Category: News

World Savvy Board Announcement: Welcoming Hamse Warfa as Our New CEO

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

Dear Friends and Supporters of World Savvy,

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you: The World Savvy Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Hamse Warfa is starting today as our next Chief Executive Officer. This decision follows a comprehensive search process, and we are confident that Hamse’s exceptional leadership and vision will guide World Savvy into a new chapter of growth and impact.

Hamse Warfa is a renowned global leader, democracy and workforce development expert, bestselling author, and speaker with over 25 years of experience across federal and state governments, philanthropy, and the private sector who embodies the principles of global competence. His work has consistently focused on civic engagement and economic development, with a deep commitment to partnering with young people as changemakers. Hamse’s unique journey—from a child refugee from Somalia to a U.S. presidential appointee—has equipped him with the lived experiences and insights needed to lead World Savvy as we continue our mission to transform K-12 education for a diverse and interconnected world.

The Board’s decision to appoint Hamse as our new CEO comes after a rigorous national search process. We partnered with a leading executive search firm that embodies our values and vision for the future. Throughout this process, we were consistently impressed by Hamse’s commitment to education, equity, and innovation. His track record of leadership and impact, both locally and globally, makes him the ideal person to advance World Savvy’s goals and expand our reach.

Hamse’s relationship with World Savvy spans over a decade. As a volunteer, fundraiser, and collaborator, he has long supported our efforts to create inclusive, student-centered learning environments that prepare young people to thrive in an ever-changing world. Now, as CEO, Hamse is ready to build on this foundation and lead World Savvy into a future where an emphasis on the skills necessary to thrive in an interconnected and complex world is the norm in education, not the exception.

As a Board, we are united in our enthusiasm for Hamse’s leadership. We believe his deep knowledge, strategic vision, and personal commitment to equity will be invaluable as we work to reach more students and educators across the country. Here are a few reflections from our Board members:

“I am thrilled to welcome Hamse Warfa as the new CEO of World Savvy,” shares Sarah Smith, a key member of the Board’s Search Committee. “Hamse’s remarkable life and career — as a refugee, an appointee of Governor Tim Walz, and a senior advisor in the State Department — combined with his visionary approach to inclusive, equitable education, make him the perfect leader for World Savvy.”

“As chair of the Transition Task Force Committee, I’m thrilled to welcome Hamse Warfa as the next CEO for World Savvy,” says Kathlene Campbell. “His wealth of knowledge and expertise will continue to uplift the important work of World Savvy that outgoing CEO and Co-Founder Dana Mortenson began 22 years ago.”

As we prepare to welcome Hamse into his new role, we want to express our deep gratitude to Dana Mortenson, our Co-Founder and outgoing CEO, for her visionary leadership and tireless dedication over the past two decades. Dana’s legacy will continue to inspire our work, and we are fortunate to have her support during this important transition.

We invite you to join us in welcoming Hamse Warfa as World Savvy’s next CEO. We are confident that under his leadership, World Savvy will continue to grow and thrive, advancing our mission to empower the next generation.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Warm regards,
Linda Ireland
Chair of the Board of Directors, World Savvy

World Savvy Partners with California Lakeport Unified School District to Enhance Career and College Readiness

Posted on by Kady Cheng

World Savvy is thrilled to announce our collaboration with California Lakeport Unified School District, which have been awarded significant state funding to increase student access to careers and higher education. This funding is part of the Golden State Pathways Program, an initiative established to integrate college preparatory coursework with career exploration and technical education.

On June 1, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced the awarding of $470 million to 302 local educational agencies (LEAs) across California. This program is designed to help students transition smoothly from high school to college and careers, focusing on high-wage, high-skill, high-growth sectors such as technology, health care, education, and climate-related fields.

“Every student in California deserves the opportunity to build real-life skills and pursue the careers they want. This funding will be a game-changer for thousands of students as the state invests in pathways to good-paying high-need careers — including those that don’t require college degrees,” said Newsom.

As part of this initiative, World Savvy will be working closely with Lakeport Unified School District schools to integrate our programs into the educational pathways supported by the Golden State Pathways Program. Our partnership aims to enhance the career and college readiness of Lakeport Unified School District students by providing inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning experiences.

“We are thrilled to announce a partnership with Lakeport Unified, made possible by the Golden State Pathways Program. Beginning with the development of a community-based Portrait of a Graduate, this collaboration will ensure all students graduate with the skills and dispositions they need to thrive in college, career, and community.” said Harben Porter, Executive Director of the Western Region at World Savvy.

Read More from Lake County News

About Golden State Pathways Program

The Golden State Pathways Program is designed to promote pathways in high-wage, high-skill, high-growth areas and to encourage collaboration between LEAs, higher education institutions, local and regional employers, and other community stakeholders. This initiative aligns with the Governor’s Master Plan for Career Education, aiming to simplify and connect the educational and workforce systems in California, ultimately supporting greater access to education and job opportunities for all Californians.

About World Savvy

World Savvy partners with schools and districts to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. By expanding our work across the country, we aim to connect with more schools to enhance educational experiences and opportunities. Learn more about our school partnership opportunities and how we are helping shape the future of education.

Student Changemakers Collaborate to Reimagine Education in Saginaw County, Michigan

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

Local media outlet WNEM 5 covered World Savvy’s Changemaker Hub in Saginaw, Michigan on April 30, 2024. In partnership with Saginaw ISD, the Changemaker Hub brought together nearly 140 students, educators, school leaders, and community members from eight districts in the county. In this day-long learning experience, participants collaboratively reflected and ideated on how to build inclusive school environments that allow ALL students to thrive–in school, and as adults in the future. 

“We’re here with other educators and people from our community and we’re discussing things that we want to see changed, and they’re listening to us, they’re taking notes, they’re engaging. They seem to be very understanding. It makes me feel like I’m seen and the other people who are sharing are seen as well and hopefully that changes are to come,” shared one student.

Read the article here.

About World Savvy

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools and districts to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.

Michigan Students and Educators Explore New Ideas for Education at World Savvy Changemaker Hub

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

World Savvy CEO and Co-founder Dana Mortensen and Superintendent Jeffrey Collier were interviewed by a local Michigan media outlet at our Changemaker Hub on April 30, 2024. Held in partnership with Saginaw ISD, this World Savvy design-thinking experience brought together nearly 140 students, educators, school leaders, and community members from multiple school districts. Collaboratively, they reflected on their learning and explored ideas to build inclusive school environments that allow ALL students to thrive–in school, and as adults in the future. 

Watch the news segment here.

About World Savvy

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools and districts to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.

Learning from the Future: Moving from What Is to What If?

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

In the second domain of effective leadership, according to Harvard Business School, one must forget the past and let go of practices that fuel the current system. Yet in education, we often look to the past for answers on how to navigate the future. 

In the April issue of the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) Councilgram newsletter, World Savvy team members (KK Neimann, National Director of District & Strategic Initiatives, and Melanie Peterson-Nafziger, Professional Learning Facilitator) co-authored an article that encourages education leaders to think creatively and expansively about shaping the future of teaching and learning.

“While these ideas might feel impossible, we can derive value from what came before: 30 years ago, eliminating textbooks or teaching without a physical campus seemed preposterous. What is the next impossible dream?”

Read the article on page 12.

NYSCOSS is the primary membership organization in New York for school superintendents.

About World Savvy

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools and districts to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.

A World Savvy Approach to Navigating the Future of Education

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

Our National Director of District and Strategic Initiatives KK Neimann explores World Savvy’s innovative approach to education on The Good Life EDU Podcast presented by Nebraska’s ESU Coordinating Council. In KK’s words, World Savvy is a “capacity builder.” Through multi-year Comprehensive School Partnerships, we work with school leaders and educators to embed global competence and create inclusive, adaptive, and future-ready learning environments.

Tune in to learn more about global competencies, fostering teacher empowerment, and enhancing support for students! 

Listen to the podcast here. 

World Savvy is continuing to expand our work with schools and districts across the country. Reimagine education with us and learn more about our school partnership opportunities to embed global competence into your learning environment.

Navigating Change and Ambiguity with World Savvy

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

World Savvy team members, National Director of District & Strategic Initiatives KK Neimann and Executive Director – Western Region Harben Porter, were invited to talk about our transformational work on the Make It Mindful education podcast with hosts Seth Fleischauer and Lauren Pinto.

In this episode, the hosts explore the concept of global competence with KK and Harben and in doing so, talk about how it can prepare students for the increasing complexity and unpredictability of our future. A key challenge schools face today is ensuring students graduate with the core skills that will be needed in a future that’s changing at such a rapid pace we can’t fully predict what jobs to prepare students for! KK shares that there is one certain thing we can tell young people about the future: they need to be prepared to navigate change and ambiguity. 

Listen to the podcast here.

How can schools equip their students with these essential skills to thrive in an uncertain future? World Savvy’s answer is through teaching for global competence – developing the skills, behaviors, and dispositions needed to thrive in a diverse, complex, and interconnected world. 

KK and Harben also discuss the need for a shift in the traditional approach to teaching, toward one that’s more student-centered. Through our Comprehensive School Partnerships, World Savvy supports teachers to not only embed global competence into the classroom but also to make learning more relevant and personal to students so that they feel connected to the content, leading to better student outcomes. 

But none of this is easy and pushback to new concepts and ideas is bound to happen. Perhaps Harben says it best. World Savvy is a partner that helps schools navigate “the messy work of systems change and transformation.” Learn more about our school partnership opportunities or connect us with a school today!

World Savvy Changemaker Hub Brings Together Ohio Middle School Students

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

The Lorain County Chronicle-Telegram spotlighted World Savvy’s Changemaker Hub hosted at Lorain County Community College in Ohio on February 22, 2024. The day-long design thinking experience was attended by approximately 120 students and 15 educators from area schools, including Avon, Elyria, North Ridgeville, and Lorain. Together, they reimagined the future of learning and centered student voices to understand their perspective on how to better the educational experience.

“Southview eighth grader Josiah Dolores Laboy wants to see more people taking education seriously, saying that school is a place for not just learning but also having fun.”

Read the article here. 

About World Savvy

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools and districts to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.

Opening the World Through Education

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

There’s nothing like an international experience to shine a light on why schools need to better prepare students to become global citizens. That’s why World Savvy has partnered with EF Education First on their international educational trips for school leaders that highlight how to integrate culture, identity, and global competence into classrooms right here at home. 

Our CEO, Dana Mortenson, recently appeared on Break the Ice Media’s Destination on the Left podcast with Nicole Mahoney. She was interviewed alongside Kate Berseth from EF to talk more about this partnership and the crucial need to embed global competence into our learning environments, as well as how our education system can better prepare students with the skills they need for success, leadership, and citizenship in our diverse and increasingly interconnected world.  

Listen to the podcast here.

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.

Global Competence Skills and Artificial Intelligence: A Discussion with Dana Mortenson

Posted on by Gabrielle Horta

World Savvy is pleased to share a recent podcast discussion featuring CEO and Co-Founder Dana Mortenson, focusing on the fascinating intersection of Global Competence Skills and Artificial Intelligence.

During this conversation on WOUB Public Media’s NPR Teaching Matters podcast, Dana delves into how AI is reshaping the educational landscape and its potential to promote global competence, inclusivity, and active learning methodologies. At World Savvy we are passionate about empowering students to become responsible global citizens, and we are both curious and excited about the role AI will play in this.

Whether you’re an educator, a student, a parent, or anyone with an interest in the future of education and technology, this podcast is a valuable listen. 

Listen to the podcast here.

World Savvy is an organization that partners with schools to reimagine education and create more inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready learning communities. We are continuing to expand our work across the country. Connect us with a school or learn more about our school partnership opportunities.