Global Citizenship Lives In Ridgewood

AS A DOCUMENTARY photographer for 16 years, Jarret Schecter witnessed refugee camps in East Africa, life in Roma/Gypsy settlements in Europe, and surgeries on a flying eye hospital in Cuba. Eventually, he decided to move beyond documenting life to actively addressing the inequities he had witnessed, so in 2011, Schecter, who grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus, enrolled in the Columbia School of Social Work and began to volunteer with internationally-focused nonprofits. He eventually founded The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission (TEEEM) in 2018.

Many U.S. students have limited exposure to life outside their own communities and few opportunities to engage deeply in humanitarian work before adulthood. They often are seeking purposeful, real-world learning experiences. That demand is driving schools to offer programs that connect classroom learning to tangible impact. Now, TEEEM, the Ridgewood-based organization, empowers social entrepreneurs and high school students to become innovative and collaborative leaders of global nonprofits.

Executive Vice President Taylor D’Alessio took up the reins with TEEEM alongside Schecter to connect with schools and create a structure for the grassroots program, bringing its concepts to life through our local schools.

“Ridgewood, Pascack, and Northern Highlands schools have been there from day one,” she says. Their former and current administrators are now part of TEEEM’s educator advisory board. They include: Dr. Tom Gorman (former principal at Ridgewood High School, former supervisor of Ridgewood Public Schools, and currently the superintendent at Montville); Tom DeMaio (former principal at Pascack Valley High School; and Joe Occhino (former principal at Northern Highlands High School).

IMPACT

TEEEM currently has 10 sites on five continents. The organization works with 3,000 students in 100 K-12 schools and universities and is expanding into libraries, institutions, and clubs. Areas that have been positively impacted include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ecuador, Haiti, Kenya, Peru, Uganda, and Ukraine. In the U.S., TEEEM works with communities in West Virginia and in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.

By pairing students with under-resourced global communities and giving them the tools to lead impactful service projects, TEEEM has become a sought-after model for teaching global citizenship.  

Marc Dwihe, a junior and TEEEM participant at Ridgewood High School, says, “Most students don’t fully recognize the challenges that many communities around the world face—but I’ve seen them firsthand. I was born in Lebanon and have lived across different parts of the world, including two years in Africa, before coming to the U.S. Experiencing life in Africa made me realize just how difficult everyday life can be in underserved areas. It’s shaped the way I see global issues today.”

As an eleventh grader in Ridgewood, Dwihe, realizes that it’s easy to take things like school resources and opportunities for granted.

“TEEEM has helped me appreciate what I have while also motivating me to do something meaningful that supports others. It’s made me realize that even as a high school student, I can make an impact,” he says.

TEEEM’s presence in Ridgewood schools engages students in youth leadership, cross-generational collaboration, and a culture of giving back. It provides a means to make a difference globally while fostering pride and unity locally. Ridgewood schools have supported TEEEM’s Cambodia community for years, providing access to quality education, ESL training for teachers, and mobile dental care.

“We are reimagining our Cambodia project this year and have great plans for the future,” notes D’Alessio. Currently, a group of Ridgewood students is assisting Ugandan women to gain access to local microloans to launch businesses. Students fill out grant applications and are allowed up to $500 per school year. They then figure out how to maximize that to benefit the local community.

TEEEM also works in Kenya in collaboration with The GRACE Project. This past summer, students traveled to Kisii, Kenya to launch the country’s first robotics program in a K-8 school. Through their RISE (Robotics in Schools Everywhere) initiative, these students, with TEEEM’s support, created a 35-lesson curriculum, trained STEM teachers, and equipped the school with robotics kits. Their work is now expanding as they help introduce robotics education to schools across Kenya.

GIVING BACK

TEEEM’s presence in the community encourages local businesses, schools, and civic groups to contribute to fundraising and awareness efforts, spreading awareness of the organization.

The Ridgewood Library partnered with TEEEM and The GRACE Project to present virtual reading programs and cultural exchanges. Ridgewood students have come away from the project learning a bit of Swahili, along with traditional songs and dances.

The library is also hosting a Threads of Hope knitting group through December to craft caps for babies in Kenya and South Dakota. Fleet Feet of Ridgewood is toeing the line by helping to raise awareness and funds while cheering on D’Alessio as she runs the New York City Marathon in November. Several local businesses and dining establishments have also held special events to dedicate a portion of their sales to TEEEM.

“Students fall in love with the concept of changing the future for themselves and others,” D’Alessio says. “We partner with the Yale UNICEF Club, where students can develop a passion project throughout the year under the guidance of their Yale mentor.”

Dwihe and Naveen Sagaar, also a junior at Ridgewood High School, have been involved in the program for several years and are planning to deepen their commitment to the organization.

“I have witnessed firsthand how much students can achieve when given the chance to engage with global communities and take action through our school’s TEEEM chapter,” says Dwihe. “I would be delighted to assist in broadening that scope and encouraging even more students to participate.” TEEEM’s mission reflects everything I value: compassion, global citizenship, and the belief that young people can be leaders of change. Through leadership and personal journey, I’ve committed myself to making sure others don’t just learn about the world—they feel connected to it.”

Sagaar says, “One of my favorite things is the student-led aspect. The idea that, unlike in student government, students get to make real, substantive change with little to no direction from adults is exhilarating—and a challenge. I often find that students of any age are much more motivated and imaginative than most give them credit for. TEEEM provides facilitation and guidance for students like me who are looking for any opportunity to help out and make a difference. I’d love to host a cross-community event with another high school, and I think that TEEEM would be an amazing facilitator for that!”

Is your student interested in joining TEEEM? Sagaar advises, “TEEEM offers a sense of independence and responsibility. It’s for students who want to make a visible and impactful change in the lives of others. TEEEM helps students take on a project and turn it into their own, providing crucial resources, mentorship, and connections to find creative solutions to very real problems.”

Dwihe adds, “It’s an amazing opportunity and a great way to connect with new people who share the same interest in giving back and build new friendships.

BY KRIS PEPPER