Us
The IIE Empower Award is a testament to the impact of our International Education Equitable Access Pipeline (IEEAP). It highlights the transformative work we’ve done to provide underserved students with life-changing international experiences. This recognition energizes our small but mighty team and sets the stage for the next phase of growth as we look toward 2025 and beyond.
Goals for Growth in 2025
Building on the momentum of this award, we have ambitious goals for the coming year. With your continued support, we aim to:
Launch the Dreamers Abroad Pilot Program: This new program supports undocumented students ("Dreamers"), helping them join their peers in accessing study abroad opportunities.
Launch the What's Next? Pilot Program: This post-abroad program helps students reflect on their international experiences and understand how they can shape their future paths as students, professionals, and world travelers.
Award 50 Passports through the GAP Program: We have awarded 25 passports to date and aim to triple that number by the end of 2025!
Host 8 Informational Sessions, reaching a total of 240 students across the state, expanding outreach from Denver into rural communities.
Award 6 Scholarships for study abroad experiences, removing financial barriers for deserving students.
Introducing Our #SmallButMighty Year-End Campaign
To achieve these goals, we are launching our #SmallButMightyYear-End Campaign with a fundraising target of $7,000. These funds will support our statewide informational sessions, the GAP Program, piloting our new initiatives, and contribute $3,000 towards our endowment savings, ensuring the longevity of our study abroad scholarships. Our total program cost for 2025 is $20,000, and with your help, we can make it happen.
How You Can Support
Donate:
Make a Year-End Gift for Giving Tuesday (December 3) or Colorado Gives Day (December 10). Early giving is already underway, so you can schedule your gift now to help us reach our goal.
Give Monthly: Even small monthly contributions have a mighty impact:
$5/month funds an informational session, reaching an average of 30 students.
$20/month provides a passport for a student through our Global Access Passport (GAP) Program.
As a volunteer-run organization, we are seeking volunteers to help with content creation, program leadership, and fundraising support.
We are actively seeking new Board Members who are passionate about our mission and eager to help guide our growth.
Spread Awareness:
Share our campaign on social media, tell friends and family about our work, and help us connect with new supporters.
If you’re not ready to give today, consider making a pledge for 2025. Your commitment helps us plan ahead and ensures consistent support for our expanding programs.
Your Support Makes All the Difference
Thanks to your incredible generosity, 85% of our students have utilized their passports within a year, 100% of pipeline participants would recommend our programs, and 2 students have received study abroad scholarships. With the recognition from the IIE Empower Award and your continued support, we are poised to expand our impact even further.
Please visit our campaign page or one of the links above to learn more about how you can get involved. Together, let’s show that a small but mighty team can create big, lasting change.
All the best,
Shawn Wall
Executive Director, World at Hand