A Brief Overview of TakingITGlobal''s History
In 1999, Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk were rollerblading in Ottawa after attending a youth conference, and reflected on the various opportunities they experienced as teenagers. They had run web-based projects, started web-based companies, attended various conferences and volunteered with unique community projects. Michael and Jennifer realized how fortunate they were. They then asked themselves a key question: How could more young people find out about and access the types of opportunities they had? They decided to create the most comprehensive venue available for young people to access sources of inspiration, information and involvement opportunities. The concept for TakingITGlobal.org was born. In 2000, with a small team of volunteers, they launched the organization''s flagship program: the TakingITGlobal.org online community.
Michael and Jennifer recognized and responded to three emerging trends. First, they recognized the need for coordinated, global scale efforts to global challenges. Second, they recognized the necessity for engagement of young people in these efforts. Third, they recognized an increasing relevance of information and communications technologies in the ways young people learn, work, socialize, entertain and organize. They designed TakingITGlobal.org to address these trends and apply them to local and global community participation among youth.
During the next seven years, they launched five versions of TakingITGlobal.org. Each version increased in technical and design sophistication. By 2007, membership would reach 150,000. Young people from 200 countries speaking over 250 languages have joined the network to share and gain knowledge, ideas and stories. They run collaboratively developed projects addressing the full spectrum of global issues. They cross all physical and cultural boundaries to share interests ranging from climate change to graphic arts to human rights and macro-economics. Each month, TakingITGlobal.org receives over 40 million hits from over 100,000 visitors.
In 2002, this fast growing network of social and environmentally conscious youth caught the attention of multi-lateral organizations within the United Nations system. Numerous international non-profit organizations had already taken notice. TakingITGlobal began working with high profile organizations to develop and implement youth engagement strategies, including customized online communities and programming for international events. To date, TakingITGlobal has worked with half a dozen UN agencies and dozens of international non-profits. The gap between young people and the international policy and decision making process continues to close, due in part to the unique thematic work of TakingITGlobal.
In 2004, TakingITGlobal launched a pilot program in Russia: Creating Local Connections (CLC). CLC projects map, network and support development of local, youth-based initiatives while leveraging the TakingITGlobal.org online community. Project teams run technology workshops and locally relevant events. Overall, they work to increase the profile of and collaboration among youth-based initiatives. The 2004 pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of the project model. Since 2004, TakingITGlobal has launched CLC projects in Canada, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Côte d''Ivoire and Guinea. CLC is TakingITGlobal''s main avenue for local engagement of its massive online network.
Conscious of the needs within the traditional education system, TakingITGlobal launched TIGed.org in 2006. TIGed provides a unique set of online tools designed to help educators make use of technology and bring global education into their classrooms. Within one year of TIGed''s launch, thousands of students and teachers from around the world from over 500 schools were using the activities database, discussion boards and secured, virtual classrooms.