National Expansion of Online Programming

Reach the World (RTW) was founded in 1998 to make the benefits of travel and global education accessible to K-12 students in New York City.  Partnering with the Gilman and Fulbright Scholarship programs, RTW connects university students and recent graduates studying abroad through video conferencing and an online platform. Given the growing interest in global education, the organization is expanding into New York City private schools and new cities across the U.S. RTW engaged a Capstone team to evaluate the experiences and perceptions of existing digital platform users and to outline a growth strategy for its online programming. The team interviewed RTW Board and staff members, surveyed existing users, analyzed data, and conducted state and federal policy research. The team’s final report outlined recommendations for a national expansion of programming to school districts in states that support global education.