'Empathy' and 'Social Entrepreneurship' Lessons Added to 28 Schools in the U.S. and Canada through Nonprofit TEEEM

TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission) Rapidly Expands to 51 Schools, with 45 More Interested in Its Free Humanitarian-Focused Curricula

RIDGEWOOD, NJ, UNITED STATES, September 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With the new school year underway, New Jersey-based nonprofit TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission) announces the rapid expansion of its mission to inspire humanitarianism in schools, including its first partnership with an international school this year, in Toronto, Canada.

‘Empathy’ and ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ classes and clubs are being added to 28 schools in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Canada this school year, thanks to TEEEM, a nonprofit organization offering free educational programs and curriculum to educate youth on global issues and humanitarianism. This addition brings the total number of participating TEEEM schools to 51, with 45 more schools interested.

Through TEEEM’s free leadership programs, K-12 and college students learn about global communities in need and explore how they can help them. Currently, TEEEM’s efforts have supported hundreds of thousands of people in Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Peru, Uganda, the Ukraine, and in the U.S., on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.

Examples of TEEEM’s efforts include:
* Empowering Kenyan middle school students to launch businesses that address local issues, like period poverty and food insecurity.
* Building a community center and virtual language lessons in Ecuador,
* Providing medical care, emergency relief, and refugee housing, in Ukraine, and
* Helping South Dakota’s Oglala Lakota community create employment opportunities.

“We believe teachers and principals, now more than ever, recognize the importance of fostering empathy in our world. Our mission is to make empathy contagious and empower students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and beyond,” said Jarret Schecter, founder of TEEEM and former photojournalist.

GROWING INTEREST SPURS TEEEM TO CREATE NEW CURRICULA AND PROGRAMS

In response to increasing interest, TEEEM has introduced three different models for schools to seamlessly integrate TEEEM into their curricula. At the sametime, the organization remains highly adaptable and takes pride in always customizing these models to meet the unique needs of each school. Integration options include:

* Daily Class Lessons: At some schools TEEEM is fully integrated into the daily school curriculum, through TEEEM-created lesson plans. The lessons are incorporated into such classes as Social Studies and Civic Action.
* Weekly Class or Unit of Study Lessons: TEEEM offers lesson plans on a once-a-week basis, in classes such as Civics, Freshman Seminar, foreign language classes, etc.
* Club Lessons: TEEEM creates an outline of club meeting lessons on empathy, equality and social entrepreneurship that is incorporated into new or existing clubs, such as TEEEM Club, DECA, Global Awareness Club, Student Council, Amnesty International, etc.

TEEEM EXPANDS RAPIDLY, ADDING PARTNER SCHOOLS IN FOUR NEW STATES AND CANADA

As TEEEM expands, new schools are joining its mission across multiple states and now internationally in Toronto, Canada. Also noteworthy is East Orange, NJ, which is adding TEEEM lessons into the 6th-grade syllabus across all six of its middle schools, demonstrating a deep commitment to fostering empathy and entrepreneurship from an early age. Each school will work with a different global TEEEM community.

With a full list of new schools below, here’s a sampling of schools adding TEEEM this 2024-2025 school year.
* New Jersey: Schools joining in Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties, including Bergen County Academies High School, four schools in Ridgewood and six schools in East Orange.
* Arizona: Tucson's Cholla High School joins
* Colorado: Denver’s Thomas Jefferson High School
* Idaho: Moscow Middle School, in Moscow, Idaho, brings TEEEM to the Northwest U.S.
* Rhode Island: Mount Hope High School, in Bristol, R.I.
* Canada: Toronto’s Crescent School

The organization is looking to continue to expand its reach to other schools, scout groups, and local organizations interested in aligning with its mission.

WHAT TEEEM TEACHES: STUDENTS LEARN PROBLEM-SOLVING, FUNDRAISING, AND GRANT WRITING TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN NEED

Throughout the school year, TEEEM fosters a collaborative environment where teachers, students, and the organization work together to brainstorm and execute events that address some of the world's most pressing issues. These activities range from raising awareness and developing innovative programs to social entrepreneurship, writing grants and organizing fundraising events. Through these efforts, students have the chance to learn, strengthen, and apply communication, business, and managerial skills. This hands-on approach equips them with the tools they need to become effective changemakers in their communities and beyond.

For more information about getting involved and/or donating to TEEEM and its programs, please visit TEEEM.org.

MORE ABOUT TEEEM
TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission) is a local nonprofit that teaches students about global issues, humanitarianism, and leadership through education and action. Its mission is to help create a better, kinder world through its three Es: Empathy, Equality, and Social Entrepreneurship. It connects K-12 schools with an impoverished community of their choosing as they learn about issues being faced around the world. TEEEM can be infused into a class or club at any school level. TEEEM is currently working with 51 schools in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Canada, reaching approximately 700 students and helping communities in 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Peru, Uganda, Ukraine, and in the U.S., in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.

LIST OF TEEEM's 28 NEW PARTNER SCHOOLS
Arizona:
Tucson: Cholla High School

Colorado:
Denver: Thomas Jefferson High School

Idaho:
Moscow: Moscow Middle School

New Jersey:
Cresskill: Cresskill High School
Denville: Riverview Elementary School
East Orange: Benjamin Banneker Academy, Cicely L. Tyson Community Elementary School of the Performing and Fine Arts, East Orange STEM Academy, Sheila Y. Oliver Academy, Sojourner Truth Middle School, and Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts
Hackensack: Bergen County Academies High School
Hawthorne: Hawthorne High School
Hillsdale: George White Middle School
Mahwah: Ramapo Ridge Middle School
Montville: Hilldale Elementary School
Morristown: Morristown Beard Upper
Palisades Park: Palisades Park High School
Livingston: Livingston High School
Ridgewood: Benjamin Franklin Middle School, George Washington Middle School, Ridge Elementary School, and Willard Elementary School
Short Hills: Pingry Lower School
Verona: Verona High School
Wayne: DCL STEM Academy

Rhode Island:
Bristol: Mount Hope High School

Canada:
Toronto: Crescent School

Mara Begley
TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission)
mara@teeem.org
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