Ross Wehner

The mission of World Leadership School is to partner with K-12 schools to reimagine learning and create next-generation leaders. We do this by taking students out into the world and coaching teachers to bring purpose to learning. Teen stress and other forces are causing K-12 schools to explore strategies for bringing greater purpose to learning. We see this as a shift to “head, heart and hands” learning where students forge emotional connections, engage with real world problems, and take action in the world. At the center of our approach is the belief that teachers must be the owners and agents of change and innovation. We believe that teachers must grow themselves before they can grow their practice, and transformed teachers will transform their classrooms. We take students out into the world by helping our schools forge Collaborative Leadership Programs with rural schools and NGOs around the world and in the USA. Our programs focus on community immersion. During these 10-21 day learning programs, students live with host families, spend time in a rural school or shadow an NGO, and form relationships with local students and leaders. Along the way, students from both cultures explore purpose and step forward to tell their own “leadership story.” These programs are a powerful tool to guide students towards lives of purpose and help educators transform classrooms. We help teachers bring purpose to learning through our Virtual Coaching Institute, a yearlong program for teachers and teaching teams. Through regular one-on-one work sessions, our coaches help teachers explore new ideas, shift their approach, and create showcases of learning that embody the future of learning at their school. We support our coaching work with in-service workshops, gatherings and summits, and educator travel programs.