Bringing cultural experiences to life.
“The only way to have a better world and end poverty is by closing the gap between the top and the bottom.”
-Jose Andres
Who are We?
We are Blessed to Be a Blessing (B2baB) and we are bringing change to our world! We are a small Denver-based nonprofit focusing on equality in international and cultural education. We wish to create equal access to the world for as many students as possible through our scholarships and programs. Founded by Denver native, Shawn Wall, B2baB is filled with local figures working to better our community and create global leaders of the 21st century.
Our Mission: Blessed to Be a Blessing assists underrepresented students in achieving equal access to cross-cultural and global experiences while completing their college degree.
Our Vision: Global access for all through education, sustainability projects, volunteering, and cultural exchange.
What do we do?
Our main goal is to help close the opportunity gap that is present in the US secondary education system focusing specifically on the gap within study abroad/international education programs. Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan once said, “In the 21st century a quality education is an international education.” We wish to provide this quality education to the underrepresented students from the Denver Metro Area and eventually across the U.S.
As the world becomes more and more globally focused people need to have international experiences and connections in order to succeed in a global economy. Our target group of students is quite diverse in itself. However, they are the least likely to see the culturally diverse world we live in. By introducing these students to the world around them and letting them see and experience different cultures outside of the United States, we are literally opening the world to them and showing them that they are not alone in their diversity. They can be equal with their access to travel, knowledge, and experiences. By providing scholarships, passports and travel education we wish to create leaders that will not only help their local communities and environments but the global community and environment as well.
The US Education Abroad Opportunity Gap
The information in the chart above is based on the 2018/19 data from the Institute of International Education's OpenDoors Report and the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
Many underrepresented students from the Denver Metro Area have never traveled. Some haven't even made it to the mountains in their own backyard. Others have never left the state, let alone visit the coast or a national monument. For many, traveling outside the country sounds like something unachievable. We wish to change this and open the world to everyone. Blessed to Be a Blessing assists underrepresented and low-income students in achieving equal access to cross-cultural and global experiences while completing their college degrees. Travel is an amazing, life-changing experience. When you travel your eyes are opened to new cultures and ways of life that are different from your own. You learn much about yourself as an individual outside of your comfort zone and are able to make lifelong friendships across the globe. This is something many people get to experience in their life. Lots of families travel across the US during the holidays, and many are able to travel abroad as well and see different parts of the world. Sadly, this is not the case for all Americans.
As we can see from the chart above, there is a drastic opportunity gap present in both the US secondary education system and its study abroad programs. In a perfect world, the US secondary enrollment and study abroad enrollment would be equal to the ratio of the US population. Instead, we see that nearly every underrepresented race has a smaller percentage of overall students studying abroad in comparison to total enrollment. Caucasian student percentages increase drastically in the study abroad data. Our mission is to eliminate this gap and provide study abroad opportunities to thousands of deserving Denver Area students.
Three Step Pipeline: Programs and Scholarships
Through our surveys, research, and personal experiences our team has determined that four major factors preventing underrepresented students from studying abroad are money, knowledge, family, and time. To combat these issues directly we have developed our programs around a Three Step Pipeline to Equal Access.
Step 1–Introduce Knowledge
We do this through our FREE online school- Blessed Scholars Online Travel Academy featuring courses Travel Abroad 101 and Study Abroad 101. As we develop, we will continue to add courses, webinars, and resources to expand the curriculum.
Step 2–Reinforce Knowledge/Remove Barriers
We do this through our flagship Global Access Passport Program (GAPP).
Step 3–Creating Access through Scholarships
We hope to award ten scholarships annually for a total of $60,000 by 2030. We will begin awarding smaller scholarship amounts in Fall 2023.
Overall, we introduce, educate, and remove barriers allowing full access to international opportunities and cross-cultural experiences for low-income and underrepresented students.
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There are two main reasons for the name Blessed to Be a Blessing. The first lies with my father, Salt Wall. My parents have worked in youth ministry for over 30 years. During this time my father has always ended every letter, email, and sermon with the phrase ‘we are blessed to be a blessing’. This always stuck with me and I have used this as a mindset my entire life. Reason number two lies with my grandparents. In 2016 as I graduated from college I received one final blessing from my grandparents in the form of an inheritance. With that blessing, I decided to take some time off, travel, and teach abroad. Since then, I have seen the world, taught thousands of students, and am now the founder of a nonprofit aiming to help the community I hold dearest. I was truly blessed by my grandparents’ final gift to me. That blessing has brought me where I am today. Now it is time for me to pass my blessings on to Denver’s youth just like my father has done all these years. When it came time to pick a name for our organization it was quite simple- it's been there my whole life….So remember, we are all Blessed to Be a Blessing.
-Shawn Wall
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Adopted by the Board of Directors on February 23, 2022.
Blessed to Be a Blessing is committed to forging and sustaining a community that creates equitable opportunities for all. In aligning with our mission and vision B2baB guarantees that our work and impact are respectful of the increasingly diverse community of the state of Colorado.
At B2baB, we respect and affirm the dignity of all the different members that make up our community. We are dedicated to creating and promoting an equal environment by addressing issues of equity and justice in our community. We do not condone activities that, segregate members of our community, intentionally or not. We welcome individuals of all ages, races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, religions, socioeconomic statuses, and national or ethnic origins. his includes the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, selection of clients (Scholars and Alumni), and dealings with the general public.
B2baB is committed to always continue furthering the education of our Board and staff as part of our process of developing and maintaining a community that provides equal opportunities for all. We strive to engage students and apply their input to better serve their needs. We actively seek partnerships with parents, community members, and community organizations in order to forge and sustain a community that allows equal opportunities for everyone.
B2baB is an equal opportunity employer. We shall not discriminate and will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, Board membership, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, or for any other discriminatory reason.