G.E.E.C Overview
About Us
The Global Education Exchange Coalition (GEEC) advances workforce development, career training, and 21st-century skills through global exchanges, industry partnerships, and hands-on learning. As an international think tank, GEEC connects learners with private sector leaders to drive STEAM education and economic growth in under-resourced communities worldwide.
Value Proposition
We are an intercontinental team connecting cultures to make STEAM education more relatable for everyone worldwide.
What Defines Us
Our Mission/Vision
Mission
To connect students internationally and to inspire them through STEAM education, Cultural Exchange and Service Learning.
Vision
To be the most culturally inclusive facilitators, connecting learners/students across the globe through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) education and cultural exchanges,
For more than half a decade now, GEEC has been working to create Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (“STEAM”) ecosystems. A “STEAM ecosystem” is an open collaboration between all the various entities that affect and interact with our target learning population. The GEEC serves as a connector for communities from around the world that brings students, educators, families, Universities, corporations and NGOs together in innovative and meaningful ways.
Our History
History
Founding organizations including the Swaliga Foundation (led by Lemond "Mr. IMAG" Brown), Village Health Foundation (led by Denise Davidson) and South Union Community Development Corp. (led by Efrem Jernigan) connected with the MEGA Movement (led by Ashley Sauls) to bring decades of experience in education and cultural exchange together to create unique opportunities for the young people we serve. In 2018, over the course of 10 days, 100 students and educators from cities across the United States including Washington, D.C., Nashville, TN, Houston, TX, and Los Angeles, CA, conducted STEAM workshops and community concerts, impacting more than 2,000 youth and families in the township communities surrounding Johannesburg, including Kliptown, Soweto and Eldorado Park. Students from high schools across the USA along with students from Tennessee State University (TSU) were able to visit Vaal University of Technology (VUT) as well as the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and engage in academic and cultural arts program activities facilitated by the GEEC team. Students and faculty from both the U.S. and South Africa completed a service-learning project. Faculty from TSU along with high school students from both countries led a workshop to learn about sustainable energy, before assembling 100 solar lamps for families living without electricity in the Kliptown community. These projects received major community support and concluded with a celebration in the form of a #STEAMtheBlock concert in the Soweto Theatre.
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What are the obligations of Coalition members?Members commit to: (a) supporting one or more of the Coalition’s three objectives, (b) meeting once per month for the GEEC DX (Digital Exchange), and (c) working with other Coalition members to increase impact and empower youth at the global and local level.
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How does my organization join the GEEC?If your organization would like to join the Coalition and can make commitments to advance progress toward one or more of the Coalition’s objectives, please send an email to info@swaligafoundation.org In your message, please explain, in detail, what strengths your organization would bring to the Coalition and what it can do to support the education response to COVID-19, taking account of Coalition priorities.
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Who can join the GEEC?Answer: NGOs, community organizations, schools, universities, small businesses, corporations etc.
