Turning empathy into social action with TEEEM

By Theodore Opderbeck 

It’s 6:55 a.m. on a cold, dark winter morning, yet much to my delight, I have 12 high school students sitting in my classroom waiting eagerly for our weekly virtual tutoring session with students halfway around the world in Kisii, Kenya! Every Thursday morning, a different crew of my students participates in these special times of English reading, Swahili lessons, singing, dancing and cultural fun with our new friends in Kenya.

In a world often characterized by disillusionment, division and disinterest, it is truly heartwarming to watch my students enhance their empathy and cultural awareness while simultaneously developing social entrepreneurial skills to improve the lives of other people.

Six years ago, I had the good fortune of learning about an inspirational global nonprofit organization located right in the heart of New Jersey with a mission to connect students to communities in need around the world, including the school with which we work in rural Kenya. TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission) is now a rapidly growing organization that collaborates with over 65 high schools, middle schools and elementary schools across the state and nation.

Founded by a former photojournalist and New Jersey native, Jarret Schecter, TEEEM provides a host of free, innovative and dynamic educational resources that teach students here in the U.S. how to develop empathy and understanding for people living in difficult situations while fostering their own social entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

Among the many global nonprofit organizations sponsored by TEEEM, my students chose to work with The GRACE Project in Kenya, which offers high-quality STEM-based schooling, sustainable agricultural training and medical care to Kisii, an underserved community in Kenya. GRACE stands for Greater Response to African Children’s Education.