School the World
Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds schools, trains teachers, and empowers parents in rural communities of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Philippines, reaching 170,000+ children since 2009 through a five-pillar education model co-invested with local governments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What School the World does
School the World is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 by Kate Curran that delivers quality education to impoverished children in rural communities of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and (as of 2025) the Philippines. The organization's offering centers on a five-pillar primary school model comprising school construction, teacher training, parent empowerment, classroom libraries, and playground development, augmented by an early childhood program (ages 0-6), scholarships and alternative schooling pathways, and an Accelerated Learning Recovery Program using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology. Schools are built through a 50/50 co-investment model with local municipalities, and programs run as intensive five-year community partnerships with parents, local government, and community leaders.
Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: individual donations (via Givebutter), student service trip fees (~$3,950 per participant covering construction materials and program support), corporate service trips (used by IMG seven times and International Citizens Insurance), school sponsorships at $15,000+, and institutional grants from USAID, GE Foundation, Cigna, Harbourton Foundation, and others. Distribution channels include online donations, school chapters and clubs, information sessions at high schools, and an annual Back to School Bash gala at the Four Seasons Boston. The organization does not use proprietary technology; operations are people-intensive, with 51-100 staff across US headquarters and regional offices in Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, and Panama City.
Since founding, School the World has built 200+ schools and 91 playgrounds, trained 8,000+ teachers, empowered 12,000+ parents, and reached 170,000+ children. The organization holds Charity Navigator four-star rating, Candid Platinum Transparency, Library of Congress Literacy Award (2024), and three consecutive HundrED Global Collection selections for its Accelerated Learning Program. Current leadership includes Founder/CEO Kate Curran, COO Natalie Hambor, and Co-COO Lara Hoyem (joined 2025 from Silicon Valley), supported by a board including former Guatemalan Minister of Education Cynthia del Aguila. The Moonshot 2030 initiative targets reaching 84,000 additional children and expanding into two more countries/regions by 2030.
School the World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- School the World
- Legal name
- School the World
- Website
- https://schooltheworld.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds schools, trains teachers, and empowers parents in rural communities of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Philippines, reaching 170,000+ children since 2009 through a five-pillar education model co-invested with local governments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
School the World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC), Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)
Keywords
Where School the World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
School the World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to fund school construction, teacher training, scholarships, and general operations. The organization runs campaigns and peer-to-peer fundraising.
- Student Service Trip Fees: Students contribute approximately $3,950 toward school or playground construction, which includes a $750 nonrefundable deposit. Approximately 50% supports construction materials and program support.
- Corporate Service Trips: Corporate groups pay for service trips that include building schools alongside communities. IMG has participated seven times.
- School Sponsorship: Organizations and individuals can sponsor a new school with a gift of $15,000 or more.
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations and corporations including USAID, GE Foundation, Cigna, Dole, Harbourton Foundation, and others.
- Government Co-investment: Local municipalities co-invest 50% of infrastructure costs while School the World provides the remaining 50% through donors and service trips.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Student Service Trip Contribution |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Parent Chaperone Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | School Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
School the World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
School the World is a nonprofit that builds primary schools and playgrounds in rural communities of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Philippines through five-year intensive partnerships with local governments, parents, and community leaders. Its integrated model combines physical infrastructure with teacher training, parent empowerment, classroom libraries, scholarships, and an Accelerated Learning Recovery Program applying Teaching at the Right Level methodology. Revenue is generated through individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, and participant-funded student and corporate service trips.
Product overview
School the World is a nonprofit education organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to transform education in rural communities. The core offering is a five-pillar primary school model that combines school construction (built through co-investment with municipalities), teacher training, parent empowerment, classroom libraries, and playground development. The organization provides a full lifecycle of support from early childhood development through secondary education, including an Accelerated Learning Recovery Program using Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology. Experiential learning opportunities include Student Service Learning Trips for high school students and Corporate Service Trips, while School Chapters and Clubs engage youth advocates. Programs operate in Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Philippines through five-year community partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Childhood Program Early childhood development program for children ages 0-6 designed to build foundational school readiness skills before first grade. Includes parent training sessions led by community volunteers.
- Primary School Program (Five-Pillar Model) Comprehensive primary school model combining physical school and playground construction, two-year teacher training with monthly coaching, parent empowerment training, classroom libraries, and ongoing community partnership for five years. Co-funded 50/50 with local municipalities.
- Accelerated Learning Recovery Program Small-group tutoring program adapting the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology for Spanish-language learning in rural indigenous communities of Guatemala, Panama, and Honduras. Includes playful learning techniques and bi-weekly progress testing; has tutored 11,200+ students with 140+ trained tutors since 2022.
- School and Playground Construction Physical school and playground construction in rural communities, co-funded 50/50 with local municipalities. The organization has built over 200 schools and 91 playgrounds since 2009.
- Scholarships and Alternative Schooling Scholarship programs and alternative education pathways (including Second Chance for adults and out-of-school youth) for students in communities without schools beyond sixth grade.
- Student Service Learning Trips Week-long immersive service trips where high school and college students travel to Guatemala, Honduras, or Panama to participate in school and playground construction, cultural exchange, and community engagement. Participants contribute approximately USD 3,950 (including a USD 750 nonrefundable deposit) with about 50% funding construction materials and program support.
- Corporate Service Trips Custom team-building service trips for corporate groups where employee teams build schools and playgrounds alongside rural communities in Guatemala, Honduras, or Panama. Pricing is custom and arranged through inbound booking calls.
- School Chapters and Clubs Student-led school clubs at high schools and colleges that raise awareness of global education inequities, fundraise for school construction, and promote global citizenship through leadership roles and fundraising activities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Dropout rate reduced from 60% to 25% within three years of founding
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use School the World
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
School the World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
School the World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- IMG (International Medical Group)coreCorporate partner with seven completed service trips. IMG employees selected through application process and participate in week-long trips to build schools and playgrounds. Partnership celebrated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
- Yellow Boat of Hope FoundationcoreLocal partner in the Philippines bringing deep knowledge of remote communities through school transportation, classroom construction, and community-based support. Partnership helps School the World understand the local landscape and identify where their model can make greatest impact in Philippines operations.
- Ron Burton Training Village (RBTV)flagshipEight-year partnership with New England youth development organization. Over 120 students participated in service trips to Panama since 2018. RBTV provides year-round leadership programming that students apply during service trips.
- FlywireminorCorporate sponsor supporting School the World's operations. Flywire employees have participated in service trips.
- Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG)coreFormer Guatemalan Minister of Education Cynthia del Aguila serves as UVG Development Director. School the World board member brings education policy expertise and ongoing research collaboration.
- Foundación ProedminorStrategic advisor Dr. Debbie Psychoyos serves as Founder & CEO, contributing education expertise to School the World's board.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
School the World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation: Philippines-based nonprofit focused on education access through school transportation and community-based support; both a current partner and a comparable model operating in Southeast Asia.
- UNIDOS por la Educación: Guatemala-focused education nonprofit; comparable as a regional player targeting the same rural indigenous communities School the World serves in Guatemala with overlapping literacy and scholarship programs.
Direct peers
- Room to Read: International education nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equality in Asia and Africa; directly comparable as a school construction + teacher training + scholarships organization with co-investment models in developing countries.
- buildOn: Nonprofit that builds schools in developing countries through student service-immersion trips and community partnerships; near-identical model combining student volunteer trips, school construction, and adult literacy programs.
- Pencils of Promise: Education nonprofit building schools and training teachers in Guatemala, Ghana, Laos, and Nicaragua; direct competitor for school construction funding with overlapping Central America presence and similar community-led approach.
Broad incumbents
- Save the Children: Large international NGO with broad education programming in developing countries; competes for the same institutional donor dollars and government grants, though with a much wider health and humanitarian mandate.
- UNICEF USA: UN agency delivering global education programs with significant school infrastructure and teacher training components; broader scope but overlapping on rural education access and government co-investment.
Emerging players
- Ron Burton Training Village (RBTV): Boston-area youth development nonprofit that has sent 120+ students on School the World service trips since 2018; comparable as a youth-focused nonprofit with service-learning pipeline and Boston HQ footprint.
- Opportunity International: Education-and-livelihoods nonprofit operating in developing countries with school infrastructure and family support components; comparable footprint in Latin America with similar community partnership model.
Others
- HundrED: Global education innovation community that has selected School the World's Accelerated Learning Program to its top 100 for three consecutive years; ecosystem player that amplifies School the World's visibility among education innovators and funders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
School the World social profiles
Digital presenceSchool the World compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
School the World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
School the World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
School the World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
School the World M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about School the World
What does School the World do?
School the World is a nonprofit that builds primary schools and playgrounds in rural communities of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Philippines through five-year intensive partnerships with local governments, parents, and community leaders. Its integrated model combines physical infrastructure with teacher training, parent empowerment, classroom libraries, scholarships, and an Accelerated Learning Recovery Program applying Teaching at the Right Level methodology. Revenue is generated through individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, and participant-funded student and corporate service trips.
Is School the World a public or private company?
School the World is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was School the World founded?
School the World was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is School the World based?
School the World is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does School the World make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are student Service Trip Fees, corporate Service Trips, school Sponsorship, foundation and Corporate Grants and government Co-investment.
Who are School the World's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation and UNIDOS por la Educación. Direct peers are Room to Read, buildOn and Pencils of Promise. Broad incumbents are Save the Children and UNICEF USA. Emerging players are Ron Burton Training Village (RBTV) and Opportunity International. HundrED is listed as an others.
Does School the World have an API?
No public API is recorded for School the World.
What industry is School the World in?
School the World's product category is International Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAE, Education Access & Quality (International Development), with a secondary code of EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8300.