As we close out 2025, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together. This year has been extraordinary—not just because of the scale of our work, but because of what these numbers represent: thousands of children gaining access to quality education, communities transformed, and futures made brighter.
Behind every statistic in this recap is a story. A child discovering the joy of reading. Families coming to understand the value of education. A community coming together to build a classroom that represents a brighter future. While our blog is filled with those stories throughout the year, today we want to celebrate the scope and scale of what your support—and our team’s dedication—made possible.
80 communities co-funded classroom libraries this year, bringing our total to over 1,000 classroom libraries established in the last 16 years. We delivered 11,607 books into the hands of eager young readers, opening worlds of possibility one page at a time.
53 classrooms were constructed, creating safe, inspiring spaces where learning can flourish. And we celebrated a major milestone: we built our 27th playground this year, surpassing 100 playgrounds total (116 and counting!). These aren’t just structures—they’re places where childhood happens, where play nurtures development, and where community gathers.
We launched in the Philippines! This marks a momentous expansion for School the World. Six schools are currently under construction, and we’ve welcomed our first staff members on the ground in Southeast Asia. This new chapter extends our impact to a region with tremendous need and enormous potential. It’s a testament to the strength of our model and the vision of our team.
The numbers here tell a powerful story of opportunity:
Education extends beyond the classroom, and our community programs reflect that holistic approach. This year, 5,501 parents participated in our empowerment workshops, gaining skills and knowledge to support their children’s education and strengthen their families.
235 World Changers traveled with us in 2025—our largest year ever! This included 212 student service learning participants and 23 corporate service trip participants. These travelers don’t just observe our work; they become part of it, contributing their hands and hearts while gaining perspectives that stay with them forever. They return home as ambassadors for educational equity, multiplying our impact far beyond the communities we serve directly.
And the impact doesn’t stop when they return home. We’re thrilled to report that 9 clubs and chapters are currently active, including our first university club in Canada. These passionate student groups raise funds and awareness on their own school campuses, extending the work on behalf of our students and communities while building a truly global movement of young advocates.
For the third consecutive year, we’ve been honored as a HundrED honoree, recognized as one of the top 100 global education innovations in the world. With almost 4,000 student beneficiaries reached through our innovative programs, this recognition validates what we’ve always known: our community-driven approach works.
This year also brought significant recognition and collaboration opportunities. We received formal recognition from the Honduras government for our work in the region. At the Education Forum hosted by the Departmental Directorate of Education of Choluteca, nine organizations working to advance education came together to share their programs and progress—an opportunity for us to showcase not just what we do, but how we do it differently. Through our partnership with VOCES para la Educación, a national network strengthening Guatemala’s public education system, we helped train 100 teachers across 25 communities in Sololá, focusing on early literacy and math instruction for pre-primary educators. Our staff shared our model and learnings at the .ORG Impact Summit and the Central America Donors Forum, elevating our approach on regional and international stages.
We also completed two academic studies with UVG (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala), building the evidence base for our impact and ensuring our programs are grounded in research and best practices.
These 2025 achievements aren’t endpoints—they’re milestones on the journey to Moonshot 2030, our bold vision to double the number of students we reach with quality education. Every library, every classroom, every scholarship, every trained teacher brings us closer to this transformational goal.
The Philippines launch is a perfect example of this forward momentum. By expanding to a new region, we’re not just growing—we’re building a scalable model that can transform educational access across the globe. The work we’re doing today lays the groundwork for exponential impact in the years ahead.
None of these numbers would exist without two essential groups:
Our staff: They are the heart and soul of School the World. Their creativity, perseverance, and unwavering commitment turn ambitious goals into reality. They work in challenging conditions, navigate complex logistics, build relationships with communities, and never lose sight of why we do this work. These numbers represent countless early mornings, late nights, problem-solving sessions, and moments of pure determination. We are grateful for their dedication to this mission every single day.
Our donors and supporters: They make everything possible. Their financial contributions, advocacy, and belief in our mission are the resources that transform vision into reality. They understand that education is the most powerful tool for breaking cycles of poverty, and they invest in that belief. They see potential where others see barriers. They give children opportunities they would otherwise never have. We simply cannot do this work without them, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership.
As impressive as 2025 was, we’re not slowing down. We have schools to build in the Philippines, more communities to reach, more students to empower, and the ambitious targets of Moonshot 2030 calling us forward.
We need you with us in 2026.
The momentum is building. The model is proven. The need is urgent. Together, we can make 2026 our most impactful year yet.
Will you join us? Your support—whether through financial contributions, spreading the word, or joining us on a service trip—powers every single number in this recap.
Let’s make 2026 extraordinary. Let’s keep building futures. Let’s keep changing the world, one school at a time.