Disrupting Systems and Impacting Millions

May 3, 2022
Written by:
Guest Author
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschool Resources, Homeschooling - Getting Started

If you haven’t noticed, there is a generational struggle that has been raging for some time. It’s primarily an online war of words between the generations: Boomers versus Millennials versus Gen Zers. They go at each other, back and forth. You may have read some of the banter or have taken part yourself. Here are some of the things we’ve read recently:

 

            What do you call a bird that likes avocado toast?

The Millennial falcon.

 

“Behind every broke Millennial is a Baby Boomer who makes 6 figures but can’t open a PDF.” — @Queennnn__

 

Why do Millennials always type in lowercase?

Because they reject capitalism.

 

People say Millennials are entitled…

But have you ever tried to tell an old lady her coupon has expired?

 

Source: ScaryMommy

It can go on and on. There is no end to the rivalrous comments being flung back and forth across social media.

A lot has been said about Millennials and Gen Zers in reference to the unique qualities these generations possess. Some of the most promising traits are how concerned these generations are with helping others, caring for the environment, advocating, and doing what they feel makes a positive impact on the world. They prove the depth of their convictions by where they spend their dollars and how much of their dollars they donate to charitable causes each year. They invest in the betterment of the world by purchasing from companies they see actively demonstrating social responsibility, and some do charitable work themselves.

 

A Radical Approach to Philanthropy

It was with this awareness of his target audience that Blake Mycoskie imagined a new business model. In 2006, he started a new shoe company named TOMS. Inspired by a previous trip to South Africa, he decided that for every pair of TOMS shoes sold, another pair would be donated to a child without shoes. This altruistic business model became known as the “One for One”.

Since launching TOMS and the brand’s One for One model. The once grassroots business model started by Mycoskie blossomed into a movement. Companies that want to do more than simply “some” philanthropy have pledged themselves to the drastic but maximum impact route of the One for One approach. According to the TOMS website, it is now a global movement that is impacting over 100 million lives to date.

 

The Catalyst for Disruption

In any institution around the world, there is always the temptation to conform rather than consider the problems of the systems that exist. For many, the idea of endeavoring to acknowledge the deep and wide cracks of the system is overwhelming, nonetheless taking the risk to fix what has existed for some time. In many public and private entities, the system has been set to quell those who might seek change.

For a minority of global business and society leaders, conformity is not an option. These agents of change know what is at stake if nothing is done to reform the way public and private entities operate. The world is in need of change-makers who can see the opportunities for improvement and are willing to make the effort to do something radical, something quite different, that has the potential for tremendous local and widespread impact.

These are the convictions held by people and organizations who become the disruptors of our world. The people that decide to take small and large risks to catalyze global transformation. These are people like Van Jones, founder of Dream Corps, who seeks solutions to the “planet’s toughest challenges”. Another is Isabelle Kocher who is working toward a net-zero emissions economy. Paul Polman, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the Chair of Gavi, Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, Muhammad Yunus Nobel Peace Laureate, and others are making great efforts to find significant global solutions.

One thing that we can note from the change-makers of today is that you do not have to run a large global enterprise or be the Chair of a governmental committee to make an impact on the world. To create change, there only needs to be a spark from one person, the Mycoskies of the world, to ignite a movement that disrupts a system and eventually becomes a global transformation impacting the lives of millions.

 

When Systems Miss the Mark

The modern way of educating children developed over time. However, when the pandemic hit the mainstream institutions were not ready for such an interruption and could hardly pivot quickly enough. While some schools managed to band-aid together an online curriculum that kept instruction going, it was evident to many that the current models of instruction were simply not designed for twenty or more students in an uncontrolled remote setting of their own. Districts, schools, and teachers gave it their all to make it work but the arrangements were tenuous. The grades and test scores of students suffered across the country. The diminished social interaction and lack of connection caused added mental stress for students. When it was finally allowed, the return to in-person instruction was more than welcomed.

One thing the COVID pandemic spotlighted is the need for a different way to educate students. While congregating by the hundreds, in buildings designed after prisons, may have sufficed for students in the early industrial period, the need for greater flexibility and a desire for more parent involvement in the education of their children has materialized. Things have changed in profound ways and families today feel a deeper need for meaningful and flexible education for their students.

 

A Different Kind of Homeschool

In 2019, Jim Lee, founder, and CEO of Grad Solutions and Smart Schools, alongside Elliot Munro, a seasoned online educator, started Welcome Home Learning. Their purpose for starting the school was to fill a chasm in the current learning landscape.  Since the pandemic, the need for a home-based online school option became apparent. This is what so many families are searching for. Having already experienced success with two other education management companies, the founders were confident they could develop something unique to fill the emerging need for a flexible homeschool option. They also wanted to do it in a way that benefits students on a global level. Their solution was simple: a flexible online homeschool subscription offering with a one-for-one giving model.

Welcome Home Learning seeks to be part of the group that is driving change in the global community with their One for One online homeschool program. To make the One for One model sustainable, the company is looking to add more families that want to implement an easy-to-use online homeschool curriculum. The more families that engage in this model, the greater our collective impact will be on kindergarten through eighth-grade students in third world countries who would benefit from Welcome Home Learning’s free education opportunity.

 

 

 

 

References

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Founder – Bio

​​Welcome Home Learning – About

 

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