In the District, two-thirds of students write at a “basic” or “below basic” level; college instructors estimate that half are unprepared for college-level writing. OWE leads the District's largest writing program, annually serving 5,000 students, equipping educators to teach critical thinking, and empowering students to write about issues that matter to them. They learn to create strong hooks, gather and cite hard evidence, and write with clarity and purpose, basics they will need in college and the workplace. Select students get direct support from teachers and performance artists to build essays into persuasive oral presentations for community leaders and family members. Over the next three years, a Pandemic Rebuilding Plan will expand programs to impact 20,000 students and re-engage those set back by the pandemic. OWE is cultivating a generation of critical thinkers, persuasive writers, and social justice advocates. Our world needs them.

Headquarters: DC-Ward 1

Where They Operate: DC-Citywide

Age Groups Served: Youth (5-11); Pre-teen/teen (12-17)

Ethnic Groups Served: African American; Caucasian; Latino/Hispanic; Other

Population(s) Served: Students

Schools They Work In: Anacostia HS (DCPS); Ballou HS (DCPS); Banneker HS (DCPS); Cardozo Education Campus (DCPS); CHEC: Bell HS (DCPS); Coolidge HS (DCPS); Duke Ellington (DCPS); Dunbar HS (DCPS); Eastern HS (DCPS); HD Woodson HS (DCPS); Luke C. Moore (DCPS); McKinley Tech HS (DCPS); Phelps HS (DCPS); Roosevelt HS (DCPS); School Without Walls HS (DCPS); Washington Metropolitan HS (DCPS); Wilson HS (DCPS); EL Haynes (Public Charter); Capital City (Public Charter); Center City (Public Charter); Potomac Prep (Public Charter); William E. Doar Jr. (Public Charter)


  • Number of students participating in the One World Program:   25,000
  • Percentage of participating schools in 2015-16 that saw statistically significant gains in students' research, writing, and presentation skills:   93%
  • Percentage of students in 2015-16 that improved their average score between the pre- and post-writing tests:  
    70%, with students who started with the lowest scores showing the greatest gains
  • Percentage of teachers surveyed in 2015-16 that reported that their students were engaged in the learning process:   100%

Awards & Recognition

Fair Chance Graduate, 2011
Lehrman Impact Award Finalist, 2012
DC Public Schools Curriculum Provider, 2012-14
DCPS Cornerstone Project 2015-16

Press

Budget (FY2023)

  • $3 million or higher
  • The current budget for One World Education is: $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

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