Good to the last drop coffee in more ways than one!!!
“Fresh Coffee For A Refreshing Cause” is the catchphrase for this amazing coffee brand with a purposeful mission. Show me the World Coffee is a unique coffee brand in which 100% of every single bag supports local education in Ethiopia! Show Me The World’s Project mission is to provide youth from under-resourced communities equitable access to transformative educational experiences.
Borrowing directly from their website below is a description of the concept, mission, and foundation of this coffee that serves humanity and tastes so good!!! Our family member Cleve was so gracious in buying a few bags for us to try while they were visiting and we are fans! And there is a slight connection as well as Cleve’s daughter and our neice Cortney “CJ” is lifelong friends with one of the founders’ Samantha!! So proud of them and this concept and movement!
Please support them if you can! SHOW ME THE WORLD PROJECT.ORG
In 2012, The Show Me Costa Rica Project (SMCRP) was founded at Vashon High School in the heart of north St. Louis, Missouri after a school swap with a nearby suburban school highlighted the inequity in educational opportunities. This left the students at Vashon wanting equal access to international learning experiences. These students went on to name the first chapter “The Show Me Costa Rica Project” because it started in Missouri, The Show Me State, and the biological wonders of Costa Rica allowed for the alignment of the biology state standards with an experiential learning trip.
Through the joint fundraising efforts of the students, community, high school, parents, and other family members, Vashon High School was able to take their first-ever student group on an international trip. However, this is more than an international trip. They have seen tremendous improvement with Biology State Exams and Grade Point Averages. Within the first two years of the program, students increased their GPA by 50% and while only 7% of the total school population scored proficient on the Biology State Exam, 90% of Show Me the World students went on to score proficient or advanced. To further the STEM enrichment programming, The Show Me Costa Rica Project partnered with the Washington University Young Scientist Program in 2014. In this ongoing partnership, PhD graduate students from Wash U facilitate in-person and virtual science experiences and lessons aligned with national biology standards.
After seeing the success of the first two groups of international travelers, they realized how beneficial experiential learning is to the development of students’ 21st-century skills.
Since 2012, a diverse group of educators and community members have collaborated to grow and develop the structure and philosophy of our program. Because of their innovative thinking and advocacy, over 100 students across five schools in St. Louis and Ferguson gained access to their first international transformational educational experience.
After seeing the success of the first two groups of international travelers, we realized how beneficial experiential learning is to the development of students’ 21st-century skill
Fast forward to 2016, they expanded further by creating an entrepreneurial arm to help raise the funds for future student participation. With a focus on the Pura Vida mantra that represents gratitude and happiness, SMCRP created branded Pura Vida merchandise. The Pura Vida branded merchandise sold out instantly and has been a continued success with every new collection. With one entrepreneurial win under their belt, a strong leadership team, the students looked for other targeted fundraising opportunities. After learning some of the best coffee in the world is grown on farms near volcanoes in Costa Rica, they landed on Costa Rican coffee, which you can purchase at their online store. The coffee venture serves as both an experiential opportunity for the students to learn about maintaining a business and a way to help sustain the organization for future student participation.
Due to the success and increased demand from schools to incorporate our program, it became necessary to form a 501c3 non-profit organization. In May 2019, Samantha Lurie, Sylvester Chisom and Boahemaa Adu-Oppong co-founded The Show Me the World Project.
The Show Me the World Project will continue to empower even more young people by expanding their worldview and unlocking their ultimate potential.
